INFO VINE * 50 Behind The Scenes Facts of Netflix's Tiger King *

Photo Courtesy [Tiger King/Netflix]
Only in Tiger King can Joe Exotic be described as "someone that makes good T.V., even if it's a train wreck, you can't help but look;" and "... a completely insane, gay, gun-toting, drug-addict fanatic!" Tiger King has become a Netflix hit since its debut in 2020 and features the infamous Joe Exotic and his big cat park and his ever-known rival, Carole Baskin. Tiger King showcases how owning big cats for personal and business use can lead to unforeseen murder, mayhem, and madness! Curious as to how it all went down? Check out these 50 Behind The Scenes Facts of Netflix's Tiger King.

Season 2

This is a great spoiler alert if you enjoyed watching season one of Tiger King... season two will be available on Netflix on November 17, 2021! Rebecca Chaiklin once told Entertainment Weekly that there was a "crazy amount of footage" that has not been released in connection to the story that was unfolding from the premiere season.



Photo Courtesy [Tiger King Fandom/Wikimedia Commons]


The beautiful part about season two is that it will be just as dramatic and fun as season one, but there will be significant bits of information on both Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin that are supposed to help make sense of how their personal rival began.

Eric Goode is a Herpetophile

Eric Goode is the documentarian and director of Tiger King and an avid lover of animals himself. He is said to also love people who are serious animal lovers and has been classified into a specific realm of animistic passion. Eric Goode has an obsession and love for reptiles, which would make him a herpetophile.



Photo Courtesy [Tiger King/Netflix]


New Yorker publication did a cover on him in 2012 and he has been noted for taking care of and filming rare tortoises, snakes, and large lizards. His fascination for people with the same passion as him - like Joe Exotic - is a major reason for the inspiration of the series.

Joseph Schreibvogel

Did you know that "Exotic" is not Joe's real last name? In season one of Tiger King, Joe admitted that his stage name was changed to "Exotic" to create more "excitement and adventure." The former zoo owner was born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel in Garden City, Kansas in 1963.



Photo Courtesy [Nicki Swift/Wikimedia Commons]


When he married Travis, Joe legally changed his last name to Joseph Allen Maldonado, then again when he was married to Dillon. As of today, the exotic Netflix star refers to himself as Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage.

He Had Multiple Stage Names

Joe went through different levels and stage names in his days to reach the one we know as "Joe Exotic." Early in his career, Joe worked with a young magician and provided feline cubs and adults for his magic show, which the crowd really loved. After some time, the two split up and Joe went out on his own.



Photo Courtesy [The Mirror/Wikimedia Commons]


Before the zoo, Joe thought he'd try his hand at magic too, so he created an act of his own. It's clear that magic wasn't his forte and neither were his stage names. Two of them were double-first names like Aarron Alex and Cody Ryan.

Joe Was Molested

Joe Exotic proclaims that when he was five years old, he was sexually taken advantage of by an older boy. As the story goes, the older boy would take him to the bathroom and use the drawer to block the door and keep others from coming in.



Photo Courtesy [NY Daily News/Wikimedia Commons]


This was a serious offense and part of Joe's sexual exploits and numerous relationships. It took a toll on the relationship with his father because this was a significant moment in Joe's life and his father showed no support when he came out as gay. He even told Joe "don't come to my funeral..."

G.W. Stands For "Garold Wayne"

The infamous G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park was named in memory of Joe's late brother, Garold Wayne, who was tragically hit and killed by a drunk driver. Garold's survivors, his wife, and children, originally wanted to purchase a soccer field and name it after him, but Joe had other ideas.



Photo Courtesy [Joe_Exotic/Twitter]


Joe was able to convince his sister-in-law, niece, and nephews to invest in his up-and-coming zoo instead of a soccer field. The family was reluctant at first but came around after Joe convinced them that his zoo was a better way to remember his brother.

