Tiger King: Louis Theroux reveals Joe Exotic said he’d kill all his animals if park went bankrupt
Tiger King viewers have been keen to hear Louis Theroux’s opinions on the series, considering he spent time with Joe Exotic for a documentary nine years ago.
Theroux promised fans he would discuss the “bonkers” Netflix series after watching it and has now begun sharing his views on Instagram.
In replies to his followers, he also revealed some behind-the-scenes details about his experience with the eccentric tiger trader in 2011.
Exotic appeared on BBC’s America’s Most Dangerous Pets after permitting Theroux to follow him around GW Exotic Animal Foundation in Oklahoma.
One bizarre moment in the episode sees him tell Theroux that if he were to get into the cage with his tigers, he would shoot him in the head to spare him a grisly fate.
Theroux, who told his Instagram followers that he “liked spending time with” Exotic, revealed that this was just one of a few disturbing parts of his experience.
“The most troubling thing he said was probably that if the park went bankrupt he would kill all the animals,” Theroux commented.
Another moment sees him comparing caged tigers to people in wheelchairs.
The journalist described Exotic as an “emotional dude” and said that he attempted to shut down the documentary a few times as he was worried about the angle filmmakers were going for.
“I recall he was crying and then he took off his mic at one point and stomped off and then he came back,” Theroux added.
Theroux also said he finds it “very unlikely” that the allegations surrounding Exotic’s rival Carole Baskin – that she murdered her husband and fed his body to her tigers – are true.
Find a clip of the documentary, which is available on BBC iPlayer, here.
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