MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — “Tiger King” star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle remained in custody Saturday following his arrest by the FBI, jail records show.
FBI agents arrested him Friday and he was taken to the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway, South Carolina, but the charges he’s being held on were not disclosed. A spokesperson for the federal agency did not immediately respond Saturday to a telephone request for further details,
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office told WMBF-TV that a hearing for Antle is scheduled for Monday at which more information was expected to be provided.
Antle, 62, has been a controversial figure among animal rights advocates who have accused the owner of Myrtle Beach Safari of mistreating lions and other wildlife, news outlets reported.
Antle was featured on the hit Netflix series “Tiger King,” about animal handler and zoo operator Joe Exotic, who also was targeted for animal mistreatment and was jailed in a plot to kill a rival, Carole Baskin.
In May, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked the IRS to probe Antle’s Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit raising money for wildlife conservation. PETA alleges he uses some of the fund’s money to subsidize his safari site in Socastee outside Myrtle Beach.
“It’s fitting that “Doc” Antle is behind bars after years of locking up the endangered animals he uses in tawdry photo ops. His…
