On Friday, a federal judge forced Jeff Lowe, his wife Lauren, and their business partner Eric Yano to surrender all big cat cubs that are a year-old and younger, as well as the cubs' mothers, for temporary placement at reputable facilities.
"TIGER KING" FAME...WE'RE ALSO LEARNING MORE ABOUTTHE CONDITIONS INVESTIGATORSSAY LOWE'S BIG CATS HAVE BEENLIVING IN.13 CHIEF INVESTIGATOR....DARCY SPEARS SHOWS...HOW THE CONTROVERSIAL FIGUREWITH LAS VEGAS CONNECTIONSMIGHT BE EFFECTIVELY OUT OFTHE BREEDING BUSINESS.ON FRIDAY, A FEDERAL JUDGEFORCED JEFF LOWE AND HISBUSINESS PARTNERS TO SURRENDERALL BIG CAT CUBS THAT ARE AYEAR-OLD AND YOUNGER, AS WELLAS THE CUBS' MOTHERS, FORTEMPORARY PLACEMENT ATREPUTABLE FACILITIES.THE COURT CLAIMS IT'S THE ONLYWAY TO PREVENT FURTHERSUFFERING AND DEATH.THEIR WELFARE COMES SECOND TOTHEIR ENTERTAINMENT VALUE.JEFF DIXON OF THE HUMANESOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATESHAS LONG CLAIMED THE ANIMALSYOU SEE IN THE NETFLIX DOCU-SERIES TIGER KING ARE VICTIMS!ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'REREPEATEDLY BRED SO THE CUBS CANBE USED AS MONEY- MAKERS.AS OF FRIDAY, A FEDERAL JUDGETOOK AWAY THE LOWES' ABILITY TODO THAT.THE FORCED ANIMAL SURRENDERCOMES AMID A PENDING FEDERALCASE OVER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OFTHE ENDANGERED SPECIES ANDANIMAL WELFARE ACTS.THE COURT HAS ALSO ORDERED THELOWES TO IMMEDIATELY STOPEXHIBITING ANIMALS WITHOUT ALICENSE, HIRE AN ATTENDINGVETERINARIAN, PROVIDE PROOF OFVETERINARY CARE, AND PROVIDERECORDS OF WHAT HAPPENED TOANIMALS MISSING SINCE JUNE2020.COURT RECORDS SAY 60 OF 200ANIMALS ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR.THE LOWES HAVE TRIED TO ARGUETHAT THEIR TIGERS, RING-TAILEDLEMURS, LIONS AND JAGUARS ARENOT PROTECTED BY THE ENDANGEREDSPECIES ACT BECAUSE THEY'REHYBRIDS.THE JUDGE ISN'T BUYING IT.USDA INSPECTORS HAVE DOCUMENTEDWHAT THEY CALL A "PATTERN ANDPRACTICE" OF ANIMALS NOTGETTING ADEQUATE FOOD ORVETERINARY CARE AND LIVING INUNSANITARY CONDITIONS LEADINGTO ILLNESS AND INJURY AT THELOWES ROADSIDE ZOO INWYNNEWOOD, OKLAHOMA.AS 13 INVESTIGATES FIRSTREPORTED, LOWE TRANSFERREDANIMALS FROM THAT ZOO TO LASVEGAS IN 2017.SEVERAL, INCLUDING A TIGER,LILIGER AND LEMUR, WERE SEIZEDBY LAS VEGAS ANIMAL CONTROL.LOWE SUBSEQUENTLY PLEADEDGUILTY IN THE CASE, WHICHINVOLVED ILLEGALLY USING CUBSFOR PRICEY PHOTO OPS IN LASVEGAS NEIGHBORHOODS.AFTER BEING KICKED OUT OF THEWYNNEWOOD ZOO THREE MONTHS AGO,THE LOWES MOVED TO A NEWLOCATION IN THACKERVILLE, OKWHERE THEY'RE BUILDING A NEWZOO.THE FEDS SAY JEFF AND LAURENLOWE AND A BUSINESS PARTNER AREUSING THAT UNLICENSED FACILITYTO EXHIBIT APPROXIMATELY 150PROTECTED ANIMALS TO THEPUBLIC.AND THAT THEY'RE DOING IT AMIDA CONTINUED PATTERN OF ANIMALWEFARE VIOLATIONS.COURT RECORDS REVEAL THE RECENTDEATHS OF TWO CUBS LESS THANONE WEEK APART.ANOTHER CUB HAD TO BEEUTHANIZED ON DEC.21.A USDA VETERINARIAN FOUND "THELOWES' FAILURE TO PROVIDE HERWITH PROPER NUTRITION ANDADEQUATE VETERINARY CARE CAUSEDTHIS ANIMAL TO SUFFER GREATLYBEFORE SHE HAD TO BE EUTHANIZEDAT THE AGE OF 10 MONTHS." SHE'DSUFFERED FROM SEVEREDEHYDRATION, MALNUTRITION ANDMULTIPLE BONE FRACTURES--SOMANY THAT SHE WAS NO LONGERABLE TO WALK.ANOTHER EXAMPLE DETAILS THESUFFERING OF A MOTHER TIGERBRED REPEATEDLY, RESULTING INMULTIPLE STILLBIRTHS FOR WHICHTHE LOWES ALLEGEDLY DID NOTSEEK VETERINARY CARE.IN JUNE, THE MOTHER TIGER HADTO HAVE EMERGENCY SURGERY AFTERHER LAST LITTER OF STILLBORNCUBS.SHE DIED TWO DAYS LATER DUE TOCOMPLICATIONS.MANY OTHER FAILURES OF CARE AREDETAILED IN COURT RECORDS,WHICH THE FEDS SAY CAUSEDMULTIPLE TIGERS TO SUFFER ANDDIE UNNECESSARILY.THE LOWES HAVE ARGUED THAT THEYARE NOT AN EXHIBITOR BECAUSETHE THACKERVILLE LOCATION ISSTILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION ANDNOT OPERATIONAL.AND THAT THEY'RE WITHIN THEIRLEGAL RIGHTS TO POST VIDEOS OFTHEIR ANIMALS ONLINE THROUGHPAID SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES.THEY EVEN SAY ONE OF THE VIDEOSPOSTED FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS WASTAKEN BY A FORMER NANNY WHOLIVED WITH THE LOWES IN LASVEGAS.THE COURT DISAGREED WITH ALLTHEIR ARGUMENTS, SAYING THEONLINE VIDEOS HAVE BEEN USED TOPROMOTE THE 2021 OPENING OF THENEW TIGER KING PARK.AND THE COURT FOUND"IRREPARABLE HARM WOULD RESULT"IF IT DIDN'T FORCE THE ANIMALSURRENDER AND THE OTHERCONDITIONS SURROUNDING THEANIMALS THE LOWES ARE BEINGALLOWED TO KEEP.JEFF LOWE IS STILL FACING LEGALTROUBLES IN LAS VEGAS DUE TOALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF HIS PLEAAGREEMENT.THE CASE IS DUE BACK IN COURTIN OTHER NEWS -- "VIRGINORBIT"...SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED ITS FIRSTROCKET INTO SPACE OVER THE
A federal court in Oklahoma ruled Tiger King's Jeff Lowe must give up all his tigers.