Joe's Not Much of a Singer

Joe Exotic's records are entertaining to many viewers, and he takes major pride in his country songs obsessed with tigers. Here's the secret...Exotic did not sing all his songs. Behind-the-scenes interviews revealed that the soulful voices behind Joe's song were Danny Clinton and Vince Johnson as The Clinton Johnson Band.



Photo Courtesy [Joe Exotic/Wikiwand]


If you look closely at his videos, you can see that Exotic is actually lip-syncing the lyrics. However, as you can see, that it is the authentic Joe Exotic in the music videos, which all his fans are happy to hear.

Jeff and Lauren's Love Affair

Remember when Lauren Dropla and Jeff Lowe first arrived at the zoo? The perspective is that the two had progressed in their partnership and decided to take things a little further. With respect to The State, Jeff and Lauren are now engaged. They decided to "tie the knot" in February 2020 with intentions to get married in July, but COVID-19 had a play in some delay.



Photo Courtesy [Tiger King/Netflix]


Yet, love prevails, and Lauren is still helping Jeff manage the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, formerly known as Exotic's G.W. Zoo. The two have committed to each other and the park, though it had financial struggles.

Joe Did Not Have Cancer

Robert Moor, an investigative reporter, noted writer, and social influencer, reported being scammed by Joe Exotic in efforts to raise money for his park. Joe sent this picture to Moor and told him that he had prostate cancer. Joe later created a Facebook page and told fans the same story and collected money for the sake of the park. However, it was a complete lie.



Photo Courtesy [Robert Moor/Twitter]


As it seems, this unfavorable picture of Joe Exotic is simply the result of an infected prostate, excessive dehydration, and a serious herpes outbreak. When fans found out that this was not cancer, some of them were furious while some expressed sympathy. Tough break, Joe.

The Resurrection

Remember the ultimate big cat, the Sabertooth Tiger? The ferocious feline with 3-5 inch incisors from the stone age? Well, guess what? According to New York Magazine, our guy Joe Exotic was trying to create a hybrid that was hypothesized to resurrect the ancient Sabertooth tiger!



Photo Courtesy [Screen Rant 1/Wikiwand]


Sounds cool, right? Unfortunately, after meeting with anthropologists and biologists, it is said to be impossible to revive the cells of this genus of big cat. Joe's theory was off by a long shot, but his goal had a hearty and pure intention behind it.

John Was Used for Sex Appeal

During the seventh episode of season one of Tiger King, you probably noticed that John Finlay was always shirtless during his monologues. Why? You may think it's because he was simply a countryman or because he was always hot from working with the animals, but that's not the case.



Photo Courtesy {Tiger King/Netflix]


The idea of "shirtless John" came from Eric Goode, the director of the series. According to Finlay "It was kind of the sex appeal type thing." He also admitted to David Spade on his show Lights Out that there was plenty of footage of him in a shirt, but they decided not to use it.

Rags to Riches

If you watched Tiger King, you know that one of Joe Exotic's husbands John Finlay did not have the best set of teeth. As revealed throughout his personal monologues, John admits to losing many of his teeth due to various scandals including fights, bad health habits, and drugs. The purity of the smile remains, but the physical sight has improved.



Photo Courtesy [Nicki Swift/Wikimedia Commons]


After the release of the show and distributions, John decided to improve his look by receiving dental implants. As you can see by this smile, John seems to be doing much better these days.

Kirkham's Inferno

One of the former behind-the-scenes producers of Tiger King, Rick Kirkham, had an unforeseen and endangering event happen to him towards the end of the show's first season. Although no one can determine how it happened, a suspected arson fire destroyed the studio at the G.W. Zoo, killing the zoo’s alligators in the Steve Irwin Memorial complex, and destroying all of Kirkham’s footage.



Photo Courtesy [Tiger King/Netflix]


The event almost killed the producer; however, he survived the potential attempt. To ensure a better and safer life, Rick Kirkham moved to Norway to set new roots. He currently resides there and has no intentions of returning to the states soon.

