It takes a deep amount of true empathy for someone to be this great with animals. I also got to interact with some of his exotic animals that he previously owned. The bond he has with the animals is basically at a level most humans will never attain. But people have said the same about my own animals so it was easy for me to understand some of the secret sauces to Tim’s unique ability and skill. What struck me when I saw Tim was the love for his two dogs and kitten. By far, not a perfect one, he is honest and surprisingly humble. There are so many issues hard for me to capture in one single article. From an analysis of political laws to what it means to do what you love and succeed to being a faithful husband and true love post divorce to what animal rights truly means to the failure of business partnerships (but the early signs he already saw with Jeff Lowe) to the boundaries between regulation, which Tim agrees with, to outright trespassing and bullying to dealing with corrupt politicians of both parties to auditing PETA, there is no shortage of wisdom and info I got from Tim. I was able to catch up with Tim as he was making a special trip to see the animals that were taken from him, in several different states where they have been “rehabilitated”. I spent many days with Tim, hearing his stories about saving wild animals and nursing them back to health as a child, his many years, about 15 years as a nonprofit making no real profit but focused on the mission, his stint as Indiana state’s subject matter expert on exotic animals and birds, his licenses and then the eventual bullying he experienced from animal rights groups who are doing anything but take care of the animals they purport to care about.Ī personal story of survival and resilience but also one with numerous insights into the corruption of governments at multiple levels and special interest groups claiming to help animals but are doing the opposite, this will undoubtedly be a book I am writing. I could empathize with how bad he must have felt with everything taken away from him. On my own dime, I flew out to see him to give him some solidarity after I saw his attempted suicide video. He was shocked too especially after Tiger King 2 was released and he was featured on the finale episode. I was absolutely shocked that I was the first person from the media to contact him. I reached out to Tim and we chatted on the phone. But most importantly when I saw his suicide attempt, I knew this guy was crying for help and wanted to be heard.Ĭontacting Tim, Journeying With Him & Hearing His Stories The disconnect was too big between who he was in the past and who he is today.

Tim was the one character from Tiger King I wanted to meet due to the sad circumstances and my admiration for his Tiger Cub show. Tim broke down several times when her name was mentioned, a symbol of the pain he went through from the failed partnership with Jeff Lowe, his marriage ending at the time and the continued harassment from Indiana state and PETA.īut now after the events in Tiger King, one can now see how a beautiful thing can get wildly distorted. One of the most iconic images during Tiger King was the clip of him driving with a monkey on his lap. Tim Stark has a special and unique skill with animals and created a beautiful show that drew in people as far away as Europe to enjoy close and safe interaction with visitors for an affordable price. The world is a quieter and sadder place without Tim’s shows. And families from all over the world who came to see them no longer have this blessing. Anyone with empathy would see the happy children from his Tiger Cub shows and should realize the animals were also well adjusted and happy and maybe pause before judgment. Tim Stark, The True Tiger King or Animal Whisperer?īeyond the obvious and glaring reality seen vividly in Season 2 Episode 5, anyone with any empathy also would not take joy in the downfall of a man who had everything taken away from them. While cancel culture today has easily vilified and dismissed him as an angry redneck, those with any critical thinking will instantly be alarmed more by the government overreach than his outbursts. That episode highlighted the seizure of his personal property and beloved animals after years of harassment by the government and animal rights groups.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – While Joe Exotic’s retrial is happening today, Friday January 28th, in Oklahoma City, which I’ll be attending and reporting on, the latest Season 2 actually ended with the sad images and video clips of wildlife veteran and true tiger king, Tim Stark, from Indiana.

Has tim stark been arrested