Tiger at Carole Baskins’ Big Cat Rescue bites staffer
An animal has bitten a staff person, resulting in “serious injuries,” at the Florida sanctuary run by “Tiger King” star Carole Baskin, according to multiple reports.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded about 8:30 a.m. Thursday to the scene at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, where one person was rushed to a nearby hospital with “serious injuries” from a large cat, according to news station ABC Action News. Baskin, founder of the refuge for tigers and other animals, was one of the main characters featured in the Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”
The victim, who has not been identified, is being treated at a local hospital.
The animal sanctuary, founded by Baskin and her now-deceased ex-husband Don Lewis in 1995, had been closed due to the coronavirus outbreak for months. According to a note on bigcatrescue.com, the animal rescue is losing $160,000 a month in tour revenue.
“Tiger King” spent much of its time focusing on the feud between Baskin and Joseph Maldonado-Passage, which included accusations by him that Baskin was behind the disappearance of her ex-husband. Baskin has denied that.
Baskin has bemoaned her portrayal in the film. Recently, she appeared on “Dancing With the Stars,” but she was sent home after three weeks of dancing to songs including “Eye of the Tiger” and “The Lion King.”
About the Author
Stephanie has been telling stories her whole life. Her interest in the written word started with short stories and journal entries about run-ins with classroom bullies as a child and matured to writing for her high school newspaper over the years. She has written and edited for The Tennessean, Augusta Chronicle and American City & County.
