is myrtle beach safari ethical

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Stephanie Manka

Does myrtle beach safari really promote conservation.

• October 25, 2020

The popularity of Netflix’s Tiger King brought important issues about big cats in captivity to the public stage. The biggest claim, perhaps, was that zoos are necessary to conserve big cats in the wild. Doc Antle , owner Myrtle Beach Safari , says it the most often and is the most convincing in this belief:

“We believe these (experiences) create a connection between us and them (wild animals) so they’ll open their hearts and their wallets to do our worldwide conservation work. Doc Antle, owner of Myrtle Beach Safari

But is this true?

Doc Antle and the other zoo owners featured in the docuseries all profit off of their zoos. Are they telling the truth or just trying to make their zoo look good? They claim that Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue does the same (but read my take on Big Cat Rescue here ).

To my great frustration, the series included no unbiased experts to talk about if there are connections between captivity and conservation. I understand the docuseries focused on the crimes of Joe Exotic. However, I thought it was really irresponsible to the public to bring these issues up, but leave them unaddressed by qualified experts.

That’s where I come in. I am an unbiased wildlife biologist and I evaluated the claims made in Tiger King about the facilities featured.

Just like I did for Big Cat Rescue and soon the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, I researched Doc Antle’s Myrtle Beach Safari to see what they do for the conservation of wild animals, their educational value to the public, and animal welfare concerns.

I receive no money or have no association with any organization in the series. I’ve been in the field of conservation biology since 2003 and have a total of seven years of experience working in zoos and museums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This post is not about Doc Antle as a person, his character, or his lifestyle. It is only about the conservation, education, and animal welfare standards at Myrtle Beach Safari.

Let’s get started.

Conservation at Myrtle Beach Safari

Is myrtle beach safari a wildlife preserve.

According to his bio , Antle is “ the founder and director of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), a world-renowned 50-acre wildlife preserve located in South Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA .”

First correction: The TIGERS preserve he is talking about above, is an acronym for his zoo, Myrtle Beach Safari. Myrtle Beach Safari is NOT a wildlife preserve. The word wildlife preserve is synonymous with a national or state park, protected area, or reserve. These are largely undeveloped areas of land reserved for nature. Preserves are meant to protect the native flora and fauna of the area that already exists.

Myrtle Beach Safari is a zoo. The animals are captive and can never be released to the wild . The animals are not even native to South Carolina.

Are They the World’s Most Effective Conservation Advocates?

Back to his bio: “ He is also the founder of the Rare Species Fund (RSF) , a grassroots organization that supports wildlife conservation projects in situ around the globe…The RSF places it among the world’s most effective conservation advocates .”

I currently work alongside colleagues from the top conservation organizations in the world: World Wildlife Fund , Wildlife Conservation Society , Conservation International , the Smithsonian , and the Zoological Society of London through Wildlife Insights . Never once have I heard any of them or anyone in my 17 years in conservation talk about Doc Antle, Myrtle Beach Safari, TIGERS, or RSF.

I’ve applied for every conservation grant that I could under the sun to get my various projects funded. This means that I searched conservation organizations all over the world for funding opportunities. I never came across TIGERS or RSF.

The Conservation Careers website made a list of top US Conservation Organizations and none of Doc Antle’s organizations are included. In fact, they are not even included in the complete list of conservation organizations in the US.

That being said, I investigated Doc Antle’s organization and conservation claims fairly to see if he really does do meaningful conservation work.

Does Myrtle Beach Safari Support Grassroots Wildlife Conservation Projects?

The mission statement of RSF is “ to enhance wild species populations through the support of grassroots wildlife conservation projects, the maintenance of genetically representative viable populations of captive wildlife and the education of the public about conservation issues through the use of animal ambassadors .”

Let’s go over each part piece by piece. First up: supporting grassroots conservation organizations.

Most Money Goes to Myrtle Beach Safari…

According to his website , “ to date, the RSF has contributed more than $1 million (USD) to wildlife initiatives throughout the globe .”

However “wildlife initiatives” does not necessarily mean grassroots wildlife conservation.

A recent article in Myrtle Beach Online stated that “ The Rare Species Fund has brought in more than $1.5 million between 2014 and 2018…But most of that money appears to have been spent caring for what it calls its ‘animal ambassadors,’ which are based at the Myrtle Beach facility . More than $1 million has been spent on animal food and care or habitat repair and construction compared to about $500,000 on grants to organizations. That includes about $282,000 in grants to domestic organizations and $216,000 to foreign groups.”

Antle uses most of the money to pay for his “animal ambassadors” at Myrtle Beach Safari. This means he is using nonprofit money on animals at a zoo that makes a profit. Isn’t that illegal? Antle charges hundreds of dollars for cub petting and other interactions with animals.

I talk about animal ambassadors in my post on ethical zoos . Briefly, they are captive animals that represent species in the wild to spread educational and conservation messages. For example, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo uses their orangutans as ambassadors for sustainable palm oil as palm oil is a threat in their native range. On their website, they have conservation actions you can take .

