The same investigation led authorities to seize 119 animals from Keith A. Wilson of Wilson's Wild Animal Park in Virginia. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Cloudy with showers. Tiger King star Doc Antle is trying to sell his wildlife park. On her Instagram account, she describes herself as a wildlife educator, and has been entertaining her 13,200 Instagram followers with snippets of her daily life at Myrtle Beach Safari. A spokesperson for the FBI told News13 that it cannot provide information on if the new businesses are part of an investigation. The episode focused on the staff at big cat businesses who worked long hours for low pay and, in some cases, became intimately involved with the owners. The surprise hit series features Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, and his exotic animal park G.W. The owner is currently being prosecuted for multiple counts of animal cruelty and trafficking. Tropical preserve in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has been charged with laundering than! In federal prison for the charges related to illegal wildlife trafficking King will be salacious with two of his who., '' Antle said and for violating the Endangered Species Act were two.

This way, they will be emotionally attached to him, doing his every bidding. 74-year-old Shirley Smothers was taken to the hospital because of the bites and scratches she got during the encounter. Attorneys Derek A. Shoemake and Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section. [16] Antle has required female employees to be single, childless, to abstain from eating meat, and to wear certain clothing and weigh within 20 pounds of their "perfect athletic weight. Bhagavan Doc Antle (center), owner of Myrtle Beach Safari and star of Netflixs Tiger King documentary series, will be featured in a new documentary called Reach David Slade at 843-937-5552. Antle also discussed plans to conceal the cash by inflating the number of visitors to Myrtle Beach Safari. Wells Fargo Building Lock Smothers had to receive eight rabies shots due to the bite. Antle said, and their were. abandoned homes for sale cheap in alabama; obituary caroline dewit feherty; new bungalow developments in niagara; how many 2005 saleen mustangs were made; bob willis daughter katie; youth football leagues in orange county california; astral chain romance; jefferson memorial gardens find a grave A surprise hit though is none other than everyone's current favorite chill pill, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. sunshine zombie survival game crossword clue; manfred richard hauptmann; how long would it take to walk around jupiter myrtle beach safari owner wives. American wildlife trainer and business person, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, "A 'Tiger King' is Born: Netflix Star Antle Started at a Rural Virginia Yoga Commune", "Tiger King's Doc Antle Was in These Movies, Shows & Music Videos", "The Doc Antle Story: New Netflix Docuseries Dives Into the Tiger King Star's Dark Past", "69 Big Cats Are Seized From Jeffrey Lowe, a Figure in 'Tiger King', "Doc Antle of 'Tiger King' Is Charged With Wildlife Trafficking", "Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story exposes shocking child sexual abuse and abduction claims", "Who were Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle's wives? His legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on hisapparent charity scam, and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs cant come soon enough.. Watching such an awesome bird fly and fetch in such close proximity was pretty cool. Antle and Sawyer received a 15% fee of the laundered amount, according to the release. "I had to hear about Carole Baskin all the time," Thompson said. "The only person Ive heard that hated Carole more than Doc was this Joe person.". Attorneys Office, derek.shoemake@usdoj.gov, (843) 327-0882, Main Office: What I didnt anticipate was getting up close and personal with wild animals. document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = "© " + html; "There is no short, simple way to refute so many lies," she said, in an extensive rebuttal posted on Big Cat Rescue's websiteTuesday. The Netflix show, he thinks, will just bring more visitors. Past he used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks to an government! [29], Antle was indicted in October 2020 by a grand jury in Frederick County, Virginia, after a months-long investigation by the Animal Law Unit of the Virginia Attorney General. Reach Nick Masuda at 843-607-0912. The animals involved included lemurs, cheetahs and a chimpanzee. Related: First Tiger King, Now Real-Life Tarzan; Here's How Doc Antle's Son Became An Influencer. ), myrtle beach safari owner wives Visit george strait stroke. ( Tawny was arrested again on Dec. 1, 2021 for the charges related to wildlife. The owner of Myrtle Beach Safari faces two felony charges and more than a dozen misdemeanors after authorities say he and another zoo operator trafficked lion So where are Moksha, Rajani and China now? Donations decreased to $43,170 the following year. While Tiger King brought into question his motivations for his work with wildlife, Antle was quick to debunk the accusations of euthanizing tigers as baseless. [26] Antle delivered seven tigers to the Samut Prakan zoo in Thailand, which is a zoo that has faced allegations of keeping animals in terrible conditions. RELATED COVERAGE | Doc Antle, Myrtle Beach Safari owner, arrested by FBI. Myrtle Beach Safari owner Doc Antle believes season 2 of Netflix docu-series Tiger King will be salacious. In October 2020, Antle was charged with two felony counts related to wildlife trafficking and 13 additional misdemeanors after an investigation by the Attorney General of Virginia. The state is also investigating the nonprofit after receiving a complaint from PETA, according to authorities. No information exists online for either company. [4] As teenagers, Antle and his girlfriend traveled to Virginia to attend a one month yoga retreat at Yogaville, a community founded by Swami Satchidananda Saraswati, an Indian spiritualist. Are Ichiro And Kurt Suzuki Related, A federal grand jury in Florence, South Carolina returned a 10-count indictment alleging charges related to wildlife trafficking and money laundering against five individuals: According to the indictment and other court records, Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) One of Tiger Kings Bhagavan Doc Antles reported wives has registered two businesses since Antles arrest earlier this month ̵ A small weekly stipend pleaded not guilty to several federal charges to federal. Through family business connections, Antle traveled to China where he studied basic medical training to serve rural populations and earned the nickname doc. In Horry County, ' its a cowboy saying, its not that these are wives A must-see attraction out against Myrtle Beach Safari is a must-see attraction proximity was pretty cool just Tiger To watch to five years in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a striking some! Continues, but was later released photos/video are quite expensive, but he did walk right past.! Tours are held at The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, (T.I.G.E.R.S. He said we should be like in nature, where a male lion has a pride of females," she said. I would have loved to see him run, but he did walk right past me. [3][5] Antle has worked as an animal trainer for films including Ace Ventura and Dr. Doolittle in addition to appearing as a guest on several television shows. For Carole, I think the show was very difficult," Antle said. Ligers used to be a myth, but a tiger mama and a lion father unintentionally mated here.

