Tiger King

(Photo : Wikimedia)

After a long, hard fight, it looks like Carole Baskin has finally gotten what she wants; the complete ownership of Joe Exotic's big cat attraction in Oklahoma-minus the cats.

Unless you've been living under a rock, then you know about Netflix's mega-hit documentary, "Tiger King." However, in the occasion that you have been shutout from trending entertainment news, we will give you a brief backstory to the documentary and the insanity that is Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin.


Joe Exotic aka "Tiger King"

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, aka the Tiger King, was the eccentric, foul-mouthed owner and proprietor of the Greater Wynnewood Zoo in Oklahoma. A "zoo" that housed hundreds of exotic animals, most of which were tigers, and operated as more of a roadside attraction than a sanctioned zoo.

The Greater Wynnewood Zoo is not a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits highly regarded zoos, aquariums, and animal parks throughout North America.

Over the years, Maldonado-Passage had been cited and fined several times for failure to adhere to the Animal Welfare Act. Inspectors found the living conditions of the animals to be far below the acceptable standard.

Soon after that, Carole Baskin entered the picture in an apparent attempt to rescue these big cats from Maldonado-Passage-an act he seen as a threat to his livelihood.

Joe Exotic then set out on a mission to destroy Carole Baskin. He attempted everything, from stealing intellectual property to defamation of character, to attempted murder. Maldonado-Passage was recently sentenced to 22 years in prison for plotting the murder of Baskin, inhumanely killing at least five tigers and the illegal selling and transferal of tigers across state lines.


Carole Baskin & Big Cat Rescue

Carole Baskin is the owner and proprietor of Big Cat Rescue operating out of Florida. A company dedicated to the humane treatment of large cats in North America, such as lions, tigers, mountain lions, and other exotic animals.

When Baskin got word of the situation in Oklahoma, she began to push for the removal of the big cats as well as the closure of Maldonado-Passage's G.W. Zoo. After years of litigation-of which she was usually victorious-Baskin had completely bankrupted Maldonado-Passage.

Baskin was recently awarded full ownership of the G.W. Zoo via a federal court order by Judge Scott L. Palk, United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma.


Jeff Lowe

Jeff Lowe entered this whole ordeal just when Joe Exotic was nearing bankruptcy and was running out of ways to save his beloved G.W. Zoo. Lowe signed on with a hefty donation and essentially took control of the zoo as a means for Joe to stay involved and not lose it entirely to Baskin.

However, thanks to Maldonado-Passage's eccentric and sometimes just plain insane, behavior Lowe forced Joe out of the zoo altogether.

Up until the ruling, Jeff Lowe was the owner and operator of the G.W. Zoo and was still open for business amidst the coronavirus pandemic despite reports of possible human-animal transmission of COVID-19.


What about the cats?

As mentioned above, Carole Baskin received ownership of the 54-acre property. However, Jeff Lowe's big cats were not included in the judgment as they are his property, and not that associated with Maldonado-Passage's court-ordered $1 million debt to Baskin.

"We anticipated Carole Baskin getting the title to the former park that once belonged to Joe Exotic, and we did not challenge her attempts to do so," Lowe's attorney told CNN. "All of Jeff's focus is on opening the new Tiger King Park in Thackerville, which should be opening in the next 120 days."

Some animal rescue agencies are worried that Lowe may send his cats to other unaccredited handlers in an attempt to maintain ownership.

"I wish the animals could have been part of the judgment, but unfortunately, the laws don't work like that. They work in the favor of the owner, because [the animals] are property." Says Bobbi Brink, owner of Lions, Tigers, and Bears-an accredited big cat sanctuary in San Diego, California. She says that if Lowe would give up his animals, her organization could place them in proper homes.