Can you see Bubbles the elephant or a tiger cub? What happened to Myrtle Beach Safari
At the end of a long private driveway on Folly Ranch Lane in the Socastee area sits a 50-acre wildlife park known for offering “safari” tours and photo ops with its exotic animal residents.
After making headlines once for its inclusion in the pandemic-era docuseries “Tiger King,” and again after its owner faced money laundering and animal trafficking charges, speculation arose as to what would happen to Myrtle Beach Safari.
Customers could pay up to $400 or more to ride an elephant, pet a lion or get their picture taken with a wolf. But when the park’s owner Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison in July 2025, the future of the attraction seemed uncertain.
But despite legal turmoil, it appears the Netflix-famous attraction remains open to a small handful of visitors.
‘Tiger King’ star tried to sell Myrtle Beach wildlife park
Antle admitted to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act, which involves trafficking in illegally taken wildlife or federally protected species, as well as laundering more than $500,000 in what he believed was an operation to smuggle undocumented immigrants over the Mexico border into the United States. He was then sentenced to a year in federal prison and fined $55,000. He will also face three years of supervised release.
As a result of this sentencing, Antle also had to forfeit three chimpanzees and nearly $200,000 to the government.
He was also previously convicted in Virginia in 2023 to two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and two counts of felony conspiracy involving the purchase of endangered lion cubs. He was given a two-year suspended sentence and fined $10,000.
Days after Antle’s 2022 arrest for money laundering, court documents show that Antle tried to sell the safari park to Sugriva Co. LLC — a company owned by his wife. This attempt resulted in the government requesting a bond modification barring Antle from selling the park. The judge agreed to modify his bond, but only to the extent that he would be required to notify the court before transferring property.
PETA claims Antle operating Myrtle Beach Safari illegally from behind bars
Days after Antle’s 2025 sentencing, the animal advocacy group PETA sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture requesting an investigation into the safari park. They claimed that Antle was continuing to exhibit wild animals without proper licensing.
Following Antle’s 2023 Virginia conviction, he was denied a federal exhibitor’s license by the USDA, PETA said in a statement. However, Sugriva Co. LLC had already been awarded one, and Myrtle Beach Safari continued to operate under this license instead.
USDA records show that Sugriva Co. had a license which expired in October 2025, while Antle and Myrtle Beach Safari do not appear to have licenses. No record of a more recent license has been made available, online records show.
The USDA did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday seeking more information on whether the attraction is properly licensed.
It is unclear whether the business was ultimately sold to Sugriva Co.
In online posts, it appears that Antle’s son, Kody Antle, is still regularly involved with the safari park. He can be seen in videos frequently interacting with the animals there. However, it is unclear whether he has assumed responsibility for the park’s operations. Kody Antle did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Horry County land records show that the property is owned by Wildlife Preserve Land LLC — the company Antle transferred the land to for $5 in 2015. The registered agent for Wildlife Preserve Land is listed as Tilakam Watterson, Antle’s daughter. The address listed for the company is 1314 Professional Drive in Myrtle Beach, which appears to be an office building housing a law firm.
Where does this leave Myrtle Beach Safari?
Despite being subject to scrutiny and questioning, Myrtle Beach Safari remains in operation. The park’s website recently opened booking for 2026 tours, which will begin in March and include day tours, night tours, photo encounters and private encounters to those who buy tickets in advance.
Myrtle Beach Safari did not respond to requests for comment.
The website says the park offers tours three days per week, and is open by reservation only.
Sun News reporters were unable to access the park — which has many “No Trespassing” signs at the entrance — on Friday, but there appeared to be staff on site.
The attraction still has valid business licenses locally, Horry County records show.
