Tiger King star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle has been indicted with 15 charges including wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty.
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle of the popular Netflix docuseries, Tiger King, has been indicted on 15 charges revolving around his privately owned zoo, Myrtle Beach Safari. This zoo contained a large amount of tigers and lions, accompanied by other wild animals.
The Tiger King docuseries drew attention to the cruel world of big cat captivity and trading in America. Published at the start of quarantine, viewers were taken into the depths of different privately owned zoos and the lack of regulations they face.
The main star of the documentary, Joe Exotic, owned a private zoo in Oklahoma and was arrested shortly after the Netflix release. He is serving time for conspiring to commit murder and killing animals. Viewers have since been hoping to see more of the documentary’s stars held accountable for their actions.
Flash forward to October 8th, when the Virginia Attorney General’s office charged Doc Antle with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges. The misdemeanor charges include four counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and nine counts of animal cruelty. The felony charges include one felony of wildlife trafficking and one felony count of conspiracy to traffic wildlife. Antle’s daughters are also facing misdemeanor charges including animal cruelty and violating the Endangered Species Act.
Many of these charges stem from the illegal selling and trading of lions between privately owned zoos and owners. According to statements and the documentary, Antle frequently participated in the selling of lions over state lines.
People have been waiting for Antle to face charges since the Netflix series first premiered.
Although viewers are happy to see this, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure the safety of large cats and animals in privately owned zoos.
Have you been following this story? If so, do you hope to see more of the series stars charged? We’re hoping this sparks change for the safety of these animals.
