Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Tiger King’ is an incredibly compelling documentary series that follows the passionate relationships, peculiar business dealings, and spiraling rivalries of former zookeeper Joe Exotic in a manner unlike any other. After all, apart from his eccentric personality, it also delves deep into the wild situations and bizarre drama surrounding his every move within the twisted big cat industry. From financial scams to tragic romances and from aggravating taunts to murder plots, this production highlights everything. So now, if you’re curious to know where the key players of season 2 are today, we’ve got you covered.
Joe Exotic
Having been convicted of 17 charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder-for-hire to kill long-time rival Carole Baskin, Joe Exotic is currently incarcerated at Federal Medical Center, Butner, in North Carolina. He had initially received a total of 22 years behind bars, yet he is awaiting re-sentencing because a federal appeals court found that the term was excessive given the conditions. Joe is still fighting to get his conviction overturned, but following the diagnosis of prostate cancer, he’s also fighting for his life. The felon will be publishing ‘Tiger King: The Official Tell-All Memoir’ in late November.
Carole Baskin
It’s no secret that Carole Baskin did not appreciate how she was portrayed on the first season of ‘Tiger King,’ and refused to be a part of its follow-up. However, in early November, she and her husband Howard went as far as to sue Netflix in the hopes of blocking any footage related to them and their sanctuary from the second installment. A judge ultimately denied her motions, so Carole had no choice but to back off. Thus, today, she resides in Tampa with her loving partner, with whom she runs Big Cat Rescue. Moreover, she has a new documentary series of her own called ‘Carole Baskin’s Cage Fight’ on Discovery+.
Tim Stark
Tim Stark’s whole world has turned upside down ever since he first came across our screens in March 2020. After all, not only was he fined over $750,000 in legal fees to PETA and $340,000 for violating the Animal Welfare Act, but his Wildlife in Need establishment was also raided in September, leading to more legal troubles. The facility dissolved in November, and a judge later banned him from acquiring, exhibiting, and owning any exotic or native animal ever again. Tim’s license to carry was suspended as well, and he declared bankruptcy in October 2021. A court hearing about his assets is set for December 16, 2021.
Jeff Lowe
Jeff Lowe is yet to comment on the murder-for-hire plot he allegedly orchestrated to kill Joe (as per the true-crime series), but he has numerous other things to worry about at the moment. Apart from losing the G.W. Zoo and then having his new facility raided, he and his wife have also been arrested on DUI charges and sued over non-payment of rent in just the last few months. In fact, they owe the State of Oklahoma tax money, and Jeff is a wanted man in Las Vegas. He has four bench warrants against him for missing a court date on the 2017 charges of business without a permit and not having a license for carrying wild animals.
Eric Love
Eric Love, better known to ‘Tiger King’ fans as the leader of Team Tiger and the man who tried his best to get Joe a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, is a millionaire, self-proclaimed private investigator, philanthropist, and retired police officer. He’s a father who currently resides in Bedford, Texas, alongside his wife, Lisa, with whom he runs a non-profit organization called Project Love Love to battle homelessness.
Allen Glover
Despite everything he revealed in the docuseries, Allen Glover appears to stay away from the public light as much as possible. However, we know that he was charged and arrested for driving under the influence, driving with an open container, and driving on a suspended license in August 2021. Thus, since this incident took place in Beaufort County, South Carolina, it looks like he currently calls the South Eastern state his home.
James Garretson
James Garretson is a public figure and businessman through and through. Apart from owning a water sports company in South Florida, he also has a Cameo account where he frequently interacts with fans. A personal shoutout from him costs $99, whereas a business one is $275. We should also mention that he often taunts Carole Baskin on his Instagram to assert his belief that she murdered her second husband, who disappeared in 1997.
Ripper Jack
James “Ripper” Smith is an armchair detective, or internet sleuth, who serves as a YouTuber, activist, and justice seeker. He had only come across Don Lewis’ disappearance case from watching ‘Tiger King’ season 1, but his sincerity led him to become his family’s spokesperson in just over a year. Ripper Jack resides in Ochelata, Oklahoma, yet he doesn’t mind traveling for his work because he knows how essential a single tip or meeting could be.
Kenny Farr
There have been many severe allegations against Kenny Farr concerning Don Lewis’ vanishing recently, most of them from his ex-wife Trish Payne, but he has seemed to deny every one of them. “I can tell you I have no idea why my ex-wife [has] came up with [such an] outlandish lie,” the Florida native wrote in an attempt to clear the air. “I cooperated with authorities at the time of Don’s disappearance and took a polygraph. I had absolutely nothing to do with Don’s disappearance or [possess] any knowledge of [it].”
Erik Cowie
Unfortunately, the former Greater Wynnewood Animal Park head zookeeper that had won our hearts with his sheer passion for the big cats has passed away. You might remember that Erik Cowie had claimed to be sober from his alcohol addiction on ‘The Tiger King and I’ episode that followed season 1, but that changed shortly after. He was charged and arrested for a DUI in May 2021, and on September 3, he was found dead inside a Brooklyn apartment by a friend. An autopsy revealed his cause of death to be acute and chronic alcohol use.
Don Lewis’ Daughters
When Don Lewis disappeared, apart from friends and acquaintances, he left behind his then-wife Carole Baskin, his ex-wife Gladys Lewis, and their children. The latter includes his three daughters — Donna Pettis, Lynda Sanchez, and Gale Rathbone. From what we can tell, all of them currently live in Dade City, Florida, where they work hard to keep their father’s memories alive and bring about some much-needed justice. They recently retained a lawyer to work on the legal aspects in their search for answers, making it evident that they won’t give up until the mysterious case is resolved.
Read More: Tiger King Season 3: Renewed or Cancelled?
