Tiger King’s Bhagavan “Doc” Antle is the latest cast member from Netflix’s wildly popular docuseries to get hit with damning new litigation. Antle, who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, has been indicted on one felony count of wildlife trafficking and one felony count of conspiracy to wildlife traffic by Virginia attorney general Mark R. Herring. Antle has also been charged with four misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Herring’s statement about the charges can be read here.
Two of Antle’s daughters, Tawny Antle and Tilakam Watterson, have also been named and charged in the indictment. Antle released a statement denying the charges, vowing to clear his name.
“I have spent my entire professional life promoting the welfare and conservation of big cats and other species. I have deep regard and feelings for the animals in my care and would never hurt or abuse them in any way,” he said in a statement to CNN. “I look forward to being able to answer these charges and to be able to clear my good name.”
Antle was prominently featured in Tiger King, Netflix’s shocking docuseries about warring private-zoo owners and the nefarious means by which they acquired and cared for their animals. Antle’s narrative revolved around the cultish atmosphere he bred at Myrtle Beach Safari. He was also known for letting guests pet and interact with tiger cubs, leading to accusations of animal abuse. After the show premiered in March, the private-zoo owner made it clear he was not thrilled with his portrayal and denied claims of cultish behavior and animal mistreatment.
The show’s star, Joe Exotic, is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for murder for hire after attempting to have his nemesis, Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin, killed. Baskin, meanwhile, has acquired Exotic’s zoo and joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars. However, she is also still facing accusations regarding the mysterious 1997 disappearance of Don Lewis, her second husband. (Lewis went missing and was declared dead in 2002; no one was ever arrested or charged with a crime in the case, and Baskin has long maintained her innocence.)
Baskin released a statement about Antle’s indictment to The Sun, using it as an extra chance to throw accusations at Exotic, her main nemesis.
“I believe that Joe Schreibvogel [a.k.a. Joe Exotic] was the largest producer of cubs for the pay-to-play industry, but I think the real kingpin behind this kind of exploitation has been Kevin Bhagavan ‘Doc’ Antle,” she said. “[Antle is] just smarter and better funded than the dominos that have dropped already, but the authorities have finally caught up to him.”
Antle’s indictment arrives after a months-long investigation by Attorney General Herring’s Animal Law Unit, which included the execution of a search warrant at Antle’s South Carolina property. Antle’s indictment is tied to his relationship with Keith Wilson, the owner of Wilson’s Wild Animal Park in Virginia, with whom he allegedly trafficked lion cubs between Virginia and South Carolina. Wilson and his nephew Christian Dall’Acqua were indicted on 46 counts of animal cruelty by a grand jury in November 2019, following the seizure of 119 animals—including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats, and water buffalo—from their park that August.
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