I looked through TripAdvisor photos for Myrtle Beach Safari and did not find any educational information or conservation messages (e.g. placards, signs). There are no conservation messages on the website. On the contrary, I just googled my local AZA-affiliated zoo, the North Carolina Zoo , and conservation is one of their website’s sections with tips you can do from home.

At Myrtle Beach Safari, all of the animals are brought out to guests on leashes. Therefore people probably leave with little understanding of the habitats the animals live in or the conservation challenges these animals face. Myrtle Beach Safari’s Instagram and YouTube also had no conservation messages that I could find.

How are the Conservation Dollars Spent?

According to the RSF website, there is some evidence that Antle donates to on-the-ground conservation efforts. However, his projects do not look like they are in the million dollar range, but rather tens of thousands of dollars (based on my own experience creating budgets for international research). They feature projects funding camera trap work, rangers’ salaries, and housing projects in developing countries.

It’s actually really difficult to tell what the RSF spends their money on and how much. This report stated they donated almost $16,000 to monitor the health of the local community living near gorillas and this report stated they donated over $100,000. The most recent posting of their donations is from 2017.

Like me, the author of the Myrtle Beach Online article had a hard time getting the numbers to line up:

“ A review of the organization’s social media pages found images of oversized checks…But the amounts don’t match up with what’s reported in the nonprofit’s annual reports. The check for the Uganda organization shows $15,790, while the Rare Species Fund’s report shows no money granted to foreign organizations in 2015, and the check for the Sumatra organization shows $105,000, while less than $35,000 was reported as given to foreign organizations in 2017 .” David Weissman, reporter for Myrtle Beach Online

Antle declined to interview for that particular article. However, the article states that Antle has rebutted to similar past claims by saying he “donates a lot of money personally to organizations, and it doesn’t have to go through the nonprofit. ‘It’s my money and I take my money, by the millions and millions of dollars, over decades of time and I help other wildlife organizations to flourish.'”

This is incredibly strange. Why does Antle have a nonprofit if he donates privately and prefers to do so? Private donors can donate to whatever charity they want to.

On the other hand, ethical nonprofits have a board of directors that helps the charity make these decisions of where the money goes. And any nonprofit money is not Antle’s money; it belongs to the nonprofit.

No Process for Conservationists and Scientists to Apply for Funds

It is very clear that Antle’s nonprofit does not follow the normal protocol for conservation funding.

I am not alone in thinking this. The Myrtle Beach Online article interviewed Dr. John Goodrich, chief scientist and tiger program director for Panthera . Like me, Goodrich had never heard of Antle or the RSF before the interview. He was also surprised not to see any process for researchers to apply to use the conservation funds for their projects.

Usually a nonprofit will open up applications for grants to fund specific types of research projects. They will call for proposals specific to a species, area of the world, or type of project. You can see an example here with grants offered by National Geographic’s nonprofit. There is often a deadline to submit.

After the deadline passes, a panel of experts reads through all of the proposals and scores them based on factors like conservation urgency, importance, the credentials of the applicant, and how scientifically robust the project is. The proposals with the highest scores are awarded the funding.

When I write proposals for conservation grants, I have to detail exactly how I plan to spend the money and what the expected outcomes are. If I was awarded the money, I need to keep detailed information on exactly how I spent the money and submit this information to our grants department.

Grassroots Wildlife Conservation Projects

It does look like Antle has funded some conservation and monitoring projects in Africa, Asia, and South America. However, because there is no peer-review process or even application, it’s difficult to evaluate if the projects are conducted in a way in which meaningful data are collected and/or outcomes are produced.

For example, Antle includes his own Myrtle Beach Safari, a private zoo under North American conservation projects . He also lists Jungle Island , another for-profit zoo in Florida. Donations to for profit businesses are not grassroots conservation projects.

He does have many other conservation organizations listed, but judging by the reports and photos (or lack thereof), it seems that the only active ones are on camera trap research and anti-poaching patrols. These are both important in conservation research and monitoring.

He seems to mostly donate to Conservation Through Public Health in Uganda, which does seem like a legit non-profit. I met one of scientists who is now on their Scientific Advisory Committee when I started my Ph.D.

Despite this, I think it is really strange that I have never heard of his organization because I specifically work in camera trap research . In fact, as part of Wildlife Insights , I have literally been traveling the world for the past few years (Toronto, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur) reaching out to camera trap researchers to get them on board with Wildlife Insights. In our biweekly meetings, we constantly discuss all of the major camera trap researchers and organizations. If RSF was making significant contributions to camera trap research, we would hear about it.

Genetically Representative Viable Populations of Captive Wildlife?

Now, let’s talk about Antle’s last conservation claim: maintaining genetically representative viable populations of captive wildlife. This one is easy to address. It is misleading because it is completely unnecessary.

AZA-accredited zoos already maintain genetically viable captive populations for every species in a zoo. There is no need for extra tigers outside of the AZA as they breed well in captivity. Antle is producing more tigers for cages . As Antle cannot house an unlimited supply of baby tigers, they are likely sold to roadside zoos or private individuals who cannot property care for tigers, and will eventually end up in a sanctuary .

This article written by a big cat scientist explains how private zoos do not maintain genetic diversity according to the described subspecies.

