JoeExoticTV

Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage (born: ), known professionally as Joe Exotic, is an American former zoo operator and musician. He is the former owner and operator of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park (G.W. Zoo) in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. Joe dedicated his entire life to the care, preservation and well being of exotic and domestic animals, building one of the largest and most beautiful animal sanctuaries in the United States of America.
A recognised force in the animal rescue care and rights arena, Joe is one of the world's leading experts in the care of big cats. Housing over 170 tigers and lions it made the G.W. Zoo the world's largest accredited refuge for big cats in the world. Joe is also a Master Illusionist & Magician, who brought his Road Show of exotic animals and amazing magic to private, corporate and public events. Joe is also known for his dynamic personality, and is loved by thousands of people across the world. His YouTube channel, JoeExoticTV, was created in November 2012.
In 2020, Netflix released an eight-part documentary, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, focused on Joe, his zoo, and his feud with Carole Baskin, the founder of Big Cat Rescue. The documentary led to Joe receiving significant amounts of attention on social media.
== History ==
===Backstory ===
Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage was born in Kansas in 1963 as Joseph Schreibvogel. After graduation, Joe talked his way into becoming the police chief of a Texas town called Eastvale. Overcome with shame one night in 1985, Joe attempted suicide by crashing his police cruiser into a concrete bridge embankment at high speed. He ended up with a broken back, spent 57 days in traction in the hospital, and then moved down to West Palm Beach, Florida, to participate in an experimental saltwater rehabilitation program. Joe’s neighbour down there, a man named Tim, happened to be the manager of a pet store, and Tim’s friend worked at a drive-through zoo, one of those places where customers could ride around in safari cars and look out the windows at lions and other veld animals roaming free. Tim’s friend would sometimes bring home baby lions and let Joe play with them on their peach-coloured carpet. This began Joe's love for exotic animals.
===Operator of the G.W. Zoo ===
One day in October 1997, Joe received a call informing him that his brother had been involved in a car accident while driving to Florida. Garold died soon after. Joe’s parents won a sizable settlement from the trucking company responsible for the death, but his father refused to spend it, dismissing the settlement as “blood money.” Garold’s wife and kids wanted to build a soccer field in his honour, but Joe had another idea. It was his brother’s dream to go to Africa and see wild lions. Since Garold never got to travel to the wilds of Africa, Joe purchased an old horse ranch in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, where he began building a refuge for rescued animals. He named it after his brother: the Garold Wayne Exotic Animal Memorial Park, also well known as the G.W. Zoo.
In 2000, Joe acquired his first two tigers, which had been abandoned. For over 20 years he was known as Joe Exotic, the owner and operator of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park (a.k.a. G.W. Zoo), known for its big cats. He operated an online reality television show that he streamed from his zoo. Over the years, he operated sideshows around the country, allowing people to pet tiger cubs. He also staged shows at fairs and in shopping malls.In 2002, Joe met a talented magician named Johnny Magic, and they briefly combined their efforts; Joe bringing animals onstage and Johnny performing illusions. In one of their most popular tricks, a baby tiger was magically transformed into a full-grown one. When Johnny Magic decided to retire, Joe used many of the tricks and folded the cub-petting into a magic show, which he called Mystical Magic of the Endangered. At first, he toured in a 1969 Frito-Lay truck. As the scale of his operation grew, he upgraded to a Winnebago, then a proper tour bus. The magic show let Joe spend time onstage bathing in applause, which he enjoyed, but it was primarily meant to draw people to the petting zoo, where the bulk of the money was made. People were willing to pay $25 to hold a baby tiger for six minutes and $25 more for a glossy photo; Joe bragged that his mobile petting zoo once pulled in $23,697 in five days.
In 2013, 3 liliger females were born at the G.W. Zoo, and were the first liligers born on American soil. They were born to a lion father and liger mother. In a video, Joe explained that hybrid animals have been proven by scientists to be genetically stronger than pure-bred animals. In 2014, Joe decided to make a reality show about himself. He invested in a green screen, new cameras, and a movie-premiere-style backdrop with JOE EXOTIC TV printed all over it, which he would use while holding press conferences about himself. He cut a sizzle reel and hired a crew. Soon he was spending tens of thousands of dollars a year producing a live nightly chat show, complete with prerecorded segments from the zoo, that was viewed by a few dozen people each night. In 2014, Joe hired a new producer, Rick Kirkham, to help with the reality show. Kirkham pushed for greater theatricality. He urged Joe, who had dubbed himself “the Tiger King,” to build a throne so they could film him sitting on it, wearing a crown, for a sizzle reel.
Over many years, Joe Exotic maintained a fierce rivalry with Carole Baskin, another owner of wild animals. They battled over the morality of breeding wild animals, using them in pop-up petting zoos, and profiting by charging customers to hold or pet animals. They battled in the courtroom, through Internet websites, spying, trademark infringement, and eventually Joe's plot to have Carole killed by a hit-man.
===Music career===
Joe is a country musician. In 2014, Joe began his music career with his debut album I Saw A Tiger, and released his second album Star Struck the following year. Joe's music is preformed and written by Danny Clinton and Vince Johnson, and the songs were regularly played at the G.W. Zoo. Some of his most well known songs include I Saw A Tiger, Because You Love Me and Here Kitty Kitty. Most of Joe's music can be found on his YouTube channel JoeExoticTV, which states that the mission of the channel and the zoo is to preserve and protect exotic animals through fun and informative education.
===Political career===
He ran as Joe Exotic in the 2018 Libertarian Party primary election for Governor of Oklahoma. He received 664 votes in the primary, finishing last among the three Libertarian candidates. During his primary campaign, he was officially censured by the Oklahoma Libertarian Party.
== YouTube Channel History ==
Joe created his YouTube account on November 21, 2012. The channel description states the mission of the channel and the zoo is to preserve and protect exotic animals through fun and informative education. The channel mainly features videos about the G.W. Zoo, as well as music videos and other related media. It is still active to this day.
== Discography ==
=== Albums ===
* I Saw A Tiger (2014)
* Star Struck (2015)
Category:Vlogging YouTubers
Category:Music YouTubers
Category:Educational YouTubers
Category:Commentary YouTubers
Category:American YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2012