The seedy underbelly of the Netflix smash hit Tiger King was not always the subject of animal cruelty, but according to records, the former animal preserve for the incarcerated Joe Exotic was raided by federal authorities.
Exotic, the star of Tiger King who is still in prison for his crimes as a result of a murder-for-hire plot, is seeking a pardon. However, another display participant, who took over after the zoo closed, is under fire for the state of the animals at Tiger King Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
According to NPR, the ranch was owned by Jeff and Lauren Lowe when 68 lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids, and a jaguar were apprehended over three days in May. The raid was part of an investigation into the animals’ well-being, which resulted from violations of animal welfare laws as a result of the park’s illegal operation.
“The Lowes have consistently failed to provide their Big Cats with a diet containing the necessary nutrients to allow them to grow properly and thrive,” the affidavit says.
Inspectors discovered that the only food available for the big cats was boneless chicken during a visit to the park in December 2020, which did not meet the animals’ nutritional needs. When asked for a list of supplements provided to the animals, the facility named a horse weight-gain supplement called Gleam & Gain, which officials say does not have the proper diet for big cats.
The effect of the poor diet could be seen in the animals, according to the affidavit, with some of them showing stunted growth, lameness, neurological defects, and skin lesions.
The details of the animals’ condition is heartbreaking, but officials said the animals would be moved to other preserves where they would hopefully be treated better. While no real consequences seem to be on the way for the Loews, without animals it seems like it would be difficult to keep the facility made famous by Tiger King up and running.