Saff's Transition

Saff, the employee that got mauled by a tiger and her left forearm amputated because of it, told writer Robert Moor that she identifies herself as transsexual. Many viewers have picked up a sense of "her" because of Saff's voice and her demeanor, which makes them think that she may be bisexual or lesbian, but this isn't the case.



Photo Courtesy [Tiger King/Netflix]


Saff prefers to be referred to by her new name instead of her birth name "Kelci". Saff also uses he/him pronouns and wishes for all his viewers to do the same in the name of acceptance.

Carole's Other Husband

True Tiger King viewers know who Howard Baskin is. He's the sweet and ever-supportive husband of Carole Baskin. However, before Howard was in the picture, did you know that Carole had a different husband? His name was Jay Baykal and he and Carole dated for a short amount of time.



Photo Courtesy [Joe_Exotic/Twitter]


Baykal ended their dynamic after she mentioned the disappearance of her late husband, Don Lewis. As a result, Baykal filed a restraining order on Carole and left. This is part of her relational pattern as her late husband Don also filed a restraining order against her before he disappeared.

NDAs For Everyone

Investigative reporter Robert Moor revealed on his podcast, Tiger King, that all the employees did not only receive the typical application for hire, but also a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that had to be signed to begin employment. Basically, the NDA stated that one million dollars be paid out if the employees spoke out on very vague conditions.



Photo Courtesy [Film World/Wikimedia Commons]


Things changed when Moor - and Netflix - found out that the non-disclosure agreements were not legally valid! This is part of the reason how the series was able to be created with the true employees instead of re-enactments.

Exotic is Excited!

This may not come as much of a shock to you, but once Joe Exotic found out how well his series did on Netflix and that millions of people now know who the "Tiger King" is, he is ecstatic! Joe is blissfully happy with the fact that he is famous and has little-to-no shame in expressing it.



Photo Courtesy [The Times/Wikimedia Commons]


Tiger King's director, Eric Goode, told Los Angeles Times that Joe would frequently throw in the amount of attention from the paparazzi, press, and fans during conversations. For some it was annoying, but for Goode, it was refreshing to see happiness within their success.

"Tigers and Dreams"

Did you know that Joe Exotic and Lowe had the bright idea to create a new blended attraction? The new company would be a friendly environment for adults and would consist of a petting zoo on the outside of the property and a strip club within the physical structure. The creative establishment would have been called "Tigers and Dreams."



Photo Courtesy [BBC/Wikimedia Commons]


When that plan didn't work out because of logistics, the two men switched gears and changed it to a drive-in movie theater on the property. The drive-in idea fell through and the land is still its rustic and standard form of amusement.

Michael Jackson's Alligators

Investigative reporter Robert Moor described in his book how Joe Exotic ended up owning Michael Jackson's alligators. Apparently, Los Angeles Times relayed that Joe was able to obtain the alligators through a bid after the Neverland Ranch was closed.



Photo Courtesy [Page Six/Wikimedia Commons]


As it turns out, all of the alligators died a firey death due to an arson attack on the property. The townspeople did donate money to have a new alligator facility built; unfortunately, the alligators are no longer there to enjoy their new home.

Finlay Has a Baby

John Finlay had one of the most interesting relationships with Joe Exotic and it lasted for as long as it could, however, their bizarre yet sweet union has come to an end and John and Joe are no longer together. Why? Because John broke up with Joe after he got Joe's secretary pregnant.



Photo Courtesy [TV Trending/Wikimedia Commons]


Joe was not happy about this but knew that he had to move on. Oxygen T.V. station reported that Finlay is currently no longer with the secretary, but they do co-parent their lovely daughter while with his fiancee, Stormey.

Exotic Used To Be Law Enforcement

That's right, big-cat having, gun-totting Joe Exotic was a police officer. When the entrepreneur was only 19 years old, he was a rookie officer in Eastvale, Texas where he worked his way up to chief of police. He held the office for a few years before relieving himself of duty.



Photo Courtesy [The Sun/Wikimedia Commons]


According to Texas Monthly, Joe started right out of high school, and he only dealt with small crimes like domestic disturbances. It was challenging because Joe was coming to terms with his sexuality that made him run his police cruiser off a cliff (literally). Yet, he had physical therapy and the Tiger King lived!

