“Inspectors also found foul-smelling, partially burned and decomposing big cat carcasses and a broken-down refrigerator truck containing rotting meat.”
In June, a court ordered Lowe to vacate the zoo and hand the premises to Carole Baskin, who Joe Exotic was convicted of trying to have killed. Exotic previously owned the zoo.
Lowe said of the decision at the time: “I expected it a year ago. We knew that the writing was on the wall.”
Exotic called the decision a “treachery that has to be challenged”.
Lowe has since moved 160 big cats to a new zoo in Thackerville, 60 miles south.
“Our new park will, at least for the foreseeable future, be a private film set for Tiger King related television content for cable and streaming services,” he said in August.
“The Lowes have made public statements that the new Thackerville facility will be named ‘Tiger King Park’ and will operate as a film set for television shows and other video content,” the DoJ have now said.
The DoJ said it would seek unspecified damages from the Lowes and attempt to seize “certain animals” from them.
Lowe has yet to respond to the claim but has in the past accused the government of making “false accusations” against him.
