Apparently, You Too Can Be Joe Exotic, ‘Tiger King’ Of Wisconsin
There's only one Joe Exotic, but if you wanted, you could own some tigers in Wisconsin.
The hit Netflix show, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, is touted as the most popular show on TV, and introduced us to the wild world of "Big Cats."
I had no idea what I was getting into, but with Illinois' shelter-in-place order in effect, there was no better time than the present to take a trip.
Tiger King was so insane, I don't even know where to start but like the rest of the planet, I needed to know more about the star of the show, Joe Exotic, big cats and why people want to own them.
Personally, I don't have a house pet, so the thought of owning a tiger, or any kind of wild animal, sounds crazy to me. Matter of fact, it's illegal to own tigers in Illinois just like 18 other states across the country.
Probably should be more states, but that's just me.
Anyway, just north of Rockford, across the border into Wisconsin, apparently, you can own tigers and or lions.
While there is no federal U.S. law that prohibits wildlife ownership, each state has its own set of laws and regulations about exotic animals. Nevada, Wisconsin, Alabama, and North Carolina have little to no state regulations on owning wildlife, according to Michigan State University's Animal Legal & Historical Center.
A closer look at exotic animal laws by state reveals Wisconsin allows ownership of lions, tigers, monkeys, llamas, giraffes, chinchillas, porcupines, weasels, chipmunks, and moles.
Wait, you can actually own a giraffe in Wisconsin? Imagine what that Netflix series would be like.