A star from the Netflix series “Tiger King” was prosecuted last Friday in Frederick County and convicted of four felonies.
Bhagavan Antle, known on the show as “Doc Antle,” was accused of illegally purchasing endangered lion cubs in Frederick County for display and profit at his zoo in South Carolina.
A jury convicted Antle of two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and two felony counts of conspiring to wildlife traffic. His sentence is scheduled for Sept. 14, 2023.
The Office of the Attorney General’s Animal Law Unit led the investigation, which began in 2019, and prosecuted the case to secure convictions after a week-long trial.
“Virginia’s animal cruelty laws are not taken lightly by my office. I’m proud of my Animal Law Unit for their tireless work and I’m thrilled that the jury not only agreed with us but sent a message that Virginia does not tolerate wildlife animal trafficking,” Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said.
The convictions were possible with the assistance of the following organizations: the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Virginia State Police, Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and the Richmond Police Department. The Frederick County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, Dr. Mary Cogliano of the Unites States Fish and Wildlife Service, University of California at Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, the Wild Animal Sanctuary, Dr. Ernesto Dominguez-Villegas, Dr. Felicia Knightly of the Memphis Zoo, Craig Hoover of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the United States Department of Agriculture Investigative and Enforcement Services were also partners in this investigation.
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Rebecca Barnabi
