‘Tiger King’ Zoo Is Closing Permanently and Social Media Has Thoughts

Months after it first made its Netflix debut, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is back in the spotlight after news broke Wednesday that the zoo at the center of the docuseries is being shutdown. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suspended Jeff Lowe’s federal Animal Welfare Act exhibitor’s license and ordered that the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, previously owned by Joe Exotic, be shut down immediately and permanently.

The zoo’s closure comes after an investigation that found Lowe had been keeping animals in poor and unsanitary living conditions and withheld veterinary care. The investigation was prompted in June after PETA released photos and a video of the conditions animals at the park were living in, with images showing big cats with wounds to the ears and other areas of the body and one lion with its ears covered in flies.

According to Lowe, who came into ownership of the 16.4-acre property after Exotic accepted an offer from him, the USDA’s suspension of his license came “less than 24 hours after I contacted the USDA to voluntarily forfeit my license.” In a Facebook post, he said that the agency was suspending his license “for 21 days for a litany of falsehoods.” Wynwood Zoo, meanwhile, said that the animals who call the zoo home “are now in private hands and will remain in private hands.” According to KTUL ABC 8, the property will now be used exclusively as a private film set for Tiger King-related content.

News of the zoo’s closure immediately sparked discussions on social media, as well as plenty of memes. Following the release of Tiger King back in March, some viewers had expressed concerns over the animal’s well-being and are now happy to see action being taken. Keep scrolling to see how social media is reacting.

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