Along came Carole
Trouble ensued when Carloe Baskin put Joe on her sight. Baskin is the owner of Big Cat Rescue – an exotic animal sanctuary just outside Tampa, Florida. Carole claims her sole aim is to save tigers and other big cats around the country, which are being mistreated by private individuals and parks – like the one Joe Exotic runs – but in effect, her sanctuary isn’t all that different from Joe’s park.
Baskin operates public tours in her sanctuary, charging people to see the animals, pet them and take a picture with them – much like the tours Joe offers in his zoo. She claims that the animals at Joe’s zoo are living in inappropriate conditions, but, as seen on the show, her animal cages aren’t that much bigger than the ones over at Joe’s zoo.