One of the stars of the hit Netflix docuseries Tiger King has been indicted on multiple counts.
The Virginia attorney general announced on Friday that Bhagavan “Doc” Antle faces two felony counts, one for wildlife trafficking and one for conspiracy to wildlife traffic. He also faces four misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
Keith Wilson, who owns Wilson’s Wild Animal Park in Frederick County, Virginia, and Antle, who owns Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, trafficked lion cubs between the two parks, the attorney general said.
Wilson faces the same charges as Antle.
Two of Antle’s daughters have also been charged with misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and violating the Endangered Species Act.
Antle has amassed 35 United States Department of Agriculture violations for allegedly mistreating animals.
He faced criticism after the Netflix series aired for the way he and his safari park were depicted.
“That’s not a documentary,” Antle told the Post and Courier in March. He described the series as “quasi-fictional drama, more focused on shock value and titillation than fact.”
