Bhagavan Antle from the Tiger King Doco Charged with Animal Trafficking
The trafficking is done in collaboration with Keith Wilson who owns the roadside zoo
Remember the Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness docuseries on Netflix? This docuseries revolved around the keepers of exotic animals and achieved wide acclaim.
In recent news, Bhagavan Antle who appeared as a mentor in this show is accused of wild-life trafficking between South Carolina and Virginia. Based on reports, the trafficking is done in collaboration with Keith Wilson who owns the roadside zoo.
The Tiger King’s mentor will now have to face the law alongside Keith Wilson, as both face several charges. These include conspiring a violation of the Endangered Species Act, animal cruelty, and trafficking.
Though, Bhagavan Antle who also runs the Myrtle Beach Safari Park in South Carolina has already denied the charges.
He said in a statement, “I have deep regard and feelings for the animals in my care and would never hurt or abuse them in any way”. He further added that his name should be cleared from all the charges.
It is hard to believe that a person whom many people looked up to in the Tiger King docuseries could be behind bars himself. This docuseries revolved around Joe Exotic, an Oklahoma based tiger breeder, and his rivalry with Carole Basking, the owner of the Florida Wildlife sanctuary.
Currently, Joe Exotic serves 22 years for conspiring to murder Carole Baskin with the help of a hitman. In the show, Joe Exotic referred to Bhagavan Antle as his mentor.
Furthermore, the show also revolved around the relationship that Antle had with his woman staff. It shed light on how some women who worked as an apprentice with him as a teenager were later involved romantically with their boss.
While the doors for the trial just got opened, the Animal Law Unit was investigating Wilson and Antle (mentor of the Tiger King) for many months. Just recently, the Frederick County Grand Jury let the charges pass.
Currently, the Myrtle Beach Safari houses 60 big cats and 200 animals in total. According to Myrtle Beach safari’s website, it is still open for tours. Let’s see what becomes of this safari park if the mentor of the Tiger King, Bhagavan Antle goes to jail.
