Doc Antle of the popular Netflix series Tiger King has been indicted on charges of wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty in the US state of Virginia.
According to a Friday press release from the Office of the Attorney General:
“Doc Antle, owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, has been charged with one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to wildlife traffic, and 13 additional misdemeanor charges; Keith A. Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Wild Animal Park, has been charged with one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to wildlife traffic, and 17 additional misdemeanor charges.”
The 13 additional misdemeanour counts include nine of animal cruelty, and four of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act.
The charges are the result of a months-long investigation into the pair, and it is alleged, amongst other things, that they trafficked lion cubs between Virginia and South Carolina.
Two of Antle’s daughters have also been charged. Per the Attorney General’s office:
“Tawny Antle has been charged with one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals and one misdemeanor count of violating the Endangered Species Act, and Tilakum Watterson has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and two misdemeanor counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.”
Doc Antle rose to prominence when he was featured in Tiger King, but he has taken a dim view of the show, and claims that it interfered with his capacity to do “conservation work.”
He recently announced his participation in a series called Tiger Kingdom: More Than a King, which he says will show him and his wildlife park in a new light.
The Myrtle Beach Safari park has not made any official statement on the charges. That damn Carole Baskin is surely rubbing her hands together in glee.
