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Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness – About the Abuse, Use and Exploitation of Animals and Humans

by Jennie Richards · Published March 31, 2020 · Updated April 16, 2020

“If I can just fix one thing in this world, it’s saving the cats.”

At its philosophical core, this limited docuseries is about the contrast of two philosophies – one promoted by animal rights and animal welfare organizations that respect and seek to protect the inherent rights of wild animals, and do not condone or support any exploitation of these animals whatsoever for personal reasons or business profit. This is represented in the docuseries by an animal sanctuary in the film called Big Cat Rescue, located in Florida, that rescues big cats that have been exploited for years, providing them a permanent, safe, forever home that asks nothing of them.

The other side is represented by people and businesses that do seek to exploit and use animals for profit and money because it is lucrative for them, and because there are no federal laws on the books where they live against confining, owning and breeding these exotic wild animals. What the film does not show or portray particularly well, is the truth—that behind these businesses-for-profit and selfish personal obsessions that use and abuse wild animals—is misery, suffering, disrespect, and exploitation of every individual animal that has no voice, cannot stand up for itself, has no legal representation, and has no ability to transform its abusive circumstances.

The seven-part documentary maintains a cast of not only outrageous and outlandish characters, but eccentric people who reveal and embrace the darker instincts and shadow side of humanity, who are in many cases morally repugnant, mistreat majestic animals, prey on young vulnerable women and men, flagrantly abuse labor laws, and knowingly put innocent animals at risk every day. These people exploit both humanity and animals—alike. It’s as sordid as it can get.

The docuseries feels more like pure sensationalism, entertainment for entertainment’s sake, and the promotion of scandal than any intention it might have once had about speaking out against keeping big exotic animals as pets, and the lifetime of suffering it causes them. All done with the intention to net more viewers.

Take Action to Help Animals in Roadside Zoos

Run Time: 317 minutes, 7 episodes

Watch the Series

Available only on Netflix.

Why Keeping and Confining Wild and Exotic Animals is Cruel

Businesses like petting zoos, roadside zoos, animal safaris, wildlife safaris, wildlife shows, and standard zoos all use animals for entertainment, they all keep animals confined in unnatural settings or worse in cages, and all use and exploit wild animals for money and profit and for personal gain. These businesses and people who keep exotics as pets, cause these animals a lifetime of misery, stress, anxiety, and psychological and physical trauma.

The selfish and ignorant obsession to own a wild exotic animal reduces the wild animal to what they are not—a domestic pet or worse yet—an object of exploitation. People who own exotics restrict the animal’s natural instincts and behavior, and prohibit them from the natural life they are entitled to as a birthright—in the wild and in nature where they are meant to live. Instead, people who own exotics are disrespecting the species and their inherent rights as wild animals, it is called Speciesism, and instead are exploiting these animals for selfish purposes: for selfies and photo opportunities, for petting in petting zoos, for roadside entertainment, or for confinement in zoos in a restrictive environment. All driven by greed.

As pets, these exotics end up being kept in dark garages, or are hidden away in cages or dark buildings for the rest of their natural lives. Cubs are being euthanized after they are no longer being used for profit. In addition, many adults are bred in order to sell their offspring for profit, creating even more misery, anguish, suffering and exploitation.

Needed Federal Legislation

The Big Cat Safety Act – HR1380 & S2561. In 2019, it passed the House Natural Resources Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Currently, the department of the USDA regulates big cat exhibitors, but is notorious for its abysmal enforcement of laws across the U.S.

Some U.S. states have laws on the books that restrict or prohibit possessing wild and exotic animals. See the list of states that have restrictions and laws against possessing exotic animals. But state laws are not enough to stop the possession, confinement, breeding, and exploitation of exotic and wild animals—a federal law is desperately needed to make it a federal felony.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness – About the Abuse, Use and Exploitation of Animals and Humans — Tiger King

Quotes from the Series

“Big cats don’t belong in cages.”

“If I can just fix one thing in this world, it’s saving the cats.”
“There’s a war in America being fought for an enormous amount of money.”
“There are enough ignorant people who will take a tiger, then 5-6 months later they want to give them up, because they are too big.”
“We have a tiger crisis in this country.”
“In Gainesville, Florida, dangerous wild animals were set loose deliberately. They were unleashed on a town from a man who kept them in his backyard, and they were all shot to death by the police.”
“It’s a ticking time bomb.”
“The Endangered Species Act prohibits breeding, buying, selling and trading wild endangered animals.”
“This could be another Waco if you come on my property.” (Joe Exotic)