Current:Home > News"Tiger King" star "Doc" Antle convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia -Apex Profit Path
"Tiger King" star "Doc" Antle convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia
View
Date:2025-04-26 09:09:45
Winchester, Va. — - A wild animal trainer featured in the popular Netflix series "Tiger King" has been convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia, the attorney general's office announced Tuesday.
Bhagavan "Doc" Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Virginia, for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo, Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a news release. A jury convicted Antle on Friday of two felony counts each of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic.
Antle, who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness," a Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders.
The jury acquitted Antle of five counts of animal cruelty and Judge Alexander Iden dismissed four additional animal cruelty charges against Antle and all charges against his two adult daughters, The Winchester Star reported.
Prosecutor Michelle Welch said Myrtle Beach Safari's lucrative petting zoo motivated Antle to maintain a steady supply of immature lion cubs that he purchased from Wilson's Wild Animal Park near Winchester, calling the arrangement a "cub pipeline" from Virginia to South Carolina.
When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park's former owner, began doing business in 2015, it was still legal to buy and sell lions, Welch said. But after lions were designated as an endangered species in December 2015, lions could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves that were part of an established breeding program and had permits. There were three illegal cub exchanges in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Welch said.
Antle was indicted in 2020 on several offenses including felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy. In August 2019, 119 animals - including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats and water buffalo - were seized from Wilson's roadside zoo after a judge found that Wilson "cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived" the animals of adequate care.
Wilson testified that Antle paid him in advance under the guise of a donation. He said Antle paid $2,500 to $3,000 per cub with the exception of the 2017 transaction when Antle traded three lynx kittens for three lion cubs.
Wilson is charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and 10 felony counts of selling an endangered species and a hearing in his case is scheduled for Friday.
Defense attorney Erin Harrigan called Antle's prosecution politically motivated in response to a growing public outcry against wild animals being exploited for entertainment purposes.
"This has been an agenda in search of a crime from the beginning of the investigation," Harrigan said.
Harrigan maintained that the cubs were gifts and Antle sent Wilson donations for an expanded tiger habitat.
"These were not sales," Harrigan said.
Iden allowed Antle, who faces up to 20 years in prison, to remain free on bond pending sentencing on Sept. 14.
- In:
- Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
- Animal Cruelty
veryGood! (25214)
Related
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor fired for appearing in porn videos
- The University of Wisconsin fired Chancellor Joe Gow. He says it's for making porn videos with his wife.
- Iowa deputy cleared in shooting of man accused of killing grocery store worker
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Why corporate bankruptcies were up in 2023 despite the improving economy
- Are bowl games really worth the hassle anymore, especially as Playoff expansion looms?
- Are bowl games really worth the hassle anymore, especially as Playoff expansion looms?
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Missouri school board to reinstate Black history classes with new curriculum
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- AMC Theatres apologizes for kicking out a civil rights leader for using his own chair
- New York man becomes first top prize winner of $5 million from Cash X100 scratch-off
- Texas head-on crash: Details emerge in wreck that killed 6, injured 3
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Venezuela will hold military exercises off its shores as a British warship heads to Guyana
- A number away from $137 million, Michigan man instead wins $1 million in Mega Millions game
- 1 dead after truck hits several people in city in southern Germany
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Newly released Gypsy Rose Blanchard to tell her story in docuseries: 'Do not resort to murder'
House Republicans seek documents from White House over Biden's involvement in Hunter Biden's refusal to comply with congressional subpoena
Cher asks court to give her conservatorship over her adult son
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Meadow Walker Announces Separation From Husband Louis Thornton-Allan After 2 Years of Marriage
Nevada drivers can now add a symbol identifying certain medical conditions on their driver license
Gypsy Rose Blanchard released from Missouri prison early Thursday morning, DOC confirms