Claws are out on Netflix’s Tiger King, and that features these of Joe Exotic (Joseph Maldonado-Passage) himself. Apart from the murder-for-hire and wildlife abuse accusations, one other suspicious crime lingers round Maldonado-Passage’s colourful historical past: the mysterious hearth at his studio at the Better Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park. Did Maldonado-Passage set that fireside himself? We do not know for positive, however he would have had at least some motivation to take action.

As episode 4 reveals, Maldonado-Passage needed to be a TV and radio persona, releasing nation bangers again in the day. Nonetheless, a mysterious hearth and Carole Baskin’s lawsuit would set his plans aflame. On March 26, 2015, a fireplace created extra chaos at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park round 2:30 to 4:30 a.m. It burned seven alligators and a crocodile alive. It additionally destroyed Joe’s studio for Joe Exotic TV. Tools was stolen, together with gadgets with 60,000 hours of footage documented since 1999.

Maldonado-Passage believed that the arsonist was making an attempt to “make a press release” and take him off the air. One factor is probably going sure: the hearth wasn’t random. In keeping with officers, the arsonist must know the park’s amenities to commit the crime. There have been a number of suspects to this point: animal activists, Rick Kirkham, and Joe Exotic himself.

Animal activists have had numerous beef with Maldonado-Passage, who carries an unsavory monitor document of animal abuse on and off-camera. Maldonado-Passage additionally went after Baskin, the CEO of the animal sanctuary Huge Cat Rescue who sued him for trademark infringement. Baskin, evidently, is certainly one of the loudest and most beloved voices in the animal rights group. He harassed Baskin by way of social media messages and posted degrading movies of her. Proper earlier than the hearth, Baskin gained a lawsuit in opposition to him for 1,000,000 {dollars}.

Then there’s Kirkham. Virtually a resident at the zoo, Kirkham produced Joe Exotic TV, however he was extra involved in making a actuality present about the zoo. (No, it wasn’t Tiger King.) John Reinke, a zoo worker, seemed at safety footage and believed that the individual lurking round the park the morning of the hearth may’ve been Kirkham. The producer brushed this off, saying that he had no monetary incentive to burn the zoo, that the footage misplaced was his “retirement.” Reinke prompt that Kirkham may have taken his footage. The plot thickens as a result of every week earlier than the hearth, Kirkham and Maldonado-Passage argued over who owned Joe Exotic TV. Maldonado-Passage needed to chop off ties with Kirkham, who contractually owned his present.

All of this leads us to the final query: May Joe Exotic have set the hearth himself? Or pay somebody off to do it? In keeping with his workers, he went to a funeral throughout the time of the hearth. Returning to the wreckage, he supplied a $10,000 reward for details about the arsonist. He blamed animal activists (and, after all, Baskin). However was this all arrange by Maldonado-Passage as a publicity stunt? It is attainable. This might’ve been a ploy to spite Kirkham or destroy incriminating proof of animal abuse and different illicit actions on tape. Plus, the hearth may’ve been a set-up for sympathetic individuals to present him cash — in any case, Baskin’s lawsuit drained him.

Clearly, there have been many suspects over the final 5 years, and the story actually can go any which means. Immediately, the zoo hearth case stays unsolved.