Tiger King: Where Are They Now?
8. Bhagavan "Doc" Antle
Doc Bhagavan Antle is the head of T.I.G.E.R.S (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species) at Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, and one of the most brash and non-apologetic big cat owners in the entire show.
Joe Exotic described Doc Antle as being like a mentor to him, but also accuses him of mass euthanizing his animals to make room for further breeding for his petting shows. Antle has made six appearances on the Tonight Show, shared a stage with the likes of Britney Spears and, according to his zoo's official website, pulls in three million visitors a year.
Much was made of Antle's running of T.I.G.E.R.S in the show, specifically the way in which he runs his worker force. The zoo's apprenticeship programme is more than a little suspect, and one interview with one of the former workers there really illustrates the nastiness of Antle and co.
As far as life after the show goes, Antle and T.I.G.E.R.S is still very much business as usual. A couple of interviews on platforms such as the True Geordie podcast aside, Antle and his zoo have kept a pretty tight lid on the Netflix show.