'Tiger King' Fans Weigh in on Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle's Negative Reaction to Netflix Series

While the Netflix documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness mostly focuses on Joseph Maldonado-Passage, the series also touches on the bizarre world of big cat collectors. One of the supporting characters is Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, who runs Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, whose ties to Maldonado-Passage are brought up throughout the seven-episode show. The series has become a streaming phenomenon and Antle was not happy about it. Tiger King viewers were quick to share their thoughts on Antle's disapproval of the "sensationalized entertainment," as he called it.

"We are very disappointed that our facility was mentioned in the new Netflix series," Antle wrote in a now-deleted Isntagram post. "We can only assume it is because Doc Antle has been such a high profile wildlife personality for so many decades that his association would create more buzz. It is important to understand that this series is not a documentary; it's sensationalized entertainment with paid participants."

Antle went on to say the series was mostly about the "bizarre story" of Maldonado-Passage's rivalry with big cat conservationist Carole Baskin. Maldonado-Passage is now in jail after being convicted of hiring someone to kill Baskin.

"These characters are not representative of experts in the wildlife sector or world class facilities like ours here in Myrtle Beach," Antle wrote. "Myrtle Beach Safari has been recognized by the state of South Carolina as one of the pre-eminent wildlife facilities in the United States. We've also received international accolades for the critical role we provide with our qualified, captive breeding programs and our global conservation efforts of threatened and endangered species."

According to Antle, his zoo "adheres to all USDA guidelines" and the animals there are "treated with the utmost care."

"Over the decades we have heard every sort of fantasy scenario regarding our facility," Antle continued. "Many of these less-than-flattering mistruths have been manufactured by those in the animal rights movement that oppose animal ambassador programs of any sort. In the end, we hope you will come visit us and judge for yourself. Every visitor to our facility quickly recognizes the magical place we have created. We remain open during these challenging times with both Day and Night Safari options. Our tours are held outdoors and our 50 acre preserve provides plenty of area for social distance."

The post was accompanied by a picture of Antle's staff with a chimpanzee and included a link to his website. The post has since been deleted.

Here is how Tiger King viewers are debating Antle's response to the series.