Antle breeds a lot of animals that are completely useless for conservation and do not even exist in the wild such as hybrids like ligers and tigons. He also seems to breed according to color and aesthetics and not subspecies. The latter is important for conservation, while the former has no conservation purpose.

Because hybrid felines like ligers and tigons don’t exist in the wild, they have no conservation value—and they often suffer from health problems. #WildlifeConservationDay pic.twitter.com/qwdPP8ifsw — National Geographic (@NatGeo) December 4, 2019

Education at Myrtle Beach Safari

It’s hard to evaluate the educational value of Myrtle Beach Safari without going there myself, but from what I’ve seen, it offers little to no educational value.

First I’ll start with the website. There is really no educational information about the animals and there is even incorrect information. For example, no matter what animal you click on, the taxonomic classification information below applies to chimpanzees. This information is even incorrect. The scientific name for chimpanzee is genus Pan and species troglodytes , but the website says the genus is Panthera , which is the genus for big cats.

Again, if you compare Myrtle Beach Safari’s website to the North Carolina Zoo ‘s, you will see dozens of animals on the NC zoo website. Each animal has a link to its own page with facts about the species.

Antle frequently shows wildlife in human clothes and on leashes. People probably leave with little knowledge about those animals in the wild. Unlike ethical zoos , they will not be able to see the type of habitat the animal lives in, the social groupings they have, or interesting behaviors.

Myrtle Beach Safari has a YouTube channel, which offers very limited educational information, and again, even false information.

Most of this video is just footage of Bubbles the elephant in the river, but Antle does provide some elephant facts. He says the average elephant is 37 years old. This statement doesn’t even make sense. The average age of elephants in in the wild are 37? Across all species and all populations? I am unaware of a study on this and since 96 elephants are estimated to be poached every day, this number would be constantly changing.

I think he is trying to say that the average life span of an elephant is 37 because before this he first says the oldest elephant ever to live was 88 years old. If this was the case, his statement is also incorrect. Elephants live to be in their 60s and 70s in the wild unless they are poached. Poaching is at an all time high currently and a conservation issue he could have mentioned.

Most of the other videos are things like “Chimps make chocolate chip cookies” and “chimps make smoothies.” There is literally no educational value at all. Some videos just have music in the background.

This also spreads misinformation about wildlife because of the way the animals are shown. These videos make chimps seem like they are little humans or like domesticated pets. Chimpanzees are endangered, highly intelligent, and socially complex.

Animal Welfare at Myrtle Beach Safari

From watching the Netflix series, it appears that Myrtle Beach Safari takes good care of their animals. However, I suspect the animal welfare standards are similar to those at Joe Exotic’s Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park. I just think Doc Antle is better at hiding them.

The docuseries showed no footage of the facilities where the animals are housed. Across social media and TripAdvisor, all of the photos are of people holding the animals or engaging with them on the lawn or in the arena.

Where does Bubbles the elephant stay during the day? The big cats and chimps? This is extremely suspicious (and unlike Big Cat Rescue , which is very transparent about their cages ).

I could only find this photo below that looks like it is part of the tigers’ enclosures. It is a strange photo though. There are 10 tigers together and most are on one deck. It reminds me of the scenes in Tiger King where there are way too many tigers in a single cage and they are all running around in the mud.

It looks like all of the animals at Myrtle Beach Safari are tamed by humans. Hand-rearing wild animals in my opinion is a form of animal abuse. The animals are taken away from their mothers immediately after birth. These zoos break the strong bond that tiger and other mammal moms develop with their young. In the wild, tigers stay with mothers for 2-3 years. Female African savanna elephants stay with their moms their entire lives.

Taming animals for petting is also cruel because the animals do not have a choice in interacting with the public. At AZA and other ethical zoos, animals can hide from the public if they want to. At Myrtle Beach Safari, animals are quite literally dragged out on a stage to interact with humans.

It looks as though some of the animals have to perform tricks. For example, Bubbles the elephant poses in photos. Elephants, especially Bubbles’ species, the African savanna elephant, cannot perform tricks without abuse. It is part of the training process.

In response to an elephant riding post I wrote that included this process, an animal trainer told me that I was wrong about and that trainers no longer do this. I asked them to explain to me how to train an elephant and that I was genuinely curious. They only said it was about the “bond” and would not provide any more details despite me asking numerous times.

Every scene that Doc is riding Bubbles, he has a cane. I never saw him use the cane for walking or anything else. I believe this cane is a substitute for a bullhook to keep Bubbles under control.

Bubbles appears to be the sole elephant at Myrtle Beach Safari. I studied elephants for my Ph.D. research . This in itself is cruel, especially for females. Elephants are highly social animals and females are the more social sex.

Antle claims Bubbles is an orphan from poaching. This may be true, but Bubbles may have also been purchased after legal cullings of elephants took place in South Africa. Despite this, living a life in isolation from other elephants is really quite cruel. In areas of Africa that are highly poached, unrelated elephants will form their own groups as opposed to being alone. Many zoos no longer practice keeping solitary elephants and will even send their elephants to other zoos for the animals’ welfare.