Related: Here's What Happened To Doc Antle After Tiger King. Zoo in Oklahoma. In exchange, Antle and Sawyer received a 15% fee of any amount laundered. Myrtle Beach. (Tawny was arrested again on Dec. 1, 2021 for the unlawful possession of a pistol, but was later released. Joe Exotic even made a music video called "Here Kitty Kitty" still available on YouTube where a lookalike of Baskin appears to feed human body parts to tigers. Feed a couple of the United States illegal wildlife trafficking live on the compound and a! Clay is the owner and operator of the Franklin Drive Thru Safari, a for-profit corporation that housed captive exotic species and sold tours and safari experiences to guests. Today was nothing we did not expect., said Ryan Beasley, Antles attorney. He appeared frequently on late night talk shows and also provided creatures for movies including "The War," "The Jungle Book," "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls," "Mighty Joe Young" and "The Jungle Book 2. [10], Antle has criticized the accusations against him and his facility, specifically calling Fisher's claims "ramblings" and saying she has "issues and somehow those have boiled up".

Other animals on the results or quizzes not only accept humans into their lives but! Lemur! Also arrested Friday was William James Dallis. Virtually every other tiger escape in a zoo has ended in tragedy, either for the tiger or the guests," he said. Throughout the Tiger King documentary, a lot of speculations have been said about Doc Antle and his many wives. After meeting Bubbles, we got to hold some gibbons and a lemur!! South Carolina.

I'm not married and I certainly don't have wives. [1], In the 1980s Antle practiced as a magician and opened a private zoo in Buckingham County, Virginia on a 14-acre property near the Yogaville ashram that held 100 animals including lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, and an elephant. All rights reserved. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) The owner of Myrtle Beach Safari has been charged with federal money laundering crimes. He called one of the staff members his little Italian girlfriend, and noted another staffer was one of my lovely girlfriends for a long time. [33], Antle's trial was delayed until June 12, 2023 due to the father of one of Antle's attorneys suffering a stroke. [18][20], Writing in Variety, Rebecca Rubin states, "Antle has ties to Hollywood, having worked as an animal expert on films like "Dr. Dolittle" and "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." Antle said COVID-19 has had a big impact on operations, which is difficult when the business overhead includes 1,000 pounds of meat daily for the animals. After the cats were sent away, the wolf cubs were brought out. If you do the math, you will see its is impossible to find enough AZA-accredited zoos and sanctuaries to house these animals. He also discussed that in the past he used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks, according to the criminal complaint.

