Former Beaufort County big cat owner involved in another tiger controversy

A former Beaufort County businessman scrutinized for displaying lions and tigers here is involved in another big cat controversy, according to news reports.

A Florida animal attraction was ordered by a federal judge last week not to relocate its tigers until People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had a chance to inspect the facility and the animals’ living conditions as part of an ongoing lawsuit, the Tampa Bay Times reported. In an apparent response to the ruling, Dade City Wild Things sent 19 tigers to Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, where they arrived Sunday, the newspaper reported.

The Oklahoma animal park is owned by Jeff Lowe, according to a report in The Oklahoman in June. Lowe owned Beaufort Liquidation in Burton and came under scrutiny by Beaufort County officials in 2015 for displaying lions and tigers at the business.

He was found not guilty of county zoning violations in a jury trial that year.

Lowe started an online fundraising campaign July 13 the page said would help pay for expanding the Oklahoma zoo to accommodate the tigers from Florida.

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 9:45 AM.