CHARLESTON, S.C. (WBTW) — Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, whose meteoric rise through the world of big cats was vaulted into fame through a 2021 Netflix docuseries, is headed to federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and money laundering charges.
Antle, 65, was handed a sentence of 12 years and one day on Tuesday in U.S. District Court’s Charleston division by Judge Joseph Lawson III. His sentencing comes nearly two years after he admitted to violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants, including federally protected animal species.
Antle was also sentenced to three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence and fined $55,000.
A California native, Antle founded Myrtle Beach Safari in 1982, eventually growing it into a 50-acre wildlife preserve that offers safari-like tours at nearly $400 a person. Antle is also the director of the Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit organization registered in South Carolina.