The exotic animal trainer by the name of Bhagavan “Doc” Antle seen on the Netflix docu-series Tiger King, has just been convicted in the state of Virginia. According to Deadline, he has four counts of felony regarding selling and buying rare and endangered animals.
His sentence is set for the date of September 14 of this year, and he is looking at 20 years in prison. As of now, he is on bond pending sentence. Hence he remains free for now.
In a news release, Attorney General Jason Miyares stated that Bhagavan “Doc” Antle had been accused of purchasing and displaying endangered cubs illegally in his South Carolina zoo in order to gain profit. The Tiger King star has been convicted of two felonies regarding conspiring wildlife traffic and wildlife trafficking itself.
Audiences may know and recognize Bhagavan “Doc” Antle from the hit Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, which focuses on the lives of different exotic cats and animal trainers, specifically tiger breeders, in the United States.
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle is not new to accusations regarding his animal keeping. He has also been accused of five cases of animal cruelty, for which he was acquitted for. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was also dismissed of four other cases of animal cruelty by Judge Alexander Iden, who also pardoned reports against Bhagavan “Doc” Antle’s two eldest daughters as well.
According to Prosecutor Michelle Welch, Bhagavan “Doc” Antle had been purchasing immature tiger cubs to display in his Myrtle Beach Safari petting zoo. The tiger cubs he had been purchasing came from Wilson’s Wild Animal Park by Winchester. The transactions were seen as a “cub pipeline” that went through Virginia to South Carolina.
In 2020, Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was indicted of many offenses, some including felonies regarding wildlife trafficking and conspiracy. According to defense attorney Erin Harrigan, Antle’s prosecution had a political stance that argued the general public has been on the rise against wild animal exploitation, especially for entertainment purposes.