Jeff Lowe, who took charge of Joe Exotic’s GW Zoo and intended to open a cub-petting operation in far eastern Oklahoma, had his operation raided by federal authorities, who brought civil charges against him Lowe’s animals have been confiscated and placed at sanctuaries.Joe Exotic is serving 21 years in federal prison for 17 wildlife-related charges as well as murder-for-hire charges.Nearly all cub petters featured in “Tiger King” are incarcerated, have had their animals seized, or are facing prosecution: ![]() “This was always about developing a national policy to shut down the trade in these animals as props in commercial cub handling operations and as pets in people’s backyards and basements.”ĭown from nearly 60 cub-petting operations just 10 or 15 years ago, there are now maybe two or three commercial operations in the U.S. “For me, this fight for the big cats was never personal,” said Carole Baskin, president and founder of Big Cat Rescue, who was also featured in the "Tiger King" series. The bill had been introduced long before the “Tiger King” series, but the show put the issue of private ownership of tigers and lions on the American radar. The original measure had a drafting flaw, and the Big Cat Public Safety Act seeks to correct that problem and ban breeding big cats for the pet trade and for commercial cub petting. The bill builds on the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, passed unanimously in 2003, which sought to ban the trade in big cats as pets. (KTUL) - Two years after the premier of the Netflix series "Tiger King" featuring Oklahoma's own Joe Exotic, lawmakers have passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act. His Facebook videos, which he says he’ll do more of, make it evident that he won’t be giving up anytime soon.TULSA, Okla. Tim doesn’t seem to have much anymore, but it looks like he is still an Indiana native determined to expose the “truth” about all those who want to bring him down. He was held in contempt of court again in October 2021, and the assets of his park have since been auctioned. A judge eventually revoked his permit to acquire, exhibit, and own any exotic and native animals as well.įrom what we can tell, Tim has been fined more than $750,000 in legal fees to PETA after years of court proceedings with the organization, along with a $340,000 fine for violating the Animal Welfare Act. Moreover, in June, Tim pleaded guilty to the intimidation charges (for which he was sentenced to time served) and declared bankruptcy. He was subsequently taken in for a psychiatric evaluation, where he was deemed a “dangerous person,” and his license to carry was suspended. ![]() In fact, in April 2021, Tim had waved around a gun on Facebook Live, asserting that he couldn’t think straight anymore, and made comments about committing acts of violence towards himself and others. Firearms were also a massive part of his journey. The animal keeper fled the state, only to be apprehended at a bed-and-breakfast in New York weeks later. Since Tim had also threatened a police deputy during a prior inspection, it resulted in two arrest warrants against him for intimidation and contempt of court owing to the hidden creatures. They seized, removed, and relocated more than 200 animals that day, a few of which were missing and found kept in a boxed truck with no air or water. Where is Tim Stark Now?įollowing animal abuse complaints, the authorities looked into Tim Stark’s Wildlife in Need park in September 2020. Tim’s legal troubles also started arising around this time. ![]() As per the documentary, while Tim said that it was because Jeff did not hold his end of the bargain, the latter claimed Tim’s unstable actions were the reason, mentioning the several animals that apparently died under his care and his self-admitted split personality, Sue. It was supposed to be a 50/50 agreement, but it fell apart soon after. Once Joe Exotic left GW Zoo and was arrested on attempted murder-for-hire and animal abuse charges, his park’s new owner, Jeff Lowe, decided to relocate the facility to Thackerville with Tim as his new partner. That’s important to note because he’d always billed his organization as a non-profit that only worked to help the animals have a good life. For over two decades, he kept and handled the beautiful creatures with the help of volunteers at that same establishment, allegedly earning good returns through them via playtime with guests. Having established Wildlife in Need in 1999 around his Charlestown home off Jack Teeple Road in Indiana, Tim Stark became acquainted with Joe Exotic over their business with big cats and different exotic animals.
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