At least one person won’t be casting their vote for Carole Baskin during her stint on Dancing With the Stars Season 29, and it’s not her arch nemesis Joe Exotic. After making her debut with a cat-themed paso doble last week, fellow Tiger King subject Bhagavan “Doc” Antle is criticizing Baskin for joining the ABC dancing competition series.
In a clip for the upcoming WEIV docuseries Tiger Kingdom: More Than a King, which reportedly showcases the aftermath of the Netflix series, Antle blasted Baskin for what he views as neglecting the animals at her Big Cat Rescue in Florida in order to take the stage out in Los Angeles. He suggested that doing so casts major doubt on her commitment to the welfare of the animals in her care, as caring for wildlife is a full-time job that can’t be abandoned “for a few months on filming schedule.”
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“As much as I’d love to be Carole’s partner on Dancing With the Stars, I have real responsibilities, because I actually care for my wildlife and I interact with them and watch over their care daily, as everyone does that actually has a real preserve and watches over wildlife in the proper way and gives it the real care it needs,” Antle says in the clip, which was obtained by TMZ and can be viewed by clicking here. “Carole must have a hell of a lot of free time on her hands and must not really be watching over the care of those animals, because there’s not a chance I could go off for a few months on filming schedule. What would my beloved elephant be doing? Who would be watching over the tigers? How would my chimpanzee children possibly have the enriching opportunities of their life?”
According to TMZ, while Baskin vies for the Mirrorball trophy, the big cats calling her Florida reserve home are still being cared for. Her husband, Howard Baskin, is handling day-to-day operations alongside her daughter, Jamie. Sources told the outlet that Big Cat Rescue has also recruited 100 volunteers to help out.
Putting his distaste for Baskin’s commitment to wildlife aside, Antle told TMZ that he still wouldn’t vote for her, because, in his opinion, she is a “terrible dancer.” The judges may agree with that opinion, to some extent, as Baskin’s debut dance to Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” with pro dancing partner Pasha Pashkov only earned her an 11 out of a possible 30 points, marking the lowest score of the premiere. Thankfully, there was no elimination round during the first week, meaning Baskin has the chance to wow the judges again this week.
An all-new episode of Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates.
