Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, a prominent figure in the Netflix series "Tiger King," was convicted on Friday, June 30, 2023, in a Virginia court on four felony counts related to illegal wildlife trafficking. The Virginia Attorney General's office confirmed the conviction, stemming from Antle's illegal purchase of endangered lion cubs in Frederick County. The jury found him guilty of two counts of wildlife trafficking and two counts of conspiracy to traffic wildlife.
This image, provided by the Horry County Sheriff's Office, shows Bhagavan "Doc" Antle following his arrest by the FBI on June 3, 2022, for federal money laundering charges. (Horry County Sheriff's Office)
Antle had intended to exhibit the lion cubs at his South Carolina zoo. The investigation, initiated in 2019, culminated in a week-long trial. Attorney General Jason Miyares expressed satisfaction with the verdict, emphasizing Virginia's commitment to enforcing animal cruelty laws and combating wildlife trafficking. Antle's sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2023.
This photo shows Dr. Bhagavan Antle with Hercules the Liger, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest cat. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs)
Antle gained notoriety through the 2020 Netflix docuseries "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness," which explored the world of private zoo operators and tiger breeders in the United States. The series also highlighted the legal troubles of Joe Exotic, another zoo operator convicted of animal mistreatment and a murder-for-hire plot against rival Carole Baskin. Antle has faced accusations of animal mistreatment and was indicted in Virginia in 2020 on related charges. His record of violations dates back to 1989, including a fine from the USDA for abandoning animals at his Virginia zoo. He has accumulated over 35 USDA violations for animal mistreatment throughout his career.
In June 2022, Antle was also charged with laundering over $500,000, which federal prosecutors allege are proceeds from smuggling undocumented immigrants across the US-Mexico border. If convicted on these charges, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
