Netflix’s Tiger King offered an insight into the strange world of Joe Exotic, his highly unusual zoo, and the scandals within, but what happened to colleague, Jeff Lowe? Tiger King follows the world of exotic animal trading in the United States and the very unique people at its center. Most of the action focuses on Joe Exotic, also known as Joe Schreibvogel Maldonado-age. The mullet-sporting Joe is the former operator of Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma and he claimed to be the most prolific breeder of tigers in the country.
Tiger King follows Joe Exotic and the ragtag group who run the zoo as they fight an extended battle of words and legal squabbles with Carole Baskin, Chief Executive Officer of the Big Cat Rescue sanctuary in Florida, a fellow cat lover who has repeatedly accused Joe Exotic of animal abuse. Their battles become increasingly odd, involving music videos, trademark fights, and eventually ending in Joe being sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for animal abuse and trying to hire someone to murder Baskin (and that doesn't even get into the strange period where he tried to run for U.S. President, then Governor of Oklahoma).
Tiger King also documents the battle for the zoo between Joe Exotic and his former colleague Jeff Lowe, a sketchy figure who took over the business for various financial reasons and was accused of having aided Joe in organizing the hit on Carole Baskin. Nobody in the documentary is portrayed in a remotely sympathetic manner, and that includes Lowe, who is shown to be a schemer with a history of violence and a deeply creepy attitude towards women. Lowe was never indicted or brought up on any charges related to Joe Exotic’s crimes or the mishandling of the park.
What Happened to Jeff Lowe?
Jeff Lowe is now fully the owner of the Greater Wynnewood Animal Park, and while it is still open to the public, it won't remain at its current location for long. In 2018, Lowe and his wife broke ground on a new project, to be called the Oklahoma Zoo (not to be confused with the Oklahoma City Zoo). The area's local network, Oklahoma News 4, cited a Facebook post written by Lowe that explained the decision: "We think it's best to let this zoo die with Joe's conviction and not make the next generation of animals to live here forever suffer his outrageous behavior and reputation [...] The new property is amazing, and so much of it is already in place that we could realistically be open by Spring or sooner if the weather cooperates."
The Oklahoma Zoo plans to open in spring 2020, but given everything going on in the world right now, that seems highly unlikely. For now, the Joe Exotic did it under his tenure and continues to be something she fights against. Jeff Lowe and his wife also still pose for cheesy photographs with the lions on Instagram, continuing to use them as props much in the same way that Joe Exotic did.
While Lowe insists that the zoo is in better shape than ever thanks to his managerial talent, questions still remain over the fates of the animals. Lowe plans to move them to the new location, but the producers of Netflix's Tiger King itted they were skeptical about things. Eric Goode told EW that the zoo is "basically operating on fumes" because of the lack of money. Goode fears that this will be bad news for those animals.