Tiger King’s Doc Antle Banned from Wildlife Trade after Conviction in Virginia

Notorious animal trainer, Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, familiar to many from the riveting Netflix Series “Tiger King”, has received a suspended sentence of two years following his conviction on charges of wildlife trafficking in Virginia, according to an announcement from the state attorney general’s office.

Furthering his punitive consequences, Attorney General Jason Miyares unveiled a prohibitive condition on Tuesday, barring Antle from owning and trading exotic wild animals in Virginia for the ensuing five years.

TRUSTED PARTNER ✅

The charges against Antle spotlighted his illicit purchase of endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Virginia. The intent behind the purchases? To boost profits at his zoo, based in South California, through their display and interaction. A jury found him guilty of committing two felony counts each of wildlife trafficking and the conspiracy to do the same in June. Serving 20 years in prison was once a looming reality for Antle.

Antle, the proprietor of Myrtle Beach Safari, garnered attention and notoriety through his involvement in “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness”, a documentary miniseries on tiger breeding hosted by Netflix.

Prosecutors formulated a case around Myrtle Beach Safari’s petting zoo, a lucrative endeavour. This financial success allegedly spurred Antle to ensure a consistent availability of immature lion cubs for the zoo. Additionally, accusations of illegal cub trades taking place in 2017, 2018, and 2019 surfaced.

Miyares strongly emphasised the message of this case. Quoted saying, “In Virginia, we uphold the rule of law without exception, whether dealing with violent repeat offenders, big pharma, fraudsters and scammers, or wildlife traffickers”—the Attorney General underlined the state’s unwavering dedication to justice and the rule of law, irrespective of the nature of the crime or the criminals involved.