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'Doc' Antle from Netflix's 'Tiger King' indicted in Virginia for trafficking in wildlife

'Doc' Antle from Netflix's 'Tiger King' indicted in Virginia for trafficking in wildlife
Posted at 1:52 PM, Oct 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-12 16:53:31-04

One of the stars from Netflix's "Tiger King," Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, was indicted in Virginia for trafficking in wildlife, the attorney general announced Friday.

According to a press release, Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring said Antle was indicted for illegally selling lion clubs to Wilson's Wild Animal Park after a months-long investigation by Herring's Animal Law Unit.

Herring said Antle and Wilson trafficked lion cubs between Virginia and South Carolina, which led to their indictments.

Herring said investigators looked into the relationship between Antle and Wilson's Wild Animal Park owner Keith A. Wilson and found that they trafficked lion cubs between Virginia and South Carolina.

That investigation led authorities to seize 119 animals, including tigers, bears, and camels in August 2019 from Wilson's "roadside zoo" in Winchester, Virginia.

In Nov. 2019, Wilson and his nephew Christian Dall'Acqua were indicted on 46 counts of animal cruelty. Wilson's case has been set for June 21, and Dall'Acqua's trial is set for June 25, 2021.

In Dec. 2019, Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari was searched by authorities in South Carolina, Herring said.

Two of Antle's daughters, Tawny Antle and Tilakum Watterson, were charged with violating the endangered species act and face misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.