Crystal Dike
The world of exotic animal exhibition was thrown into mourning over the weekend after Ryan Easley, a veteran handler and operator of Growler Pines Tiger Preserve, was fatally mauled by a tiger during a routine interaction at his facility in southeastern Oklahoma.
Easley, 39, was widely known in big-cat circles through his company, ShowMe Tigers, which supplied tigers for public demonstrations and had past ties to figures featured in Netflix’s Tiger King series, including Joe Exotic and Doc Antle. Authorities confirmed the attack occurred on Saturday but offered no details on the sequence of events.
Growler Pines suspended all tours and encounters immediately after the tragedy. In a statement, the preserve described Easley as “a man whose love for tigers went beyond business, a caretaker who understood both their beauty and their risks.”
His death has sparked a wave of reactions across conservation, entertainment, and animal rights circles.
Animal rights group PETA condemned the practice of using tigers in shows, alleging Easley had in the past forced big cats to perform under harsh conditions. The group renewed calls for all exotic animal exhibitors to close and for the animals to be transferred to accredited sanctuaries.
Joe Exotic, the imprisoned zookeeper who rose to notoriety through Tiger King, distanced himself from the incident. In a social media post, he claimed his connection to Easley was “minimal and historic,” noting that Easley had once housed some of his tigers temporarily.
Public debate has since intensified over the safety and ethics of maintaining dangerous predators in captivity. Supporters remember Easley as a passionate advocate for conservation who lived — and ultimately died — close to the animals he cherished. Critics, however, argue that the attack underscores the inherent dangers of keeping apex predators for human entertainment.
For now, the gates of Growler Pines remain shut as the community mourns its loss and regulators consider the broader implications of yet another fatal encounter between man and beast.