Finally, there is the question of what Doc does with his cubs. In the Netflix series, when the director asked one of his former employees what happened to her favorite tiger, she insinuated it was an unwritten rule not to ask where the tigers went.

Joe Exotic outright accused Antle of gassing cubs and cremating them. Antle denies euthanizing his animals, but never addresses where they go. He advertises cub petting year round, meaning that somewhere between 12-84 new cubs are born each year just at his facility.

Finally, it really bothers me that some of his tigers are so fat. Just like it is for humans, obesity in animals is a major health problem.

In conclusion, it does look like Doc Antle donates some money to the conservation of animals in the wild through camera trap research and anti-poaching patrols. However, it is not nearly as much as he claims, and it is unclear how successful these projects are. Myrtle Beach Safari offers little to no educational messages to the public.

Most importantly, I do not think the ends justifies the means. Cub petting is cruel for the reasons mentioned above. As a conservation biologist, I would never spend my money supporting abuse in captive animals for the protection of wild animals.

Check out my podcast episode on animals in captivity for more talk about Tiger King.

Update: Antle Arrested

In October 2020, Antle was “ arrested and charged with one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to wildlife traffic, four misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act, and nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, officials said.”

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PETA Statement: ‘Doc’ Antle Hit With New Felony Counts of Wildlife Trafficking

Update (June 16, 2022): Tiger King villain and Myrtle Beach Safari operator Bhagavan “Doc” Antle has been charged with two felony counts of wildlife trafficking under Virginia law. Antle, who is already facing felony wildlife-trafficking and cruelty-to-animals charges related to trafficking lion cubs from the now-defunct Wilson’s Wild Animal Park, also has a detention hearing this afternoon related to his pending federal charges for money laundering.

Since this wildlife exploiter couldn’t put himself in the animals’ place, he ought to end up where he put them: behind bars. As felony charges mount, PETA is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop granting Antle special treatment and shut down the wildlife-handling events that have been at the root of his alleged crimes, caused egregious suffering to animals, and lined his sleazy pockets. —Brittany Peet, PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement

Update (June 3, 2022): The FBI has reportedly just arrested Tiger King villain and Myrtle Beach Safari operator Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, whose initial hearing is reportedly set for Monday. It’s fitting that “Doc” Antle is behind bars after years of locking up the endangered animals he uses in tawdry photo ops. His legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on his apparent “charity” scam , and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs can’t come soon enough.

Originally posted December 15, 2021:

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle  operates Myrtle Beach Safari (aka “T.I.G.E.R.S.”), a South Carolina roadside zoo where baby exotic animals are torn away from their mothers so that they can be passed around for highly profitable public encounters, routinely treated as props for publicity stunts, and exploited for “likes” on social media. A decades-long PETA target, Antle is a key player in the big-cat cub-petting industry, an  alleged wildlife trafficker , and the titular villain featured in Netflix’s  Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story .

With a  long history  of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), Antle has been cited for endangering the public and failing to provide animals with needed veterinary care, sufficient cage space, and clean water. Infamous big-cat exploiter Joseph Maldonado-Passage (aka “Joe Exotic”) has claimed that Antle puts tiger cubs who have become too old for playtime events into a gas chamber to kill them and then cremates their bodies on site.

For decades, Doc Antle has rivaled P.T. Barnum in exploiting the defenseless for his own financial gain.

Antle often misleads visitors to his operation into believing that they’re helping to fund conservation efforts. Using that as an excuse for the high price point of the dangerous hands-on encounters that he offers, he allows members of the public, including his “VIP” guests, to swim with tigers, pose with an elephant, or hold a baby chimpanzee. But remember: No true animal sanctuary or legitimate conservation organization exploits endangered animals in cruel public encounters, nor would doing so conserve these animals’ counterparts in their natural habitats.

Since he got into the animal-exploiting business nearly 40 years ago, Doc Antle has used wild animals for TV productions.

He brags that he’s taken animals onto late-night talk shows and that he exhibited animals during a live performance on an MTV awards show. These were undoubtedly loud, frightening situations for the animals to endure, and they surely experienced stress and suffering. Now that no chimpanzees are used in Hollywood—thanks in part to overwhelming public opposition to their exploitation—Antle settles for parading chimpanzees around on social media .

Since early on in his career, he’s been cited for various animal welfare violations .

He’s also been called out by authorities for the following:

