How Carole Baskin Is Running Big Cat Rescue (Before And After 'Tiger King' Release)

In the past month, Eric Goode's docuseries Tiger King rocked our worlds. After binge-watching all seven episodes, many of us were left hungry for more. We want to know what Jeff Lowe is doing with his zoo and what's up with Tiger King's most conflicting character, Carole Baskin.

Carole Baskin, the owner of Big Cat Rescue quickly became the number one villain of the show due to her chaotic past and mysterious disappearance of her husband Don Lewis.

Her long battle with Joe Exotic might be over, but she hasn't won the war yet - after all, Doc Antle's zoo is still up and running and PETA definitely has a problem with that.

Let's see how Carole's life has changed since Tiger King came out.

12 Big Cat Rescue Used To Be A Well-Respected And Loved Place

Before the release of the series, Big Cat Rescue was seen as an honorable organization with a great cause. No one would even think of suspecting the Baskins of doing anything dubious. It was simply seen as one of the dream destinations for fans of everything feline.

11 But People Don't Trust Carole Baskin Anymore

If Carole Baskin knew that the show would end up as bad publicity for Big Cat Rescue and herself personally, she would probably not even agree to interviews. These days, everyone is hating on her due to the implications that the docuseries made. But is that fair?

10 The BCR Has Always Had And Still Has Loyal Volunteers

Tiger King made it seem that organization thrives due to its exploitation of misled volunteers, but volunteers came to debunk the insinuations. As one of them told Cheat Sheet what it's like to volunteer at Big Cat Rescue: “None of us felt tricked or cheated, because we all understood that we were volunteering at a non-profit.”

9 It's Twisted That Carole Baskin Is The Only One Who Has To Defend Herself

Funny how everyone called the color-coordinated T-shirts at Big Cat Rescue 'cult-like', but not enough people are talking about what goes on in Doc Antle's place. Carole Baskin quickly became the villain of the series, even though Big Cat Rescue is way more transparent than any of those other zoos.

8 People Gather In Front Of Their Gates All The Time

Since the release, people are curious about Big Cat Rescue and they want to see it for themselves. They gather at the gates, hoping to see Carole on her iconic bike or see any signs of suspicious behavior. The sanctuary is currently closed due to the epidemic.

7 Big Cat Rescue Did Some Really Nice Things In The Past

Big Cat Rescue works with big cats of all sorts and while most of them cannot be re-introduced to their natural habitats, smaller wild cats can be. In 2018, they successfully rehabilitated a few bobcats. Their annual reports show what else have they been up to.

6 Carole Baskin Recently Published A Long Opinion Peace On 'Tiger King'

Mrs. Baskin feels betrayed by the creator of the show who told her he was making a documentary about the exploitation of big cats. To be fair, he probably didn't even know himself what kind of a story he would run into as he set out to make this documentary.

5 Big Cat Rescue Used To Be A Tranquil Place

It's hard to imagine that Big Cat Rescue raised no suspicion and hate prior to this show. Volunteers happily worked 50 hours a week - which is what they signed up for. People brought their kids to the park all the time as they also educated people about tigers.

4 These Days, It's Flooded With Drones And Lurkers

We have mentioned before that people cannot visit the park these days, but that doesn't mean that the cats don't have any visitors. It has been reported that people fly their drones above the park. Poor animals - they probably do not appreciate the constant buzzing.

3 Locals Always Thought Something Was Fishy About Big Cat Rescue

Everyone is hating on Carole because of the mysterious disappearance of her ex-husband Don Lewis. Joe Exotic's claim that she fed him to the tigers was quickly adopted by the masses. The locals claim something fishy was definitely going on - but they can't say what exactly.

2 We Care More About The Drama Than We Do About The Animal Trade

Even the biggest animal lovers forgot about the cruel destiny of big cats featured on Tiger King because their owners are all so weird and quirky. What a shame! Even though Joe Exotic is behind bars, the show goes on without him. Carole essentially achieved nothing from it.

1 Carole Baskin Is Getting Death Threats (Again)

Even though her arch-nemesis is behind bars, Carole Baskin is not resting peacefully these days. She is receiving death threats and people often lurk around the park to spot her riding her bike and yell at her. Just like her tigers, she has found herself living in a cage.

Next: Pawn Stars And 19 Other Reality TV Show Sets Fans Can Actually Visit