What is Bhagavan Antle’s Net Worth and How Much Does it Cost to Feed His Animals?
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness uncovers the hidden realities of the exotic animal world. “Doc” Bhagavan Antle is one facility owner featured. His safari park in Myrtle Beach attracts hundreds of visitors a year and some of Antle’s animals have appeared in over 500 film and TV projects. What is Antle’s net worth and how much does it really take to feed all those animals every year?
A visit to “Doc” Antle’s Myrtle Beach park will cost you
Though Netflix’s Tiger King spent most of its time following former Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park owner, Joseph Maldonado-Passage (aka Joe Exotic), “Doc” Bhagavan Antle’s story cuts in throughout the episodes.
Antle owns and runs The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) in Myrtle Beach. Before Tiger King fame, Antle already made the rounds in Hollywood. The website boasts that his animals have over 500 film and TV credits, including pop sensation Britney Spears.
“Doc” Antle is also the man behind the Rare Species Fund (RSF) which, provides financial support and practical training to wildlife conservation initiatives in situ,” according to the website.
Anyone wishing to visit the safari park should expect to pay a pretty penny. The most basic entrance tickets run in the $339 per person range. The packages only go up from there. The most expensive option, which is a 10-day African safari, requires a hefty deposit of $2,000 per person and totals around $10,908 to $13,988.
What is Antle’s net worth?
Considering Antle’s been in the business for decades, it’d be surprising if his net worth weren’t up to par. With the basic safari ticket price at $339 per person, plus photos you can only purchase through the park with the strict “no photos” policy, each person who visits easily pulls in $500.
The Cinemaholic reported that Antle’s safari tours run 26 weeks per year with up to 45 people on each tour. That alone is a nice paycheck. If you add in Antle’s other locations in which he offers big cat shows and photos with cubs, he’s doing OK.
In 2015, Rolling Stone reported that Antle’s park brought in an estimated $1.3 million annually. This includes ticket fees, photos, packages, and everything in between.
Antle exact net worth isn’t known, but it’s estimated at close to $10 million according to multiple outlets. With his experience, this number seems reasonable, if not on the low end.
How much does it cost to feed the animals?
While Antle brings in a nice amount of money annually, it also costs a lot to keep his operations going. Expenses for employee labor is one thing but the amount it takes to feed around 70 adult tigers, plus other animals, is high.
The cost of feeding that many big cats can run anywhere between $5,000 to $10,000 a year. Antle also stated that he gives 10% of his revenue to RSF, as well as other conservation organizations.
The good “Doc” may not live like Brad Pitt, but he’s certainly doing alright for himself.
