THACKERVILLE, Ok. — Dozens of big cats have been seized from the animal park in Oklahoma that’s operated by one of the stars of the Netflix show “Tiger King.”
Tiger King Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma, is run by Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe, NBC News reported.
The Justice Department took 68 lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrid cats and one jaguar.
Federal officials said the animals were removed due to Endangered Species Act violations.
The zoo had been inspected three times so far this year and the couple had been cited for not giving the animals proper veterinary care, shelter or nutrition, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Some cats removed from the property in January were underweight and had worms. Some had issues with their feet because they were kept in wet environments. Inspectors also said they found other animals that were underweight, and carcasses were left after feeding, covered with flies, NBC News reported.
A judge said they were in contempt of court for not meeting the standards of the Animal Welfare Act, The Associated Press reported.
The zoo did not have a specialized big cat veterinarian, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent stated.
The animals in the care of the Lowes had lived at a zoo run by Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka “Joe Exotic,” in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. They had been moved to Thackerville last year.
Maldonado-Passage is in prison serving 22 years after being found guilty of murder for hire.
The cats will be taken to “responsible animal preserves where they can be safely maintained rather than exploited,” the AP reported.
Jeffrey Lowe said, “We all know that this has nothing to do with the care of the animals. This is the direct result of Tiger King exposing the failures” of the U.S Department of Agriculture, NBC News reported.
Jeffrey Lowe didn’t explain exactly what the alleged failures were, but said it is in “damage control” and is “engaging in a smear campaign.”
The Lowes had agreed to relinquish the animals to settle a civil complaint earlier this month, NBC News reported.