UN INT Intro Text w/ Responsive Image - *Important Note* You must UNLINK this shared library component before making page-specific customizations.
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle founded Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina but lost his federal license to exhibit animals following his conviction of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking. Antle is a key player in the animal exploitation industry and one of the villains featured in Netflix’s Tiger King. Losing his license didn’t stop Antle exploiting animals. Now, they’re exhibited by a company owned by Antle’s partner, China York, ensuring the exploitation continues even as Antle serves a federal prison sentence for his role in a wildlife trafficking and money laundering scheme.
At Myrtle Beach Safari, infant animals are torn away from their mothers so that they can be passed around for highly profitable public encounters, routinely treated as props for publicity stunts, and exploited for “likes” on social media. These cruel practices continue, even with Antle behind bars.
This greedy roadside zoo has forced Bubbles, a female African elephant, to endure photo ops and languish alone for decades. Bubbles has not had meaningful social contact with another elephant in over 30 years. Other species, from chimpanzees to hyenas, are also forced to do meaningless tricks so Myrtle Beach Safari can sell various photo ops and interactions to the public.
Please urge Myrtle Beach Safari to end public encounters and transfer Bubbles and the other animals to reputable facilities where they can finally live in peace and receive the care and social interactions they need.