'Tiger King' Star Carole Baskin Says Drones Circle Her Home, Up to 30 People Linger at Big Cat Rescue Daily
Carole Baskin, the animal rights activist who appeared in Netflix's Tiger King, has revealed how drones circle her home daily since the documentary aired.
Speaking to the Tampa Bay Times in their first interview since the show debuted on March 20, Carole Baskin and her husband Howard Baskin detailed how the program has changed their lives.
Carole Baskin told the newspaper she has received death threats since the show's release, and is afraid to leave her home. Drones fly above her property, she said, and her doorbell surveillance camera footage shows up to 30 people gather outside her park every day, despite it being closed since last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The animal rights advocate said she can no longer ride her bike from her home to the sanctuary 30 minutes away, and has had to turn off her phone because she can't tell genuine calls from fake ones.
The Baskins claimed the makers of Tiger King approached them half a decade ago to appear in a documentary they believed was about animal cruelty.
Instead, Tiger King focuses on big cat owners in the U.S.
Baskin, the owner of the non-profit animal sanctuary Big Cat Rescue, is portrayed as the enemy of former Oklahoma zoo owner Joe Exotic.
"There's almost no way to describe the intensity of the feeling of betrayal," Howard Baskin told the Tampa Bay Times.
Carole Baskin said: "I just feel so angry that people have totally missed the point" adding: "And the point is these cubs are being abused and exploited and the public is enabling that."
She said: "I really hope what will come of this is that law enforcement will take this seriously.
"We've all been screaming at the top of our lungs for 20 years that this abuse was happening, and no one was listening."
Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, the producers of Tiger King could not be reached for comment by the Tampa Bay Times. Newsweek has contacted Netflix for comment.
Earlier this week, Netflix revealed it will release a new installment of the show entitled The Tiger King and I. Hosted by Community actor Joel McHale, the episode will feature new interviews with former employees of Joe Exotic, John Reinke, Saff, Erik Cowie, as well as his campaign manager Joshua Dial, his ex-husband John Finlay, reality TV producer Rick Kirkman, and his former business partners Jeff and Lauren Lowe.
It appears the Baskins and Joe Exotic, who is currently serving time for animal abuse charges and a failed murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin, are not involved with the newest episode.
