Tiger King: Inside Netflix's Explosive True Crime Saga
How a feud between two big cat obsessives led to murder-for-hire charges and a 22-year prison sentence
When Netflix released Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness on March 20, 2020, the seven-part true crime documentary became an instant cultural phenomenon. Executive producers Chris Smith, Fisher Stevens, Eric Goode, and Rebecca Chaiklin spent five years developing the series, which began as a straightforward exploration of exotic animal breeding before evolving into a deeply personal story of obsession, rivalry, and criminal conspiracy.
At the center of the narrative is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known to the world as Joe Exotic. The flamboyant owner of G.W. Zoo (Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park) in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, Exotic was a tiger breeder and self-proclaimed wildlife entrepreneur who would become the series' central figure. But the documentary's true power lies in the antagonistic relationship between Exotic and his nemesis: Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue sanctuary in Tampa, Florida.
Baskin, a prominent big cat advocate, had long criticized Exotic's treatment of animals at his Oklahoma facility. What began as professional disagreement escalated into a vicious, years-long feud marked by threats, allegations, and accusations that would eventually cross into criminal territory. Exotic didn't merely argue with Baskin—he actively plotted her murder.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Exotic approached at least two people seeking someone willing to kill Baskin in exchange for money. These weren't idle threats or performative anger; they were part of a concrete murder-for-hire scheme that would form the foundation of federal criminal charges against him.
The documentary also explores the tragic death of Travis Maldonado, Exotic's third husband, who was just 23 years old when he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the G.W. Zoo office in 2017. Surveillance footage captured the incident, though the body was not visible in the recording. His death was ruled accidental, with investigators believing Maldonado mistakenly thought the gun wouldn't fire without its magazine.
