Everybody’s talking about Tiger King, and the seemingly neverending plot twists and turns that unfold along the way,

In case you missed this morning’s story, here are five facts that were left out by the show’s producers.

With so much going on, it’s often easy to lose sight of the fact that the real losers are the animals, neglected at various points during the show’s filming.

We also live in hope that shows like this outline exactly why you need to be careful about which ‘petting zoos’, or ‘big cat encounters’ kinds of businesses you support.

Potential spoilers in this graph below…

I think this, via the always excellent @mattsurelee, hits the nail on the head:

Desire to own a tiger, or support a business similar to many of those featured in Tiger King – zero.

Closer to home, some South African zoos and municipalities should hang their heads in shame with regards to the treatment of animals.

In Bloemfontein, that is particularly true, and a News24 article from last month laid bare some horrific truths.

Carte Blanche recently followed up to see what had been done:

From bushbuck to impala and even buffalo, Carte Blanche investigates why animals at the Bloemfontein Zoo were neglected, some left to die, in the months after the Provincial Department of Environment closed the zoo’s doors for business.

The zoo has become the latest casualty of the bankrupt Mangaung Municipality. We ask the administrators why caregivers left animals without food and water.

Some of what you see below is truly heartbreaking:

Thankfully, as the SPCA inspectors point out, most of the animals have been rehomed, where they can enjoy a better quality of life.

[source:carteblanche]