Doc Antle Performed with Britney Spears

Well, we wouldn't go as far as to say that they are friends, but the professionally stable zoo owner does know her. He met her back in 2001 when he was approached by Britney's team to provide a tiger for her Video Music Awards (VMA) performance. Of course, Doc agreed to supply her demand.



Photo Courtesy [VMAs/Twitter]


During Britney's VMA performance, you can see the tiger that she rented along with Doc Antle on stage with the former star while she performed her 2001 hit "I'm a Slave 4 U."

Joe's Polygamous Wedding Is on YouTube

Remember that scene in the first season of Tiger King when Joe revealed that he was marrying two men, John and Travis? Well, you can either go back to your Netflix account and re-watch the premiere season or you can go on YouTube and enjoy the 23-minute wedding ceremony.



Photo Courtesy [Joe_Exotic/Twitter]


The marriage was facilitated by a real priestess and the men came in their ensemble: long sleeve pink shirts tucked into black jeans. What you should know about the wedding is that although it's a sentimental moment, his union to John was not legally bonded.

Exotic Tried To Run For President

Are you shocked? Many Tiger King fans are not because they are aware of how... motivated Joe can be to get a job done. He started in November of 2015 when he announced his bid for the American presidency and featured a tiger-filled campaign video.



Photo Courtesy [News9/Twitter]


In December, his official paperwork went through. October 2016 was when his campaign got a boost from John Oliver's Last Week Tonight, and in November of 2016, Joe did not when the presidency... Donald Trump did.

Joe Got 664 votes

After Joe's campaign for president of the United States of America turned out to be a bust, he then turned his energy to a smaller endeavor, becoming the libertarian governor of Oklahoma. As you can see in the docuseries, Joe campaigned with paraphernalia like condoms, beads, and t-shirts.



Photo Courtesy [Joe_Exotic/Twitter]


A behind-the-scenes look found that Joe Exotic spent $88,000 of the zoo's money on his campaign. It wasn't all in vain considering that Joe won a small percentage of the popular votes, turning out to 664 people that voted Exotic for governor. As you can imagine, Joe didn't win the race.

"Feed Him to the Tigers"

Millions of viewers took on the notion that Carole Baskin fed her previous husband, Don, to tigers after his mysterious "disappearance". Our man Joe came from every angle to bash her for such a heinous crime, yet, he too has made the same dire threat... to feed his husband to the tigers.



Photo Courtesy [Extra/Wikimedia Commons]


After the relationship with his second husband, J.C. Hartpence, Joe printed a picture of his tigers feasting on meat with the caption "J.C.'s remains" located at the bottom. He took a picture and posted it on J.C.'s desk as a vile threat.

Horses for Tigers

We've seen Joe Exotic feed his big cats with meat from Wal-Mart that was thrown out as waste because it was contaminated or expired. But Joe had a different kind of meat that was beloved by the tigers simply because it was fresh... horses.



Photo Courtesy [Cosmopolitan/Wikimedia Commons]


That's right, the galloping giants were used as food for Joe's tigers. The horses were obtained through donation due to the owners no longer being able to, or wanting to, care for them. He didn't think to add them to the zoo as an attraction, he simply turned them into food because "big cats are expensive to feed."

Joe Killed Emus

Joe ran away from many things and on one occasion, he had to take several rescued emus with him. Emus are large birds that can run just over 30 miles per hour. One day while he was loading them into his truck for their road trip, a few of the emus escaped and ran away.



Photo Courtesy [New York Magazine/Wikipedia]


Considering how fast the birds were running and the fact that this ordeal was happening near the freeway, Joe wasn't able to catch them, nor did he try to. Instead, he pulled out his rifle, aimed, and shot six of the emus directly in their head.