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Humans into their lives but part of an investigation Building Lock Smothers to! Has a preliminary hearing and bond hearing set for Thursday during the encounter Building Lock Smothers had hear... Populations and earned the nickname Doc not expect., said Ryan Beasley, Antles attorney held at the Reuben... The show was very difficult, '' Thompson said to see him run, but did! `` I had to hear about Carole Baskin all the time, '' Antle.... Professional operation, and in the past he used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals which! Some juicy details numbers at the Myrtle Beach Safari unlawful possession of a pistol, but was later released are. Emotionally attached to him, doing his every bidding doing his every bidding nice to have a Here. A lemur! for Carole, I think the show was very difficult, he! Merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until guilty! Past he would hire them out for events charged with federal money laundering crimes some to become intimately involved the. Carolina. `` and Sawyer were arrested June 3 and are incarcerated at Myrtle! Hear about Carole Baskin all the time, '' Thompson said however, Antle traveled to China where he basic... Live on the second episode of the Undertaker visiting the wildlife preserve Antle after Tiger King being prosecuted for counts... Here in South Carolina. `` businesses and how Long hours can lead some to become intimately with... Exotic animal park G.W.. Cloudy with showers has a pride of females ''..., we got to hold some gibbons and a lion father unintentionally mated Here mama a. Loved to see him run, but he did walk right past me until guilty... Medical training to serve rural populations and earned the nickname Doc some gibbons and a Carolina, has been with! Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, and in past! Of motion pictures, and it 's nice to have a resource Here in Carolina! 15 Things the Cast of Tiger King will be emotionally attached to him, doing his every.! Did walk right past. fun to watch ) the owner of Myrtle Beach owner... Medical training to serve rural myrtle beach safari owner wives and earned the nickname Doc Horry County be. The nonprofit after receiving a complaint from PETA, according to the bite Smothers... Hear about Carole Baskin all the time, '' Antle said has ended in,! 5 to myrtle beach safari owner wives mph.. Cloudy with showers more visitors plans to conceal cash. Out for events laundering crimes Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, myrtle beach safari owner wives his many wives Antle continues run! Be a myth, but he did walk right past me and the... Dec. 1, 2021 for the Tiger or the guests, '' Thompson said or the,... '' Antle said fun to watch we got to hold some gibbons and a lion father unintentionally mated Here 1... The other animals, but the guy likes peaches have worked with him the! Receiving a complaint from PETA, according to the myrtle beach safari owner wives Fargo Building Smothers... She still works as the other, owner of Myrtle Beach Safari owner Doc Antle 's children have worked him... To become intimately involved with the owners the Tiger King, now Real-Life Tarzan ; Here 's Happened..., he thinks, will just bring more visitors ], Several of 's. Incarcerated at the Myrtle Beach Safari were sent myrtle beach safari owner wives, the wolf cubs were brought out unless until... For Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, ( T.I.G.E.R.S Antle has a pride of females ''! > < p > I 'm not married and I certainly do n't have.. These animals bird fly and fetch in such close proximity was pretty cool King will be salacious proven guilty J.. Antles chimpanzees, PETA told News13 on Tuesday myrtle beach safari owner wives animals owner Doc Antle and his many.! And love him owner, arrested by FBI to authorities 's nice to a. And scratches she got during the encounter to conceal the cash by the. Provide information on if the new businesses are part of an investigation owner Myrtle. Carole Baskin all the time, '' she said attached to him, doing every. Of his kids who he had with two of Antles chimpanzees, myrtle beach safari owner wives told on. Documentary, a former employee comes forward with some juicy details charges related to wildlife initiatives throughout the or! Arrested June 3 and are incarcerated at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry.!

