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jasdip1

Has anyone seen Netflix's Tiger King?

Jasdip
4 years ago

Here is the premise of the show


The series focuses on the little known, but deeply interconnected society of big cats conservationists and collectors in America, exploring the private zoos and sanctuaries they've set up for these unusual and deadly pets. Some eccentric characters include a former cocaine drug lord running a secret conservation facility, and Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, an animal trainer who founded a 50 acre animal preserve in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and trains animals for Hollywood films.

The major conflict and emphasis of the series revolves around the contentious, years-long hatred between the flamboyant owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, Joseph Maldonado-Passage (a.k.a. "Joe Exotic"), and Carole Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue. Carole Baskin alleges Joe Exotic's breeding programs, zoo and animal conditions, and practice of charging visitors to pet lion or tiger cubs as abusive to the big cats, and makes it her personal mission to end private big cat ownership in general and Joe Exotic's cobbled-together, private Oklahoma zoo in particular.

Comments (21)

  • amicus
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Jasdip, I haven't watched it yet, but will. My DD watched it, and sent me this Facebook post that someone wrote, regarding her opinion on this. Sorry it's all in one long paragraph, but I just copied and pasted it, exactly as posted. It pretty much sums up my opinion.


    The filmmakers deliberately set out to show you a world in which everyone is just as guilty as the others, but that’s just not the reality. Let’s review. Joe was cited for more than 200 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act while he was exhibiting animals. He’s been fined and had his license suspended. He bred untold hundreds, probably thousands of baby big cats and sold them, illegally, to anyone who would pay for them with zero qualms about what would happen to them. He sold cubs to Doc Antle and others knowing that the cubs would be killed after they were too big to be used for public encounters. He sold cubs to Tim Stark knowing that they would suffer painful declawing surgeries that Joe admitted to me that he knew were horribly cruel. He took advantage of young, poor, drug addicted men. He fed them drugs and made them dependent on him. He admitted to shooting five tigers in the head to make room for tigers he was being paid to board. He warehoused hundreds of tigers in prison-like cell blocks at his roadside zoo. He kept two cats to a cage in which these animals who have home ranges of hundreds of miles in the wild could only take a few steps in any direction. The dirt under their paws was so permeated with years of built-up urine that the ammonia stench was overwhelming even in the parking lot. The stressful conditions often led to fights between the cats, and despite painful and gruesome injuries, he would deny them vet care, often trying to stitch up the wounds himself. This inevitably led to even more pain and suffering prior to death. He terrorized Carole for years and encouraged his followers to do the same. He (or one of his followers) put snakes in her mailbox. He flew a helicopter over her property to frighten and intimidate her. He paid a man to hunt and kill her and took steps for another man to do the same. Sure, based on the evidence presented in the series, Jeff Lowe should probably be in prison right alongside Joe. But don’t think for one second that Joe isn’t guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted. The documentary doesn't tell you this, but other than himself, Joe's defense had only one witness at trial. It was me (I was subpoena'd, not there willingly). That's how weak his case was. On the other hand, there’s Carole. She realized decades ago that keeping wild and exotic cats as pets was wrong, and converted her facility to a sanctuary. That sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which has the strictest standards for captive wildlife care of any accrediting body in the world The series didn’t present accurate representations of the enclosures for cats at Big Cat Rescue. I’ve been there. Big Cat Rescue provides its residents with excellent facilities and impeccable care. Most of Big Cat Rescue’s staff are volunteers. This is not unusual for reputable sanctuaries. Their training program for volunteers is second-to-none. They allow the public to visit for limited guided tours. Again, this is typical of reputable sanctuaries, which use guided tours both to bring in desperately needed revenue to provide the best possible care to animals that are extremely expensive to care for, and to educate the public about the cruelty that wild and exotic cats face in the pet trade, in roadside zoos, and in circuses and the film and tv industries. After each guided tour, Big Cat Rescue offers participants the opportunity to call their federal representatives, right there on site, to ask them to support the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would outlaw private ownership of big cats and restrict direct contact between big cats and the public. Carole and Big Cat Rescue are tireless advocates for wild and exotic cats and never turn down an opportunity to help. Carole has been the captive industry’s whipping boy for years, facing bullying and terror that none of us could imagine. But she is tough as nails and she takes it, because for Carole it’s about helping the cats, it’s not about her. She has persevered in this fight despite being terrorized, and stalked, and hunted. She doesn’t need me to come to her defense because she is strong as hell, but I’m incredibly dismayed by all of the hate I’ve seen online, and couldn’t stay silent for one more second.