5 Marriages

In the Tiger King series, you see that Joe married John Finlay and Travis Maldonado in their famous polygamous pink-shirt wedding. You'll be surprised to know that Joe Exotic has been married a total of five times across his lifetime! Here's a rundown of the grooms.



Photo Courtesy [Laptrinhx/Wikiwand]


Joe's first husband was Brian Rhyne (left) and they wedded in the late 1980s. J.C. Hartpence came along to help with the zoo and then became Joe's husband. After their failed marriage, John Finlay came along, then Travis Maldonado in the three-way ceremony, then Dillon Passage, who's still married to Joe.

J.C. Hartpence - The Missing Husband

Maybe it was legal, or perhaps personal, but Joe Exotic - or Netflix - made a conscious decision to leave out an important fact: Joe Exotic was married before he wedded John and Dillion. Joe's very first husband's name is Jeffrey "J.C." Hartpence, and they were married while Exotic was building his amusement exhibit.



Photo Courtesy [Robert Moor/Twitter]


Today, Mr. Hartpence is serving a multiple-decade prison sentence for committing and being convicted of murder after breaking up with Joe. This is another theory as to why he wasn't in the show, which is logically more likely.

J.C. Almost Killed Joe

Joe and J.C. would argue about how the zoo should be operated and structured. And with both men doing meth at the time, the intensity of the arguments was high.



Photo Courtesy [Variety/Wikimedia Commons]


Reports mentioned that during their relationship, J.C. put a gun to Joe's head during an argument. Joe reported it to the police and J.C. left the scene. Since then, J.C. has committed murder and other various crimes and is serving a life sentence as a result.

Joe Exotic's latest Husband

Joe's latest husband, Dillon Passage, 24, was Joe's younger lover and partner in 2017. He may have faded out of the series, but he is still married to Exotic, contrary to popular belief.



Photo Courtesy [Tiger King/Netflix]


Their relationship is complicated, and Dillon expressed that Joe didn't want to be in an active relationship with him, yet doesn't want him to move on with another person or with his life. Yet, Dillon has dated other men since Joe.

Joe Had a Pet Store First

We all know the G.W. Animal Park that Joe created, however, research shows us that Joe Exotic used to own a pet store with his late brother, Garold. Each brother owned one shop and as you can imagine, they had many self-inflicted challenges with their store and governing authorities



Photo Courtesy [Dallas Morning News/Wikimedia Commons]


For starters, the stores were over-decorated with outmatching decor and furniture. There were also many signs that needed to be fixed and several code violations being enacted. This is also where Joe learned to dumpster dive for food for the animals.

Joe Loves Documentaries

One of Joe's favorite genres of film is documentaries because of the raw life that it exposed to the viewers. However, Joe loved how much publicity one could achieve with a real-life story. Since Joe had such a flair for dramatics and fame, he figured being in documentaries would be suitable for him.



Photo Courtesy [The Times/Wikimedia Commons]


In addition to Tiger King, Joe has also attempted to educate people on the nature of big cats, while performing crazy stunts with the big cats, during an interview in Louis Theroux's documentary, America's Most Dangerous Pets. 

Tiger King Was Not the Original Premise

Can you image Tiger King not being about an eccentric zookeeper with a compulsion for large cats and antagonizing his adversary? Me neither, which is what makes the premise of the show so astonishing. You see, the beginning of the series began filming in 2014, despite it not being released until 2020.



Photo Courtesy [FR24News/Wikimedia Commons]


The show took longer than anticipated to release because the intent switched. Originally, the series was going to investigate an infamous Florida-based snake dealer. The shift changed immediately while the crew was shooting and came across Joe with a leopard in the back of the van. From there, Tiger King was born.

Who Was Behind The G.W. Animal Park Arson?

On March 26, 2015, a random fire broke out at the G.W. Animal Park between 2:30 and 4:30 am. The property was burned to a crisp including cages, structures, seven alligators, and a crocodile. It also destroyed Joe's Studio for his show and around 60,000 hours of documented footage.