• Bubbles, an African elephant who was imported from Zimbabwe and is now being exhibited by the notorious  Antle , is one of the loneliest elephants in the U.S. Exploited for TV spots, Bubbles hasn’t had contact with another elephant for 31 years.
• During an event held at a Tennessee high school on October 6, 1990, Antle allowed several people to pose with a tiger. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued charging him with allowing direct contact between dangerous animals and the public. A news article at the time stated that he had been the subject of investigations by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and “had been targeted with several lawsuits.”
• A lion he was using in a photo shoot in New Hampshire on October 9, 1991, attacked a model. The animal grabbed her by the head, causing injuries requiring more than 50 stitches. Throughout the investigation, Antle gave authorities the run-around.
• During an inspection at a Renaissance fair in Massachusetts on October 11, 1991, Antle admitted that punching wild cats was a method that he used “when an animal misbehaves.” Ultimately, he was issued a violation for having an expired permit, fined $50, and ordered to leave the state.
• The USDA assessed him a civil penalty of $3,500 on October 22, 1991, to address a number of violations of the AWA. Six months later, the agency followed up demanding payment of the penalty because his check had bounced.
• On February 27, 1992, a USDA investigative report detailed alleged violations of U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulations by Antle’s interstate movement of tiger cubs not accompanied by health certificates. The inspector stated, “This investigation has taken a long period of time to assemble the information submitted. This in part was due to Antle presenting false and misleading information as to the location of the tiger in question.”
• Antle was assessed a $1,000 civil penalty on November 12, 1993, for failing to conduct a required official test and failing to have a certificate containing the required information for the interstate transport of bison from Florida to Tennessee.
• Antle was indicted in October 2020 and charged with one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to traffic in wildlife, and 13 misdemeanor charges, including cruelty to animals, in Virginia. His charges stem from his alleged involvement in trafficking in lions with the owner of the now-defunct Wilson’s Wild Animal Park, Keith Wilson, who faces similar charges. Virginia officials seized more than 100 animals from the roadside zoo after PETA filed complaints with the state.

The USDA told Antle in 2005 that his public photo ops with adult big cats violated the AWA, but it has repeatedly let him get away with these dangerous encounters since then. PETA is calling on the agency to stop standing by and letting him endanger vulnerable tigers.

Doc Antle has no qualms about tearing babies away from their mothers.

He regularly churns out big-cat cubs for use in public encounters. But where do these baby tigers go when they outgrow their profitability? Antle keeps some on his property to be used as breeders. He uses others in a theatrical display during public tours. And he ships some tigers off to exploitative exhibitors:

• On July 17, 2019, Antle shipped two 8-month-old tigers to Ryan Easley, a circus trainer who had been caught whipping tigers, including one who was reportedly struck 31 times.
• On April 1, 2019, Antle sold two 8-month-old tigers to Jay Owenhouse , a magician who exploits tigers in a traveling act.
• On November 6, 2008, the USDA cited exhibitor Mario Tabraue for knowingly creating fraudulent documentation and presenting false information to a USDA official regarding the acquisition and transfer of two tiger cubs he had acquired from Antle.
• Between October and December 2006, Antle sent 12-week-old tigers to Big Cats of Serenity Springs , a now-defunct roadside zoo in Colorado.
• In July 2006, he sent seven tigers overseas to Thailand’s Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, which uses the animals for “tiger selfie” photo ops. In January 2021, he claimed that the facility was “beautiful” during an interview with National Geographic, also calling the reporter “Al-Qaeda to the max” when she informed him that investigators had found many animal welfare concerns, including that handlers carried wooden rods with them as they forced wailing and distressed tigers to pose for tourists’ photos while chained to the concrete floor by their necks.

Where do cubs end up when #TigerKing ’s Doc Antle is done with them? Even a former Myrtle Beach Safari “apprentice” didn’t know, but PETA found out these tigers were dumped with an abuser that’s just as bad. https://t.co/Wi6OFetdnt pic.twitter.com/TdxAvmESdF — PETA (@peta) April 2, 2020

Antle also has a history of acquiring big cats from shady exhibitors across the country:

• May 29, 2018—A paper shown in the first season of Tiger King notes that “Joe Exotic” sent three 5-week-old tigers and a 4-week-old liliger to Antle. Dillon Passage, “Joe Exotic’s” ex-husband, swiped the document from the producer in an apparent effort to hide the information.
• July 18, 2016—Tanganyika Wildlife Park, a roadside zoo in Kansas, shipped three 2-week-old tiger cubs and a 3-week-old clouded leopard to Antle.
• May 21, 2016—Tiger Safari, a roadside zoo in Oklahoma, shipped three tiger cubs who were just 8 hours old to him.
• April 14, 2015—Natural Bridge Zoo, a roadside zoo in Virginia, shipped four tiger cubs who were only a week old to him.
• April 13, 2015—Tiger Safari shipped three tiger cubs who were only a day old to him.
• September 16, 2014—Tiger Safari shipped two 5-day-old tiger cubs to him.
• June 14, 2014—Wild Animal Safari, a roadside zoo in Missouri, shipped three 5-day-old tiger cubs to him.

Doc Antle is president of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, Preservation Station, Inc. (doing business as the Rare Species Fund), which claims to fund international, on-the-ground wildlife conservation and promote conservation education via “animal ambassadors.”

On its federal tax returns, the Rare Species Fund reports that most of its expenses—more than two-thirds on average—go toward direct animal care, not international conservation work. However, the animals receiving this care appear to be those who reside at Antle’s for-profit roadside zoo, Myrtle Beach Safari.

The Rare Species Fund claims the roadside zoo as one of its “conservation projects” and identifies its “animal ambassadors” as the same animals Antle exploits for his own financial gain.

Antle thus appears to be using the Rare Species Fund’s income to offset the costs of his own for-profit business activities, in violation of the nonprofit’s tax-exempt status. He also appears to have made numerous material misrepresentations on the nonprofit’s tax returns in order to hide its connections to his roadside zoo and evade paying taxes.

