“Joe Exotic’s Tiger King park closed forever”

The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, featured in the Netflix docuseries, “Tiger King,” is now closed forever and the last of the animals formerly owned by Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, have been rescued and rehomed to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.

Working with Big Cat Rescue and the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office, staff members of The Wild Animal Sanctuary earlier this week moved eleven wolves, three tigers a grizzly bear and a black bear to their 10,000-acre Refuge located in southeast Colorado.

The rescue of these last animals and the closure of the animal park are the end result of a years-long legal battle between Carole Baskin, the president of Big Cat Rescue, Joe Exotic and his former business partner, Jeff Lowe, who assumed control of the park upon Joe Exotic’s imprisonment. Baskin was awarded the park and property by a court order in May.

All of the animals are currently being medically evaluated as well as beginning the process of rehabilitation that will lead to their being released into large-acreage, natural habitats at the Refuge in the coming weeks.

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