Netflix's Joe Exotic, have their own quirks or idiosyncrasies that really highlight their uniqueness, and not many of them come out of the show looking like particularly nice people. Arguably the one person who came out of Tiger King in a good light was Saff. When talking to camera, animal handler Kelci 'Saff' Saffery's answers were measured and well thought out, highlighting a great deal of common sense; something most of the others in the documentary lacked.
Saff is remarkably laid back for someone who has spent so much time living among chaos. While he no longer has any with Joe or the G.W. Zoo, Saff still talks about his time at the zoo with great fondness, even though he is patently aware of how many wrong practices were taking place. One major talking point of Tiger King has been Saff's gender. Though female by birth, Saff has since clarified that he identifies as male. However, that was either not known or not acknowledged by directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, or anyone who appeared in the show.
It's a sensitive topic for many who may have struggled to be addressed by their correct pronouns their entire lives. However, just like when he was savaged by a Tiger, Saff takes it all in his stride. Speaking to Joel McHale on The Tiger King and I, Saff addressed the issue of being misgendered: "I don’t think it bothered me as much as it bothered everyone else,” he said. “I didn’t really pay it any mind.” But while Saff may prefer male pronouns, he doesn't identify as a trans male. Speaking to Out magazine, he explained why: "I don't know that that describes me. You know, nothing was done. I really just have lived this lifestyle. And, you know, my family knows this. And obviously people closest to me know. This is how I've lived my entire life. I don't know anything else."
Saff's relaxed attitude to his preferred pronouns is merely a reflection on how he is about pretty much everything, including losing an arm in a tiger attack. Back in 2013, while working at the zoo, Saff was bitten by one of Joe's big cats. As he tried to pull his arm out of the cage, the wound became caught on the wire of the cage, causing a much deeper cut. Though Tiger King, the incident was all caught on camera and later shown as part of a health and safety video for G.W. Zoo employees. Saff, though, took all this in his stride too, opting to have the arm amputated below the elbow instead of undergoing reconstructive surgery in order to avoid drawing any more media attention to the incident.
Saff has no issue with how he was portrayed in Tiger King, but he does lament the fact that not much of the day to day care of the animals was shown from the hours of footage taken. He also takes issue with Joe's portrayal, telling Joel McHale that while Joe did many things wrong, he also did many good things, which were not highlighted to the same degree. Saff's understanding and generosity of spirit are proof again that he is the best person featured on Tiger King.