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Tiger King Zoo Searched After Film Crew Thought They Found Human Remains

Tiger King Zoo Searched After Film Crew Thought They Found Human Remains

It turned out to be a small animal

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

Authorities were called to Joe Exotic's former zoo after a film crew thought they had found human remains in the alligator pit.

While filming an episode of reality show Ghost Adventures, hosted by paranormal investigator Zak Bagans, it was believed the cadaver dogs they had with them reacted as if they had picked up the scent of human body parts.

The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, which was made famous by the Netflix show Tiger King, was searched by agents from Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Garvin County Sheriff's deputies on Friday (10 July).

Local ABC affiliate Koko News reported that Jeff Lowe confirmed the dogs had alerted the handlers to what was potentially human remains.

But thankfully, it turned out that the cadaver was the remains of a small animal, as reported by Taylor Adams from Oklahoma station KFOR.

The update was tweeted just before midnight, with Adams saying: "The Garvin County Sheriff says no human remains were found on site at the GW Zoo tonight. Instead... a small animal. He says the investigation is over."

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, owned the park before he was convicted of conspiring to kill animal rights activist Carole Baskin in April 2019, among other crimes.

According to TMZ, several people had their ashes scattered at the site.

A source told the site: "Joe has said there are ashes of four people buried on the property as a memorial."

They went on to clarify that the remains are of 'people who chose to make the zoo their final resting place.'

The zoo, which is now owned by Carole Baskin after she won a legal battle to take it over, is also the resting place of another body, according to Jeff Lowe.

PA

In an interview, the Tiger King star, who will be vacating the zoo in the coming months, revealed he had even tried to donate the zoo and its land to the Native American people so they could reclaim the remains of the young boy.

Speaking to TMZ, Lowe said that he doesn't hold any grudges with Carole and he never wanted the zoo in the first place.

He said: "In all honesty, and people probably won't believe me, but she deserves this property. She beat Joe, he didn't defend himself, and she's entitled to the judgement.

"We didn't defend this suit because one, we knew the law would be on her side, and two, it wasn't worth us defending this property because we didn't want it."

Featured Image Credit: wynnewoodzoo.org