In addition to these violations of the federal Internal Revenue Code, Antle appears to be violating charitable solicitation laws in Florida and South Carolina by soliciting donations from the public for the primary purpose of international wildlife conservation, then using the proceeds of those solicitations to pay for the direct care of animals at Myrtle Beach Safari, a for-profit roadside zoo with zero conservation value.

Take Action for Tigers and Other Animals

Please urge Myrtle Beach Safari to end its cruel public encounters and send the animals to reputable facilities where they could live in peace and get the care that they deserve. It only takes a minute using your phone or computer, so what are you waiting for?

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“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? ”

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind

Text CRAZY to 73822 to take action for chimpanzees suffering in human homes & roadside zoos! Then watch Chimp Crazy, HBO’s new docuseries to learn more.

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Change of plea hearing scheduled in Myrtle Beach Safari owner’s federal case

M YRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – The Myrtle Beach Safari owner who gained fame from the Netflix series, Tiger King , may change his plea in his federal case.

A federal court docket shows a “change of plea hearing” has been set at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 6 for Doc Antle at the federal courthouse in Charleston.

Authorities arrested Antle in June 2022 on money laundering charges.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Myrtle Beach Safari owner highlighted in ‘Tiger King’ accused of laundering over $500K
• Myrtle Beach Safari owner featured in ‘Tiger King’ pleads not guilty in federal wildlife trafficking case
• Myrtle Beach Safari owner avoids prison time in Virginia wildlife trafficking case

He and his business associate, Andrew Sawyer, are accused of laundering over $500,000 in cash that they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border.

He was later charged in a federal wildlife trafficking case, where he’s accused of illegally trafficking animals such as lemurs, cheetahs and a chimpanzee.

Antle has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against him.

In a separate case out of Virginia, Antle was found guilty of two counts of wildlife trafficking and two counts of conspiring to wildlife traffic.

A judge sentenced him in October to a two-year suspended sentence, five years of probation and a $10,000 fine. He is also banned for five years from working with, owning, buying, selling or trading exotic animals.

WMBF News will bring you updates on the hearing that’s set for Monday in federal court.

‘Tiger King’ star Doc Antle to face federal money laundering charges

“Tiger King” star Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was arrested by the FBI and expected to appear in court Monday to face federal money laundering charges, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Federal agents arrested the controversial wild animal trainer Friday, and he has been in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway, South Carolina throughout the weekend.

Antle, the owner of the Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, is featured prominently in “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a 2020 Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders and private zoo operators in the U.S. The series focused heavily on Oklahoma zoo operator Joe Exotic, who also was targeted for animal mistreatment and was convicted in a plot to kill a rival, Carole Baskin.

The charges against Antle, 62, were expected to be formally announced during a court proceeding Monday afternoon in Florence, South Carolina. The charges relate to allegations of money laundering, a person familiar with the matter told the AP on Saturday. The person could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

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 legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on his apparent ‘charity’ scam, and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs can’t come soon enough,” said Debbie Metzler, associate director of PETA’s Captive Animal Law Enforcement division, in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, Antle is facing two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife trafficking charges, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges tied to trafficking lion cubs. Those charges are scheduled to go to trial next month.

Antle has a history of recorded violations, going as far back as 1989, when he was fined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for abandoning deer and peacocks at his zoo in Virginia. Over the years, he has more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals.

The Associated Press

Touching Tigers: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Safari Experience in South Carolina (As Seen on Tiger King)

There are certain experiences that are so bucket list worthy they’re virtually life changing. Interacting with exotic animals is one of those things. While you may think you need to go to Thailand to meet elephants or Africa to experience lions in the wild, in fact, you just need to go to South Carolina to find a protected tiger reserve.

Myrtle Beach Safari (Doc Antle’s place from Netflix’s cult phenomenon Tiger King) is a completely unique animal experience where you get to interact with some of the rarest species on earth. Home to 100+ creatures (most of which are big cats), you can cuddle baby tigers, hug wolf cubs, watch tigers swim, play ball with monkeys, feed an elephant, see a falconry demonstration, and even meet a 900 lb. liger (Napoleon Dynamite was right, they do exist. And just further proof you can’t help who you fall in love with).

The animal ambassadors at Myrtle Beach Safari are virtual celebrities. They make regular appearances on the Late Show and have starred in big-name blockbusters like Ace Ventura , Dr. Doolittle (fun fact: Eddie Murphy is scared of animals), and a number of commercials. If you’ve seen any sort of animal on the silver screen, it’s very likely it came from Myrtle Beach Safari. The trainers have produced shows with National Geographic, Animal Planet, and all the major networks to showcase these majestic creatures in all their glory, which certainly lends itself to their credibility as premier animal experts.

What is the Animal Tour at Myrtle Beach Safari Like?

You’re ushered into an immaculate safari lodge that looks just like you stepped into Africa. There are video screens highlighting the team’s conservation efforts and shows the animals have been featured on. You’re given Cuban coffee and the ground rules are explained. The liger appears through the glass window, signaling the start of the adventure. For almost five hours, you’re paraded around the compound in your photo group to different habitats in what I can only describe as part animal show (with some truly terrible puns), part animal meet and greet.

