When is Tiger King 2 on Netflix and is Joe Exotic still in prison?

Tiger King 2 is arriving on Netflix in days, with more drama, debauchery and madness promised.

It was the TV series that shocked, stunned and gripped audiences during the first coronavirus lockdown. With tales of tigers, shoddy business deals, big cat rivalry, a missing ex-husband AND a failed murder plot all dominating the narrative in this beggars belief story. Over the 8 episodes, viewers were introduced to characters of both the furry and frightening kind. And if you didn't know anything about who Joe Exotic is then you'd clearly been living under a rock.

Thankfully Tiger King fans don't have to wait much longer to find out what happened next to the show's crazy cats, with season 2 arriving on screens very soon. And alongside popular dramas like Sky's Landscapers and Bristol-based BBC show The Outlaws, Tiger King season 2 is at the top of our autumn watchlist.

When is Tiger King 2 on Netflix?

Tiger King 2 will be released on Netflix on November 17, 2021 at 8am in the UK.

Netflix confirmed the return of the hit show in September, promising fans "just as much mayhem and madness as Season 1!"

The streaming giant released the trailer for Tiger King 2 in late October. And fans were delighted to hear the voice of star Joe Exotic. Suggesting that the Tiger King himself would be back for season 2.

What is Tiger King 2 about?

Tiger King series 2 will look into Joe Exotic's ongoing feud with Jeff Lowe, who currently runs and owns Joe's zoo.

In the official trailer, an interviewer asks Joe: "What's the nature of the dispute between you and Mr Lowe?" To which Mr Exotic replies "very personal," - setting the scene for some further upheaval.

The trailer also appears to delve into how the lives of Tiger King 1's central characters have changed following the success of season 1. And talking of the original series - Tiger King 2 continues to question the circumstances around the disappearance of Carole Baskin's ex-husband, Don Lewis.

The 59-year-old has been missing since August 18, 1997, when he left his home in Tampa, Florida, and never returned. And both fans of the show and Tiger King cast members have alleged his former wife Carole knows more details.

Revisiting this in series 2, the narrative looks into Don's connections with underground Costa Rica crime operations. And suggests this as another possible answer to his disappearance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT4NYto3abM

The official synopsis for Tiger King 2 also promises the return of several season 1 stars:

"The Emmy-nominated saga continues its twisted course with Tiger King 2 as newfound revelations emerge on the motivations, backstories, and secrets of America’s most notorious big cat owners. Old enemies and frenemies, including Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson return for another season of murder, mayhem, and madness. Thought you knew the whole story? Just you wait."

Who is in the cast of Tiger King 2?

Audiences can expect the same colourful characters in the second instalment of the hit Netflix show:

• Joe Exotic, ex-zookeeper nicknamed 'the Tiger King' who owned and ran the G.W. Zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma between 1998-2018.
• Jeff Lowe, businessman and new owner of G.W. Zoo (following Joe's arrest)
• Lauren Lowe, Jeff's wife
• Tim Stark, owner of the Wildlife in Need in Charlestown, Indiana.
• Allen Glover, Jeff Lowe's friend and the hitman Joe Exotic hired to unsuccessfully kill Carole Baskin
• Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle, owner of Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina
• James Garretson, a businessman acquainted with Joe Exotic who later turned FBI informant
• Rick Kirkham, reality TV producer who helped set up Joe Exotic's internet show.

Sadly the new season of Tiger King will not feature G.W. Zoo zookeeper Eric Cowie who died aged 53 in September this year.

Fans might also be disappointed to know that whilst footage of Carole Baskin appears, it is unlikely that she will feature heavily in series 2. Especially since the Big Cat Rescue CEO was upset with the portrayal of her in the first hit series.

"It was just a few weeks ago that Rebecca Chaiklin had reached out asking if we could clear the air," she said. "I have been speaking about how we had been so misled into thinking this was going to be the Blackfish for big cats and then it turned out to be the freak show that they produced."

"So when she said she wanted to clear the air, I felt like, you know, that’s just absolutely ridiculous," she added. "It was so obvious that I had been betrayed by them. Why would she ever think that I would be willing to speak to them again? And so I told her to just lose my number."

Carole Baskin and her husband Howard are also suing Netflix for the second series. They filed a petition in November. With a spokesperson for the couple stating:  "The Baskins believed that any sequel - though odious - would not include any of their footage."

The lawsuit also alleges that a false impression of Big Cat Rescue and their work was portrayed in series one. And that it accused the Baskins of animal abuse - something they strenuously deny.

Is Joe Exotic still in prison?

Yes, Tiger King star Joe Exotic is still in prison. The 58-year-old is currently serving a sentence of 22 years at the Federal Medical Center, Fort Worth for an attempted murder-for-hire and 17 other animal abuse related crimes.

Joe - full name Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage - was arrested in September 2018 for hiring two men to kill rival Carol Baskin. It is alleged that he tried to pay a hitman $3,000 to murder the Big Cat Rescue founder.

In March 2019, Joe stood trial for the murder-for-hire charge plus other violations against animals. He was convicted on eight counts under the Lacey Act for counterfeit wildlife records. And was found guilty of a further 9 counts under the Endangered Species Act for killing five tigers and illegally selling tigers across state lines.

Joe appealed his 22 year sentence in July 2021 and a federal appeals court ordered that the Tiger King be re-sentenced due to the current "excessive" sentence length. And we're still waiting to hear what the new sentence time will be.

Further sympathy for the state arose in November, when Joe revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The star tweeted that his biopsy had come back "with an aggressive cancer" And he asked fans to "say a prayer", whilst sharing the hashtag #freejoeexotic.

Despite his current imprisonment and health state, Joe does appear in season 2 of Tiger King. With new interviews from the star promised in the next instalment.