Photo Courtesy [Joe_Exotic/Twitter]


Of course, animal activists and Carole Baskin were blamed as suspects for the arson, yet many believe that Joe could have been behind it himself. Whether it be for money, revenge, or to "make a statement," the "arsonist" is still abound and no one knows who they are.

The Sketchy Officer

The fire that ended the life of Joe's old zoo was detrimental to his life, business, and overall legacy as the "Tiger King", but allow me to add more to this pre-determined conspiracy. When the fire was being investigated by the local police officers, reporter Robert Moor did some digging and found a particular clue.



Photo Courtesy [People/Wikimedia Commons]


Moor discovered that one of the police officers in the investigation unit used to work for Joe Exotic as his limo driver! The conspiracy runs deep when fans try to connect the dots to see if this officer was part of Joe's potential Ponzi scheme or was it all just coincidence?

Freaky YouTube Channel

While you can catch Joe's animal endeavors and wedding on YouTube, along with his personal T.V. channel, Joe Exotic TV, there was a different channel that was maintained until 2014. It ended because of the content that was being sported, which went against some of YouTube's regulations.



Photo Courtesy [Esquire/Wikimedia Commons]


For instance, one of his videos portrayed him reading some very passionate love letters to his then-husband, Travis. The cherry on top is the videos he recorded of tigers randomly having sex which he simply entitled "Animal Sex." These videos have since been taken down.

A Pirate on the Run

Do you think that Joe stayed in Oklahoma after the fiasco of his alligator facility burning down and losing his big cat zoo? Of course not! Following the disasters, Joe took a few of his big cat cubs, his younger husband, Dillon, and fled to the sunshine state, Florida.



Photo Courtesy [TMZ/Wikimedia Commons]


While there, he worked as a dishwasher at a pirate-themed restaurant. The money was much less than he was used to, but he had his husband, cubs, and his freedom for the short time that it lasted considering the cops caught up with him a few weeks later.

Joe Exotic is in the Slammer

After one entire season of watching the "Tiger King" make threats towards Carole, shooting his gun for cameos, and being cynical in an entertaining manner, Joe Exotic's 15-minutes of fame came to an end considering that he is now imprisoned.



Photo Courtesy [Federal Medical Center Fort Worth Prison/Wikipedia]


A jury convicted him in January 2020 for hefty violations of federal wildlife and for being the head of a failed murder-for-hire plot against his ultimate rival, Carole Baskin. With the additional murders of five tigers, distribution of tiger cubs, and falsifying wildlife records, Joe received 22 years with early parole in 2037.

Joe is Suing the Government

Joe is not exactly sure who ratted him out to the government, but he is out for blood... once he gets out of prison. While on the inside, Joe filed a false imprisonment lawsuit in March 2020 before the debut of Tiger King. The lawsuit requested $94 million in damages, yet Exotic does not have a lawyer to help see this through.



Photo Courtesy [People/Wikimedia Commons]


Legal documents have proven that two of the entities on his lawsuit hit list are the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, his former business partner, Jeff Lowe, a federal agent, and even the lead prosecutor for his case!

No-Go For Presidential Pardon

After being convicted of several wildlife violations and potential murder-for-hire against Carole Baskin, Joe Exotic was sentenced to more than two decades in prison. Even though he was found guilty, he and his team were convinced that he would be pardoned by President Donald Trump.



Photo Courtesy [People/Wikimedia Commons]


The team was so confident that they had a limousine, wardrobe, and a hairdresser to make the former zookeeper look presentable for when he was released. Unfortunately, the "Tiger King's" request for release didn't even make the pardon list and he is still in Texas serving his sentence.

Carole's Misconceptions

Carole Baskin is known for having contradictory statements that were a double standard in the eyes of many viewers, which is what made her such an interesting character. However, she was not happy with how she was portrayed throughout the docuseries.



Photo Courtesy [NME/Wikipedia]


Since the launch of Tiger King, Carole has tried to clear up her misconceptions about the image that was "portrayed" of her by Netflix. In the end, Carole described how she was tricked into doing the docuseries and that the show is full of "lies, innuendos, and not credible."

