He said Antle paid $2,500 to $3,000 per cub with the exception of the 2017 transaction when Antle traded three lynx kittens for three lion cubs. Wilson testified that Antle paid him in advance under the guise of a donation. In August 2019, 119 animals - including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats and water buffalo - were seized from Wilson’s roadside zoo after a judge found that Wilson “cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived” the animals of adequate care. There were three illegal cub exchanges in 2017, 20, Welch said.Īntle was indicted in 2020 on several offenses including felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy.
But after lions were designated as an endangered species in December 2015, lions could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves that were part of an established breeding program and had permits. When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park's former owner, began doing business in 2015, it was still legal to buy and sell lions, Welch said. Prosecutor Michelle Welch said Myrtle Beach Safari's lucrative petting zoo motivated Antle to maintain a steady supply of immature lion cubs that he purchased from Wilson’s Wild Animal Park near Winchester, calling the arrangement a “cub pipeline” from Virginia to South Carolina. The jury acquitted Antle of five counts of animal cruelty and Judge Alexander Iden dismissed four additional animal cruelty charges against Antle and all charges against his two adult daughters, The Winchester Star reported. A jury convicted Antle on Friday of two felony counts each of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic.Īntle, who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders.
#MYRTLE BEACH SAFARI PRICES SERIES#
(AP) - A wild animal trainer featured in the popular Netflix series “Tiger King” has been convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia, the attorney general’s office announced Tuesday.īhagavan “Doc” Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Virginia, for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo, Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a news release.
This led to a thriving black market, in which Ms Welsh claims saw Antle engage in three illegal cub exchanges.WINCHESTER, Va. It meant cubs could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves who were part of established breeding programmes with permits. However, by the end of the year in the US, lions were designated as an endangered species. When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park's former owner, began doing business in 2015 the buying and selling of lions was still legal. Ms Welch called the arrangement a "cub pipeline" from Virginia to South Carolina. Prosecutor Michelle Welch said Myrtle Beach Safari's lucrative petting zoo motivated Antle to maintain a steady supply of immature lion cubs that he purchased from Wilson's Wild Animal Park near Winchester. The series is still one of the streaming platform's most successful titles to date, with viewing numbers boosted by much of the world entering the first Coronavirus lockdown at the same time as its release.Īntle featured as part of the series and is the latest member of the cast to be plagued by legal issues. In a statement from the attorney general of Virginia, Jason Miyares said Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo.Īntle is known to many due to his appearance on Netflix's Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders.
One of the star's from the hugely popular Tiger King series on Netflix has been convicted of wildlife trafficking - and now faces up to 20 years in jail.
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