Tiger King saga: Carole Baskin wins Joe Exotic’s zoo
Tiger King Joe Exotic's zoo is now being run by mortal enemy Carole Baskin, the animal activist he wanted dead. Photos: Netflix
The feisty rivalry between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin that made for the basis of the Netflix docuseries Tiger King continues, with a federal court awarding Baskin control of Exotic’s former zoo.
That’s Baskin, the woman Exotic tried to murder via a hitman and was last year chucked in jail for 22 years for the attempted hit, among other crimes.
Jeff Lowe, who we also met in Tiger King and wrestled ownership of Exotic’s zoo, now has 120 days to high-tail it off the land.
Baskin and her Big Cat Rescue Corporation will take control of the Oklahoma land – Lowe must arrange for the big cats inside the zoo to also be removed within that timeframe.
The judge who ruled in Baskin’s favour this week found the property was fraudulently transferred to Exotic’s mother, Shirley Schreibvogel, years ago.
Stay with us here while we guide you through this complex tale: In February 2016, Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue sued Exotic’s mother, saying the transfer of the zoo (from son to mother) was fraudulent.
Under oath, Schreibvogel admitted it was true: Exotic shifted the land into his mother’s name in 2011 to keep it out of reach of creditors and Big Cat Rescue.
This is because Baskin was already suing Exotic for trademark infringement.
Baskin, an animal rights activist, was against everything Exotic, an exotic animal collector, stood for.
Thus, they butted heads to the point where he paid someone to try and kill her.
The classic Tiger King shot that sums up a global entrancement with the world of Joe Exotic. Photo: Netflix
One of Lowe’s attorneys (Lowe has been running Exotic’s park for a few years, remember) told CNN the ruling was expected.
“We anticipated Carole Baskin getting the title to the former park that once belonged to Joe Exotic, and we did not challenge her attempts to do so,” the attorney said.
“All of Jeff’s focus is on opening the new Tiger King Park in Thackerville, (Oklahoma), which should be opening in the next 120 days.”
As for Exotic, he’s in Dallas-Fort Worth medical centre after being exposed to the coronavirus, as reported by Fox 25.
He gave an interview to Netflix from prison in March, saying he was “done” with the Baskin drama.
“It’s now time to turn the tables and … get [Joe] out of a jail a free man and exonerated from all these charges,” he said.
Joe Exotic was interviewed from prison on March 22.
Here's what he told us pic.twitter.com/ueqTeWfKxh
— Netflix (@netflix) April 3, 2020
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