‘Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’ has been a roaring success on Netflix, with it estimated that 34.3 million watched it in the first 10 days after it was released. The show focuses on Joe Exotic and his facility, GW Exotic Animal Park, in Oklahoma, US, which predominantly holds big cats. Throughout the programme his rival Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist who runs a sanctuary, was witnessed desperately trying to shut him down. She claimed that animal abuse went on at the park and was reported to have launched lawsuits totalling $2.5million (£2million) in a bid to end his operations. Joe, real name Joseph Maldonado Passage, was jailed for 22 years last year after he was found guilty of a failed murder for hire plot, animal cruelty, document forgery and other crimes. In the wake of the show’s popularity, many have looked into the conditions inside big cat facilities and debated whether they should be kept in captivity. One wildlife expert, who spoke to Express.co.uk, argued that they should not as they are not working towards conservation goals – as many parks claim – and are actually operating on a for-profit basis.
There is believed to be between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers being kept outside of registered zoos, in private ownership, in the US.
An exact figure is hard to find because owners are not forced to register big cats and equally there is no database either.
Of the total number of big cats in the US, fewer than 350 tigers are registered through The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which represent many zoos in the US and overseas.
As the public’s eye turns toward big cat ownership after the popular Netflix docu-series ‘Tiger King’ – Debbie Banks from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), reveals why many facilities appear to be focused on making profit.
She has been combating illegal activities involving big cats for more than two decades, and is a Wildlife Crime Campaign Leader with the EIA.
Ms Banks told Express.co.uk: “Breeding tigers in the US has zero conservation unless they are part of international stud books.
“It’s absolute nonsense, the tragedy is the number of people in the US who have been fooled by the idea that these facilities contribute to conservation.”
She explained many of the facilities claim to be serving the interests of increasing big cat numbers – but are actually worsening the problem.
This is highlighted by the amount of cubs they keep – which in instances like Joe Exotic’s operation were used to drive-up profits by allowing visitors petting and photo opportunities.
Ms Banks decried their actions as “unnecessary breeding” and “without purpose” as there are already ethical programmes in place to increase the big cat population.
Another reason the zoos are less than ideological, she claimed, was their choice to breed white tigers – as it can lead to many of the animals to be born blind, with mobility issues and other problems.
Great Big Lockdown Survey: Tell us what life’s like for you by answering THESE questions
In China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam a nefarious trade of products goes on to this day – where animals are trafficked, kept on big cat death row and then slaughtered to turn their bones into glue or to be boiled with wine.
The tiger bone products are seen as a sign of wealth for some and a virility aid for others – with traffickers claiming it can help men to embody the spirit of the almighty tiger.
Ms Banks told Express.co.uk: “There is no need [for big cat breeding], it is all about profit – whether that’s talking about China, Thailand, Vietnam or Laos or places in the US.
“Whether they are the tragically pumped-up tigers in Vietnam or the skinny ones malnourished or the big fat tigers of the US they are just tiger-shaped animals
“They possess none of the qualities of wild tigers and are just tiger-shaped animals, they are nothing like wild tigers at all.”