Doc Antle, born Mahamayavi Bhagavan Antle, is the South Carolina-based founder and director of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.), a wildlife preserve for exotic animals located in Myrtle Beach.
The 60-year-old was born with the Hindu name and told the Miami Herald how he bonded with the hundreds of animals on his family’s ranch. In an article with the Macon Chronicle-Herald, he told reporters that he obtained a Ph.D. in zoology from the British College of Natural Science that he got after high school.
Antle told the Herald how he raised his first tiger cub in 1982, after borrowing it for a presentation. That cub would go on to be featured in an Exxon commercial, kicking off a career with big cats that has lasted for decades. Antle has been prominently featured on the new Netflix series, The Tiger King.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He Runs a 50-Acre Wildlife Preserve
According to his Myrtle Beach Safari’s webpage, he founded T.I.G.E.R.S. in 1983 to promote “global conservation education through entertaining and interactive programs.” Those interested in visiting have the option to play with lion cubs, swim with an elephant and have other close encounters with exotic animals after for a fee.
There are nearly 200 animals on the preserve, which include a cheetah named Ramses; a 9,000-pound, 34-year-old African elephant named Bubbles; and 11-foot tall liger named Hercules. The site also features Siberian and Bengal tigers, chimpanzees, gibbons and African fish eagle.
He also founded the Rare Species Fund in 1983. His website states that he has several projects that the fund has supported in Uganda, Kenya, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Chile and other countries. The projects are described as being for the development and support of wildlife policies, research, education and conservation.
Countless celebrities have been photographed at the safari and/or with his animals, including football player Ndamugkong Suh, celebrity chef Bobby Flay and professional boxer Floyd Mayweather. His website states that despite the coronavirus pandemic, the safari is still open with limited availability for “small tours.” It had closed temporarily Apr. 1, but states that tours can be held as long as guests follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety guidelines. Tours start at $339 per person and options include “wild encounters,” “African Safari” and weddings.
2. He Was Featured on the Popular Netflix Documentary Series, ‘Tiger King‘
Doc Antle was featured in the show as one of the sources of inspiration and mentorship for Joe Exotic, the subject of the Netflix series Tiger King and the former operator of his own wildlife preserve. During the show, Antle was credited as one of the pioneers of providing interactive experiences with lions, tigers and other big cats. However, many questions were raised about Doc Antle’s private lifestyle and the way he operated his wildlife preserve.
One of his biggest critics featured in the film was a former trainer at his facility named Barbara Fisher, who said she worked there from 1999-2007.
https://twitter.com/BeeCrockfish/status/1254443888091283456
In an article she wrote for the Iowa Examiner, Fisher described a cult-like atmosphere where the female trainers competed for Antle’s attention, worked every day of the week from 8 a.m. to midnight and made the equivalent of $100 per week.
In an interview with Elle magazine, Fisher said, “I hope the takeaway from Tiger King is that this is an unregulated world where people can get away with anything they want to.”
In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, Antle disputed any claims of abuse, running a cult or underpaying the trainers. He admitted that he had multiple girlfriends who all knew each other, but denied having a “harem,” which was suggested in the series. Mirror reported that Antle sleeps with guns nearby due to the death threats he said he received after the show aired. In a Facebook post, he also said he was disappointed about how he was portrayed in the Netflix series.
During his operation of the preserve, South Carolina law enforcement served Antle with a warrant to take DNA swabs from his lions in Dec. of 2019, according to WMBF News, a local South Carolina TV station. Antle said it was animal rights, anti-zoo driven. TMZ reported that Antle is under federal investigation for his treatment of endangered species in their episode, “TMZ Investigates: Tiger King – What Really Went Down?”
There is also a petition circulating to “investigate Doc Antle for animal abuse.” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has . The article also mentioned movies featuring either Antle’s animals or his expertise as an animal handler, such as Dr. Doolittle, Jungle Book, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Wild America.
He was also Jack Hanna’s assistant at one point, and he can be seen bringing in a black panther out during The Tonight Show with David Letterman and working as the big cat’s handler. In 2001, he went on the Tonight Show and Jay Leno and he has appeared on television with his animals several times ever since, including on Howie Mandel’s show, Good Morning America and the Today Show.
Perhaps most famously, his tigers were used as part of Britney Spears’ Video Music Awards performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U.”
In a Rolling Stone video, Antle also discussed his animal’s performances in other music videos, such as Nas’ “Hate Me Now,” Janet Jackson’s “Together Again” and Ashanti’s “Rock Wit U.”
READ NEXT: Kelci Saffery: 911 Call & Updates from ‘Tiger King’ Attack
Comments
Doc Antle: Where the Tiger King Character Is Now