You’re brought up to the giant liger who wows with his massive size. A cheetah and a few other predators are brought out to marvel at. Everyone is sat in a circle as baby tigers crawl across your lap. The wolf cubs and bigger pack animals are paraded around. Then it’s off to the races to watch as the big cats show off their grace and run speed. A falconry demo takes place. You take turns feeding Bubbles the elephant and watching her indulge in candy and Kool-Aid. Monkeys hit beach balls back and forth and finger paint t-shirts (a cool, completely unexpected souvenir). Tigers swim with the trainers in an elaborate glass aquarium.

It’s a well orchestrated production, with plenty of snack breaks and photographers following you around to snap every possible interaction. The animals are kept on leashes under the watchful eye of trainers equipped with toys, snacks, and bottles of milk they hand feed.

Is Myrtle Beach Safari Worth the Price?

According to reviews, most people would say it is absolutely worth the price. It’s not cheap (tours start at $299), but it is definitely one of those experiences you’ll remember forever (and certainly more affordable than flying to Africa). Is it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Absolutely. Could I look at baby animals all day, every day? Of course.

Were there were things I didn’t like? Yes. Not being able to bring in cell phones or personal cameras for one, and the strict clothing guidelines, both supposedly for safety reasons.

It is also very methodical, you line up, see each animal, take a picture, and they’re onto the next person. There’s not a lot of opportunity for genuine engagement or freedom to roam, also presumably for safety reasons (I have other theories). Because of that, it isn’t a very personal experience (more one-on-one time with the animals starts at $5,000) so make sure you know what you’re signing up for.

Is Myrtle Beach Safari Ethical?

People will always have issues with animals being kept in captivity just like they have contention for animals being kept in a zoo. Thinking about animals being locked up is just icky, no matter how nice the facility appears. As the staff explained, this is a captive breeding facility more than anything else. A lot of these species can’t survive in the wild anymore and they truly believe they’re doing important conservation work. Whether you believe that’s true is up to you to decide.

There’s no doubt that everyone here is passionate about animal conservation. The trainers live and breathe with the animals 24/7 in order to develop that close, familial bond. They sleep together and grow up around one another. Of course, they all wish these animals could survive on their own in the wild, but it’s just unrealistic with human poachers and other environmental factors causing extinction. We’re at the tipping point of some of these species being wiped out forever so whatever you think about the ethics of what they’re doing, they’re ensuring these species exist for future generations. Is it playing god? Maybe, but so are the horrible humans who do the killing for completely selfish reasons.

Are animals like this meant to be cuddled and fawned over for photos? Of course not, but how could you resist that face? These animals, in particular, were raised by humans and this is what they know. From what I saw, they were so distracted with food and toys they barely noticed there were even people around. It’s their norm, and they didn’t appear to be any worse off because of it. That said; people have strong opinions about animal experiences. If you’re thinking about participating in any form of animal tourism, do your homework and decide for yourself whether you believe is right.

Special thanks to Visit Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach Safari for providing this experience. All photos belong to Myrtle Beach Safari. All opinions are my own.

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Myrtle Beach animal exhibit under federal investigation

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Myrtle Beach Safari is involved in a federal investigation.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has conducted 23 inspections at the facility since April 2013. That's more than three times the number of inspections at any other Horry County facility.

A USDA spokeswoman told WMBF News APHIS typically visits a facility once a year.

Businesses are visited more often if there is repeat noncompliance, or if complaints are filed.

The agency said it has 130 inspectors for about 10,000 facilities across the country. It largely relies on people who visit the facilities to point out any issues.

The most recently filed USDA report is currently under appeal. It spells out concerns of a recurring problem of ringworm.

According to the report, two tiger cubs were moved from a facility in Florida to Myrtle Beach in February 2016. The cubs had ringworm-like lesions on their paws. Treatment worked, but it was not a treatment the attending veterinarian signed off on.

Myrtle Beach Safari was given three weeks to update a written treatment plan. It was supposed to include environmental measures to take and public safety issues to address.

In a phone call, the facility's director, Bhagavan Antle, refused to turn over that plan or acknowledge a plan exists.

PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is concerned infected tigers are coming into contact with people.

Antle said that isn't happening. He gave a written statement saying animals treated for an illness do not interact with the public.

The statement also reads, "We have strong objection to many of the statements made in that report."

Antle called its release a violation of procedure because of the appeal underway.

However, WMBF News found the USDA investigation started months before the report of possible ringworm.

It was launched in November 2015.

Antle first denied knowing anything about an investigation during a phone call. The USDA said it informs facilities when any investigation is launched.

In a follow-up email, Antle called the investigation, "part of an investigation into a different facility."

He went on to say, "It is my understanding that they have visited a number of facilities as part of that particular investigation," Antle said. "No info was given to us other than that."

The USDA simply stated, "We currently have an open investigation into T.I.G.E.R.S."

It said it cannot release more information until the investigation is over.

The same month the investigation started, PETA and the Humane Society filed complaints against the facility.

