Reviews Series / Tiger King

Episode 2: Hoo Boy

I think it was around this episode that it stated to hit me what the principal figures in this story were like.

Joe pay his employees starvation wages- I make more in one day at my own blue-collar job than they do in a week- that leaves them reliant on taking not-quite spoiled meat from the supply for the tigers to survive. One of his employees had his arm torn off and his response was the he was going to lose money on it.

Doc who already looked kind of nuts is basically running a sex cult with his female employees.

Carole relies on volunteers to run her zoo, overstates the quality of her facilities, and is suspecting to have murdered her second husband.

And all of them overcharge for their zoos.

In between those three we have another redneck zookeeper and the guy who inspired Tony Montana, who says he had almost nothing to do with those guys who murdered a DEA informant and hacked up his body on his property.

This feels like the true crime equivalent of an episode of Jerry Springer.

In conclusion, when we can leave our houses again, we should not go to zoos that abuse animals and are run by nutjobs , but go to wholesome facilities like botanic gardens*.