'Tiger King' star Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle arrested by the FBI



“Tiger King” star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was arrested by the FBI on Friday. Several media outlets reported that Antle would face federal money laundering charges.

Antle – who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina – was arrested by the FBI and booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway, South Carolina, at 5:38 p.m. on Friday, according to Horry County online booking records.

The Associated Press reported, "The charges relate to allegations of money laundering, a person familiar with the matter told the AP on Saturday. The person could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity."

The charges against Antle are expected to be formally announced during a court proceeding on Monday in Florence, South Carolina.

In October 2020, Antle was indicted on wildlife trafficking charges in Virginia. He was charged with one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to wildlife traffic, and 13 additional misdemeanor charges relating to animal cruelty and the Endangered Species Act.

National Geographic details Doc's alleged wildlife trafficking allegations:

The charges stem from a months-long investigation into illegal selling and transport of lions between Antle and Keith Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Wild Animal Park in Winchester, Virginia. Wilson has been indicted on identical charges to Antle, plus four additional counts of conspiracy. (Wilson already was facing 46 counts of animal cruelty in relation to a November 2019 raid that resulted in authorities confiscating 119 of his animals.)

Doc's daughters were also charged with misdemeanors. Tawny Antle was charged with one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals. Tilakum Watterson was charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and two misdemeanor counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.

The trial for the wildlife trafficking charges is scheduled for next month.

NBC News reported, "Antle has a history of recorded violations, going as far back as 1989, when he was fined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for abandoning deer and peacocks at his zoo in Virginia. Over the years, he has more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals."

In May, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) requested that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launch a probe into Antle's Rare Species Fund – a nonprofit that raises money for wildlife conservation. PETA accused Dov of using some of the fund's money to subsidize the Myrtle Beach Safari.

"It's fitting that 'Doc' Antle is behind bars after years of locking up the endangered animals he uses in tawdry photo ops. His legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on his apparent ‘charity’ scam, and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs can’t come soon enough," Debbie Metzler, associate director of PETA’s Captive Animal Law Enforcement division said in a statement.

Antle was one of the biggest stars in Netflix's massively popular "Tiger King" docuseries that featured Oklahoma zoo operator Joe Exotic – who was convicted in a plot to kill his rival, Carole Baskin.

Tiger King’s ‘Doc’ Antle arrested by FBI in Horry County www.youtube.com

House Passes Carole Baskin’s Big Cat Public Safety Act That Would Ban Big Cat Ownership

'We are thrilled that the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed the House with bipartisan support'

Volunteer's arm 'nearly' torn off by tiger at sanctuary owned by 'Tiger King' subject Carole Baskin



A volunteer for "Tiger King" subject Carole Baskin's Big Cat Rescue had her arm "nearly" torn off by a tiger at the sanctuary on Thursday, according to the organization.

The attack occurred the same day the House of Representatives took up a bill pushed by Baskins, designed to "restrict direct contact between the public and big cats."

What are the details?

In a Facebook post, Big Cat Rescue announced that Candy Couser, who has volunteered at the sanctuary for five years, was attacked by a tiger named Kimba who "grabbed her arm and nearly tore it off at the shoulder." The organization explained that the incident was an accident but noted that Couser broke protocols and expressed her desire that Kimba not "come to any harm for this mistake."

The sanctuary later posted an update on Couser's condition on their website, stating that the volunteer was headed into surgery and that her arm was broken in three places but that she was able to move her fingers despite a badly damaged shoulder. They also noted that the CDC could require Kimba to be put down, but "that's unlikely given the fact that he's vaccinated and Candy does not want him to be killed for doing what comes naturally."

Big Cat Rescue wrote in its initial message:

This happened on the day our federal bill to ban cub handling and private possession comes to the House floor for a vote. The fact that, despite our intense safety protocols and excellent record of safety, an injury like this can occur just confirms the inherent danger in dealing with these animals and why we need the Big Cat Public Safety Act to eliminate having them untracked in backyards around the country and ending up in sanctuaries where wonderful people like Candy Couser have committed themselves to providing care for those discarded by the pay to play industry.

House Democrats have taken heat from Republicans in recent days for taking up the Big Cat Public Safety Act, dubbing it the "Tiger King" bill and chastising House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for prioritizing the measure while party leaders have failed to reach an agreement on further COVID-19 relief—which Pelosi and the White House have been negotiating for months.

The legislation, H.R. 1380, "revises restrictions on the possession and exhibition of big cats, including to restrict direct contact between the public and big cats," according to its brief summary.

What's the background?

Netflix released "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness" in March amid initial coronavirus shutdowns, and the docuseries topped the charts. Its main subject, Joe Exotic, whose given name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving time in federal prison after being convicted of hiring a hit on Baskins over her seeking to shut down his big cat attraction for breeding cubs and allowing in the public.

The show's attention prompted the sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, to ask for new leads in the case of Baskin's missing second husband, Don Lewis. Baskin vehemently denies having anything to do with Lewis' disappearance.