If you’ve watched Netflix’s Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness you’ll be familiar with Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joe Maldonado-Passage.
The documentary series follows the life of the so-called Tiger King, who eventually managed to buy a ranch where he created a zoo for exotic animals.
In the documentary we see his rise to fame, and take a deep-dive into his lifestyle, and learn details of his feud with Carole Baskin.
Joe has certainly squeezed a lot into his 57 years, and his life is full of twists and turns you don’t expect.
Here we take a look at the jobs the Tiger King had before he became involved in the world of exotic animals.
Joe Exotic is the main subject of Netflix docu-series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (Image: Netflix US/AFP via Getty Images)
Before Joe Exotic became a household name, he was Joe Schreibvogel.
He grew up on a farm in Kansas, and had a love of animals and hoped to become a vet when he grew up.
In 1982 Joe graduated from Pilot Point High School and went on to work in the police service.
At the age of 19 he was promoted police chief of Eastvale, a small town of around 700 people in Denton County.
Joe Exotic used to work as a police chief (Image: Brentwood Gazette)
Only a few police officers worked under him, and serious crime was very rare.
A year later he left law enforcement after an incident which he later said nearly cost him his life.
The docu-series reveals that Joe drove his car off a bridge after he was outed as gay to his parents.
He reportedly broke bones in his back, right arm, right leg, ribs, shoulder and nose, and was in a coma for nine days.
The Tiger King has had many careers through his life (Image: NetFlix)
Meanwhile, Joe’s recollection of the events have changed over time.
He told The Dallas Morning News that someone had forced the car off the bridge during a police investigation.
Speaking to the publication in 1997, he said: “I nearly died for $1,600 a month and trying to be fair. That’s why I stick up for the underdog.
“I have no desire to be a police officer again. I pity the honest ones, and I’m afraid for the dishonest ones.”
Meanwhile, the local residents that were contacted had no recollection of the event.
After spending a couple of years in Florida, Joe returned to North Texas to work as a security guard at the Round-Up Saloon in Dallas.
Here he met his first husband Brian Rhyne, and the two of them moved to Arlington together.
It was in Arlington where he opened a pet store with his brother in 1997.
The Netflix series follows big cat owner Joe Exotic and his dramatic life
After his bother died in a car accident the same year, he sold the pet store and purchased a ranch in Wynnewood Oklahoma, where he opened his 16 acre G. W. Exotic Animal Park where he kept lions and tigers.
As well as running the zoo, he also put himself forward as a Presidential candidate in 2016.
He attained ballot access in Colorado and received 962 votes nationwide.
Two years later, in 2018, he ran for Governor of Oklahoma.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
