TIGER KING

ew of us have the courage to do what we were born to do; and before you ask who really knows what we were born to do – you know. We all do. You don’t have to be Nostradamus to put the signs of your life together and see where they’re pointing. F The problem is fate is scary. Just ask Euripides and Sophocles. Greek tragedies are filled with stories about people who fought against their destiny. It’s difficult to outrun it – but if you do, what then? What kind of life can you live that the Universe didn’t have planned for you. Whether you like

yourself or not, there you are – you might as well use the talents that you have for the purpose they were given to you. Who knows, the Universe just may know what it’s doing…

Before he became the world-renowned Joe Exotic, Joe was just a regular kid growing up with his brother on a farm in Garden City, Kansas. He worked on the farm until he was thirteen and his family moved to Centennial, Wyoming. If you don’t know the exact location of Centennial you’re in good company with the rest of the world – it’s literally in the mountains, and at the time had a population of fifty people. Joe worked on a cattle ranch there until he was seventeen. So, from birth until nearly his eighteenth birthday Joe had lived around and worked with animals. The Universe had spoken, but it wasn’t done…

Compassion is sparked by witnessing something firsthand that touches your heart. You never forget it. It colors your view of love and sympathy and empathy. It shapes you. You develop a resolve to do something about any further atrocities that you see. Compassion is a powerful emotion.

As a young teenager living in Centennial Joe witnessed just such an atrocity. Trees in the mountains were being cut down at an alarming rate, animals were losing their homes and being left to die. Face to face with this, Joe made a decision, whether he knew at such a young age that this decision would end up being his life’s work I don’t know. I don’t even think Joe knew. He saw a horrendous problem and he acted based on the compassion he felt for the stranded animals. He began bringing baby raccoons, opossums, porcupines and even skunks home to nurse them

back to health and then release them. I know, skunks. Let’s just say Joe has always had a very big heart.

At seventeen Joe’s family sold their ranch and they all moved to Texas where Joe finished high school. Joe was in the city now, and his mountain rescue days were behind him. After graduation he joined the police academy. At nineteen he became the youngest police chief in the state of Texas. Tragedy struck soon after, however, when Joe’s police car was struck by a drunk driver. Joe was in traction for close to two months after the accident, and forced to where braces for the next five years. He moved to West Palm Beach for a form of physical therapy he’d read about that involved salt water and kept him out of operating rooms. A neighbor in his apartment was the manager of Lion Country Safari in Florida… What are the odds? tigers and lions to bottle feed them – Joe was transfixed. These were endangered animals from all over the world. Animals who needed help. Compassion never leaves, it only grows, and whatever life throws at you the Universe will find a way to get you back on track to what you’re supposed to be doing.

Once Joe’s therapy was finished he moved back to Texas where he bought an exotic pet store with his brother, Garold Wayne, in Arlington. They named it Pet Safari. For sixteen years Joe and Garold operated the largest privately owned exotic animal store in Texas. It was 40,000 square feet, and most importantly, Joe and Garold began rescuing wild animals, as well…but tragedy struck again.

On October 14th, 1997 Joe’s brother, Garold, was struck by a drunk driver at the wheel of a semitruck. Seven days on Earth was all Joe had left with his brother who died while on life-support. Just like that, everything was different. The world changed. Garold, Joe’s brother and best friend in life was gone…

There was, however, a way Joe could keep Garold’s memory close to his heart while celebrating all Garold was with the world. In the last seven days of Garold’s life in that hospital room Joe made his brother two promises: one, Garold’s name would be remembered forever; and two, he would take care of their parents and never let them end up in a nursing home – this was Garold’s biggest fear. Garold was always thinking about the future of his parents; he wanted them happy. The mold may have been broken when Garold and Joe were born…

The G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park is Joe’s promise to his brother, Garold. He started the park with one deer and one mountain lion, the park is now the largest in the world for rescuing tigers. It houses 173 tigers with over 800 other animals who were rescued…and things didn’t stop there. Joe knew it would be hard convincing people to care about endangered animals they’ve never seen, so he created a traveling show with his animals that toured the Nation. A magic show. The opening song of the show, written by Joe, is a beautifully touching composition about the life and death of his brother, Garold, the namesake of the Memorial Park. In Joe’s closing song he wrote about what people could do to stop killing animals in the wild – and also, how we could all stop hurting and killing each other. The magic show was a tremendous success. It became a world tour and lasted eight years. Millions of people witnessed Joe’s magical mystery tour with his tigers and lions, and Garold’s name was spread across the universe… Promise fulfilled.

JoeExoticTV.com is a worldwide phenomenon. He broadcasts live from a private studio in his animal park in Oklahoma every day. Thousands of people from around the world log in nightly to watch his show – imagine having a base demographic of America, Europe, Africa and Brazil. Joe Exotic is name synonymous with animal rescue. He’s made movies for the BBC, Nat Geo and Korea TV, and has been seen on television in Austria, Belgium and the UK.

Joe is now working with the United States Zoological Association to bring awareness about the plight of wild rhinos in South Africa. One rhino is killed every day simply for their horn. Wild rhinos are sedated and their horns chopped off with hatchets and chainsaws; the rhino is then left to bleed to death…this kind of horrific brutality taking place in 2013? Unbelievable. Some say America is not getting involved in stopping this slaughter because we have nothing to financially gain from doing so; regardless, Joe is getting the message to his fans worldwide. $2,000 a month is all it would take to hire one armed ranger to protect rhinos – there are currently only four rangers in all of South Africa.

The courage to do what one was born to do… The Universe chose well with Joe Exotic. Despite unbearable tragedy in his life, Joe has continued to pour out his love into this world and try to stop suffering – all this from a man with broken heart. The human heart, it seems, is more powerful and resilient than many of us ever thought; and compassion is the gift of life that keeps on giving.

Joe discovered in his crusade to help rhinos that farmers in South Africa were being murdered for their crops and farms. Women being beaten , raped and murdered. Cruelty and evil doesn’t segregate its victims – both animals and humans are seen as prey.

Every Tuesday night on JoeExoticTV.com the entire show is dedicated to a South African woman Joe met named Anna. Not only was Anna beaten and raped on her farm, she had one of her feet chopped off by criminals stealing from her. The Tuesday show is entitled “Hope for Anna,” and the goal is to raise money to hire at least four more South African rangers to protect farmers like Anna. Joe is now rescuing people.

Joe found an old circus man and his chimpanzee living on a beach in south Texas. Homeless. Forgotten. Neglected. Joe brought the man and his chimpanzee to live in his park… How proud

Garold must be of his brother, Joe. How far has Joe come from the exotic pet store he opened with Garold, as George Harrison would say, “all those years ago.”

Joe Exotic has fulfilled his destiny to protect those unable to protect themselves – and his parents? Joe kept his promise to Garold. Joe moved his parents near his animal park where he can keep a close eye on them. Most days you’ll find Joe’s parents at the animal park, feeding chickens and talking to visitors about theirs two sons, of whom they are very proud…

I think we can all share in that sentiment…