PETA raised concerns over Antle's request to move 18 tigers to Mexico. The Fish and Wildlife Service has yet to grant or deny that request.

"Animals are routinely transported," Antle said in his email to WMBF News. "There are literally hundreds of permits issued every year by USFWS for animal transport."

The Humane Society's issue is a dead tiger.

The tiger, named Sarabi, passed away at a facility in Oklahoma, according to a USDA report filed in October 2015.

According to the Humane Society, it was Antle who sold the tiger to that zoo a year earlier.

WMBF News cannot confirm that transfer, but through this investigation, it was learned the Oklahoma zoo is also under a USDA investigation.

The agency said an investigation can be launched by an inspector. It can also come from tips from organizations like PETA and the Humane Society.

A regional office reviews material and then sends the investigation request to the agency's investigative and enforcement services section.

Read the full inspection report below:

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Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, Pleads Guilty to Federal Wildlife Trafficking and Money Laundering Charges

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, 63, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and a conspiracy to launder money.

Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve that offers tours and private encounters with exotic wildlife. Antle is also the Director of the Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit organization registered in South Carolina.

The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants, including animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. Antle conspired to violate the Lacey Act between September 2018 and May 2020 by directing the sale or purchase of two cheetah cubs, two lion cubs, two tigers and one juvenile chimpanzee – all of which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Antle used bulk cash payments to hide the transactions and falsified paperwork to show non-commercial transfers entirely within one state. Antle also requested that payments for endangered species be made to his nonprofit so they could appear as “donations.”

The investigation also uncovered evidence of money laundering between February and April 2022, when Antle and a coconspirator conducted financial transactions with cash they believed was obtained from transporting and harboring illegal aliens. To conceal and disguise the nature of the illegal cash, Antle and his coconspirator would take the cash they received and deposit it into bank accounts they controlled. They would then write a check to the individual that had provided the cash after taking a 15% fee per transaction.

“The defendant held himself out as a conservationist, yet repeatedly violated laws protecting endangered animals and then tried to cover up those violations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to combatting illegal trafficking, which threatens the survival of endangered animals.”

“The defendant’s guilty plea is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in combating illegal financial activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to upholding the integrity of our financial systems and ensuring justice is served.”

“Wildlife crime is often connected with other criminal activity, including money-laundering," said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “This investigation revealed a pattern of illicit wildlife transactions orchestrated by the defendant under the guise of donations and false paperwork. The Service and our partners will continue to hold accountable those involved in wildlife trafficking and other related crimes to ensure the future of all federally protected species. The Service will continue to bring to justice individuals who profit from the illegal trafficking of big cats and endangered species.”  

“This plea is the product of exemplary collaboration between our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “I commend our team for their work on this case who worked countless hours to unravel Antle’s sophisticated web of financial crimes and interstate wildlife trafficking. Our office remains committed to protecting endangered animals from those who would exploit them for profit.”

For each count, Antle faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Joseph Dawson III for the District of South Carolina accepted Antle’s guilty plea. He will sentence Antle after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

The FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.

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Yet another star of Netflix’s ‘Tiger King’ is convicted of wildlife trafficking

A wild animal trainer featured in the popular Netflix series “Tiger King” has been convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia, the attorney general’s office announced Tuesday.

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Virginia, for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo, Attorney General Jason Miyares said  in a news release . A jury convicted Antle on Friday of two felony counts each of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic.

Antle, who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders.

The jury acquitted Antle of five counts of animal cruelty and Judge Alexander Iden dismissed four additional animal cruelty charges against Antle and all charges against his two adult daughters,  The Winchester Star reported .

Prosecutor Michelle Welch said Myrtle Beach Safari’s lucrative petting zoo motivated Antle to maintain a steady supply of immature lion cubs that he purchased from Wilson’s Wild Animal Park near Winchester, calling the arrangement a “cub pipeline” from Virginia to South Carolina.

When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park’s former owner, began doing business in 2015, it was still legal to buy and sell lions, Welch said. But after lions were designated as an endangered species in December 2015, lions could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves that were part of an established breeding program and had permits. There were three illegal cub exchanges in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Welch said.

Antle was  indicted in 2020  on several offenses including felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy. In August 2019, 119 animals — including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats and water buffalo — were seized from Wilson’s roadside zoo after a judge found that Wilson “cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived” the animals of adequate care.

Wilson testified that Antle paid him in advance under the guise of a donation. He said Antle paid $2,500 to $3,000 per cub with the exception of the 2017 transaction when Antle traded three lynx kittens for three lion cubs.

Wilson is charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and 10 felony counts of selling an endangered species and a hearing in his case is scheduled for Friday.

Defense attorney Erin Harrigan called Antle’s prosecution politically motivated in response to a growing public outcry against wild animals being exploited for entertainment purposes.

“This has been an agenda in search of a crime from the beginning of the investigation,” Harrigan said.

Harrigan maintained that the cubs were gifts and Antle sent Wilson donations for an expanded tiger habitat.

“These were not sales,” Harrigan said.

Iden allowed Antle, who faces up to 20 years in prison, to remain free on bond pending sentencing on Sept. 14.

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