Judge gives control of Joe Exotic’s zoo to Carole Baskin

FILE - In this July 20, 2017, file photo, Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue, walks the property near Tampa, Fla. (Loren Elliott/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)

WYNNEWOOD, Okla. (AP) — A federal judge in Oklahoma has awarded ownership of the zoo made famous in Netflix’s “Tiger King” docuseries to Joe Exotic’s chief rival.

U.S. District Judge Scott Palk on Monday granted control of the Oklahoma zoo that was previously run by Joseph Maldonado-Passage — also known as Joe Exotic — to Big Cat Rescue Corp. The Florida group was founded by Carole Baskin, who also featured prominently in the hit Netflix series.

Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year federal prison for killing five tigers and plotting to have Baskin killed.