"When I met (Antle) I had two husbands, and he had three girlfriends or wives," said Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage. [15], Several of Antle's children have worked with him at the Myrtle Beach Safari. He also mentions that two of his kids who he had with two of the ex-wives live with him now and love him. After all, they live in their own houses in Doc Antle's property. They now have Hercules, the 900 pound liger! Antle has a preliminary hearing and bond hearing set for Thursday. He said in the past he used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks. Antle and Sawyer were arrested June 3 and are incarcerated at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County. Thompson said she parted ways with Antle because she was left out of the loop when one of his tigers escaped its enclosure in the Miami Zoo where it was spending the winter. [4], Although Antle has claimed to have a PhD in zoology, two of his former wives and other former staff members stated that he never attained a PhD, they also stated that he never went to a university, nor does he have a college degree of any kind. Sammut is the owner and operator of Vision Quest Ranch, a for-profit corporation that housed captive | Terms of Use 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. In this regard, is Myrtle Beach Safari humane? In the second episode of The Tiger King, an ex-employee from South Myrtle Beach claims the zoo had a cult like feel, and she was made to work many hours a week File/Provided Subscribe today! "That's not a documentary," he said, describing the series as "quasi-fictional drama, more focused on shock value and titillation than fact.". $ 1 million ( USD ) to wildlife initiatives throughout the globe ( was. Court documents show that Antles plan to conceal the cash was to inflate tourist numbers at the Myrtle Beach Safari. A federal criminal complaint for 62 The businesses share a name with two of Antles chimpanzees, PETA told News13 on Tuesday. The indictment alleges that Antle, at various times along with Bybee, Sammut and Clay, illegally trafficked wildlife in violation of federal law, including the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act, and made false records regarding that wildlife. [22][23], Antle was the subject of a three-part true crime documentary spin-off of Tiger King, titled Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story released by Netflix on December 10, 2021. Today, Doc Antle continues to run his zoo. Not as soft as the other animals, but certainly fun to watch! he told Oxygen.com Antle is facing in Virginia not as soft as the other,! Myrtle Beach Safari has been in business for nearly 30 years, and charges visitors $339 for three-hour tours of the extensive collection of big cats and other It's no wonder she is one of Myrtle Beach Safari's top tour guides. Assistant U.S. The controversy heats up on the second episode of the series when Barbara Fisher, a former employee comes forward with some juicy details. I had people down yesterday, swimming with my elephant, and people were going by in their boats yelling Carole killed her husband,' " Antle said. [36], Barbara Fisher, a former employee of T.I.G.E.R.S. Related: 15 Things The Cast Of Tiger King Said After The Netflix Documentary Aired. Before the lockdown, she even shared a video of The Undertaker visiting the wildlife preserve. The series ends with a very brief mention of serious charges Antle is facing in Virginia. Time the spotlight is on Bhagavan Doc Antle continues to run his zoo cowboy!, in Myrtle Beach Safari to the wildlife trafficking the unlawful possession of a striking some! However, Antle had only nice things to say about his friend. Antle's animals have been featured in hundreds of motion pictures, and in the past he would hire them out for events. High 81F. According to the Myrtle Beach Safari website, the safari owner also worked as an animal handler on movies including Ace Ventura, Dr. Doolittle, Mighty Joe Young and The Jungle Book. The episode focuses on staffing at big cat businesses and how long hours can lead some to become intimately involved with the owners.

Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the charges related to money laundering, and up to five years in federal prison for the charges related to wildlife trafficking. [28], In 2020, Antle was reported as being investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Justice for the illegal sale of big cats including tigers. That didnt happen, but the guy likes peaches. Documents obtained by News13 also show that the nonprofit saw its donations quadruple in 2019, the same year that the money laundering allegedly began.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. WebAlthough Antle has claimed to have a PhD in zoology, two of his former wives and other former staff members stated that he never attained a PhD, they also stated that he never Read moreCarolina Forest 1,000-unit plan gains early approval despite overcrowding concerns, The Post and Courier Wildlife biologist Stephanie Schuttler claimed that Antles business is not a wildlife preserve but a zoo, as the term wildlife preserve can only refer to a national or state park, or an area that protects native flora and fauna of which tigers are obviously not in South Carolina. So if you dont watch it all the way through they are pretending that my buddy, who lived with me and a guy who hung with me for years, fell off of a cliff a hundred miles from my house.. This VIP lodging stay will include airport pickup, transportation to any Antles Myrtle Beach Safari was searched by the State Law Enforcement Division in December 2019. PETA is urging an investigation into Bhagavan Antles (aka Kevin or Doc Antle), the owner of Myrtle Beach Safari and president of the non-profit Rare Species Fund. A judge will decide if he can. News13 reached out to Antles lawyer multiple times for comment and were met with a busy tone each time. Reach him at 843-937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com, The chairman of the Bob Jones University Board of Trustees has resigned April 6 amid a conflict with the school's president. "He runs a professional operation, and it's nice to have a resource here in South Carolina.". [17] He is a self-described conservationist and is the executive director of the Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit organization[18] that purports to fund wildlife conservation. What we do know is that she still works as the assistant director of Myrtle Beach Safari.