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  • User
    4 years ago

    This [link below] appeared in a newspaper I occasionally read to stay abreast of family and friends.. I know nothing about this show as I don't own a TV and like Kadefol...even if I did...I wouldn't watch this kind of show for her reasoning...but when Jasdip posted the above...I suddenly remembered this article and thought you might find it interesting. Joe whats-his-name got what he deserved! 😊

    https://www.registercitizen.com/entertainment/article/Tiger-King-Where-Everyone-in-the-Series-Is-15163718.php

  • Jasdip
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I asked a friend of mine who saw the documentary if there was any abuse shown. He said there wasn't any shown.

    Based on these links I'm not sure I want to see it.

  • MrsM
    4 years ago

    I watched the short clip of it when it popped up on my Netflix the other day. Glad I didn't watch the show after reading the above article.

  • Ladydi Zone 6A NW BC Canada
    4 years ago

    I thought it was quite interesting and informative. It is unbelieveable what people will do and makes you wonder what else is going on that we just don't hear about. It's hard not to have some sympathy for all of them the animals, Joe, his staff, Carole ... there was plenty of blame to go all around. Of course the animal abuse was unforgivable but I don't believe Joe started off with that intention. I am very interested in why people do what they do where they do it.

  • dedtired
    4 years ago

    I watched the first 60 seconds and decided it wasn’t for me.

  • kathyg_in_mi
    4 years ago

    We've been to Big Cat Rescue in Florida and they do an amazing job with the animals. Enjoyed it so much.

    My DDIL just told me about this show today when we were on House Party, will definitely watch the show.

  • Jasdip
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I'm watching it now.

  • OklaMoni
    4 years ago

    Most Oklahomans don't want to admit that Joe Exotic is from/in Oklahoma

  • always1stepbehind
    4 years ago

    I watched it this weekend. I was amazed all that they had on film...the bad, the badder and the even badder!!! LOL

  • liira55
    4 years ago

    I watched it. Insane is all I can say.

  • joann_fl
    4 years ago

    Just starting watching it today, already on the 4th one or more. Very addicting, A must-see.


  • ritaweeda
    4 years ago

    Except for the great zoos where the animals are given as close an environment as possible to their natural one, I am completely against wild animals being kept for any reason. I am very suspicious of most of them, especially if they charge an admission fee. I especially despise any sea mammal attraction where whales and porpoises do tricks for people. I never liked the circus acts with cats or elephants either. (And besides I'm scared of clowns.) I never liked that show with the Australian dude that got gored by a fish. So I doubt that I would enjoy this show at all and don't plan to watch it.

  • Jasdip
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I personally don't think Carole is much better than he was. For a sanctuary, they shouldn't have been in cages. And the cages were all small.

  • maddielee
    4 years ago

    I live near The Big Cat Rescue, the cats there do not live in small cages. see link below


    I haven’t watch the series, but will.



    From Big Cat Rescue


    Today the Hillsborough County Sheriff posted this on social media.




  • Ladydi Zone 6A NW BC Canada
    4 years ago

    I also watched the film Black Fish which is a documentary about the Orkas that were in captivity in Canada. Absolutely heartbreaking.

  • ritaweeda
    4 years ago

    Now that I remember way back when I lived in Tampa, I'm not surprised that there may have been dirty dealings going on there. I remember that I used to see the vehicles around the area where I lived - stores, restaurants, etc. with the name of the place plastered all over them. I lived within a few miles of the place. The one word that comes to my mind about the individuals who were driving them was "sleazy". And I might be wrong because it was a long time ago, but it seems like they were letting people pay to come and interact with those animals which i didn't approve of. I wonder if anyone has ever looked into the grocery bill for those big cats around the time that the one guy disappeared. ???

  • maddielee
    4 years ago

    Rita...about what year was that?

  • ritaweeda
    4 years ago

    Maybe in the 90's?? Not really sure, could be earlier, I had pretty much forgotten about this place but this post reminded me of it.

  • MrsM
    4 years ago

    Well, my daughter talked me into watching after I said on here that I wouldn't. I'm in the 3rd episode. What a wacky and downright sinister bunch of characters they are. I feel so bad for the tigers. They're gorgeous creatures. As far as Carole's 'sanctuary'- that remains to be seen in my mind so far as I've watched.