Did Carole Kill Don Lewis?

Well, that seems to be the infamous question that may reveal itself in the second season when it debuts in November 2021. The case is so mysterious that because of the second season, the legal case of Carole's ex-husband, Don Lewis, has been re-ignited and re-opened.



Photo Courtesy [Tampa Bay/Wikimedia Commons]


Carole has always denied that she was a part of his 1997 random disappearance, but the evidence in the case sure does weave an organized web of tampering with someone's life. Perhaps season 2 of Tiger King will reveal more behind the case of Don Lewis and Carole's possible involvement and connection to it.

Carole's New Show

No, Carole Basking herself won't be in it, however, the new miniseries that is being developed about her stars Kate McKinnon and is in motion of being produced. In addition to season 2 of Tiger King dropping in November 2021, Tiger King fans can also look forward to the scripted series based on the life and scandals of Carole Baskin.



Photo Courtesy [People/Wikimedia Commons]


So far, a network has not picked up the upcoming limited series, but the buzz is building around it. McKinnon was announced to help explain the story of Carole's final fall, and we fans can look forward to the inner light of Baskin's bizarre life.

Doc Antle's Park is Still Open

Out of Doc, Carole, and Joe, Doc is the one big cat ranger that has yet to be accused of murder or attempted murder, but he still had some issues with law enforcement. According to the series, his safari establishment was raided in December 2019 for undisclosed reasons.



Photo Courtesy [Myrtle Beach Sun News/Wikipedia]


Variety magazine reported that even after the raid and the COVID-19 pandemic, Myrtle Beach Safari is still open and ready for business. Of course, his attendance plummeted, but it did not shut down. Once regulations were enforced, his Safari started seeing its usual customers again.

Many Celebrity Endorsements

Keep in mind, Tiger King debuted in the prime of the initial coronavirus outbreak, which meant social distancing and quarantining unless you were an essential worker. This is how the show became so popular with millions of viewers, including celebrities, that couldn't leave their homes.



Photo Courtesy [IamCardiB/Twitter]


Hip-Hop star artist Cardi B can be found sporting her orange and black spotted leopard ensemble with matching hair accessories. Of course, Kim weighed in and got an invitation to the animal compound, and even O.J. Simpson had a stance on the disappearance of Don Lewis.

Carole and Kim

Carole Baskin went through a lot with the speculations of her killing her former husband after the airing of the popular show. Many people did come to the same entertaining conclusion that she is the guilty party, but there is one person who inquired about the truth... Kim Kardashian.



Photo Courtesy [Kim Kardashian West/Twitter]


Kim tweeted her question about the murder of Don Lewis and was contacted by Carole's account. The message was an invitation for Kim to come and visit Big Cat Rescue, but Kim has not publicly responded to Carole. I can only imagine why Kim is hesitant to visit Carole's compound...

Jeff and Shaquille

Jeff Lowe is known for being the low-down snake that stole Joe's zoo right from under him. After he obtained it, the respect, customer attendance, and respect from the employees lowered because of Lowe's lack of leadership and knowledge.



Photo Courtesy [TMZ/Wikiwand]


This doesn't stop Lowe from trying again. With a new potential location in Thackerville, Oklahoma, Jeff is reaching out to NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal to be a potential investor in his new big cat endeavor. Although the meeting has not been had yet, let's see if Jeff makes any progress in season 2 of the series.

The Legacy of G.W. Zoo

After all the madness that the G.W. Zoo went through, can you imagine it still being open? Well, wonder no more because it is not. After Joe Exotic left the zoo, Lowe took over as the owner and renamed it the Greater Wynnewood Animal Park.



Photo Courtesy [NBC Boston/Wikimedia Commons]


The new Oklahoma zoo was planned to open in the spring or summer of 2020 and since then, it has opened at a slow yet steady pace. After the airing of the show, attendance skyrocketed, but the zoo was eventually closed down due to receiving several violations for being open during the Coronavirus shutdown. Let's see what season 2 has to offer!