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The Director of T.I.G.E.R.S.
Bhagavan Antle

Bhagavan Antle - Director of T.I.G.E.R.S.

Mahamayavi Bhagavan "Doc" Antle is the founder and director of the Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS), a worldrenowned wildlife preserve located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA. He is also the founder of the Rare Species Fund, a grassroots organization that supports wildlife conservation projects in situ around the globe.

Doc credits his great love for wild and exotic animals to his upbringing on a vast cattle ranch in Arizona where he spent his formative years. From a very young age he began raising and caring for every animal he could get his hands on. As a young man he had the opportunity to travel and explore the world and spent a significant amount of time in Asia where he received a doctorate degree in medicine. Today, Doc is widely recognized as one of the foremost animal trainers in the world, having worked with thousands of animals and traveled the globe promoting the education and conservation of some of our planet's rarest and most endangered species.

In 1983 Doc founded TIGERS as a wildlife education organization dedicated to promoting global conservation education through entertaining, interactive programs. He pioneered the use of animal ambassador programs to help visitors reconnect with the natural world and to promote special connections with wildlife that could drive a global conservation message and agenda. The animal ambassadors at TIGERS are living examples of current worldwide environmental issues and are the best possible surrogates to help promote the importance of wildlife conservation and global biodiversity. The TIGERS preserve and its sister project in Miami, Florida, receive more than three million visitors annually. The preserve has raised and trained more than four hundred big cats since its inception and is considered one of the premier private wildlife facilities in the world.

The Rare Species Fund (RSF) also established in 1983, is a grassroots organization that provides financial support and practical training to wildlife conservation initiatives in situ. While the Fund does not limit its geographic footprint, its support has primarily focused on projects in South America, Africa, and Thailand. The direct-to-end-user approach employed by the RSF places it among the world's most effective conservation advocates and ensures the greatest value for every dollar spent. RSF also works closely with state, federal, and international bodies to develop and support sound wildlife policies and to secure sustained funding for longterm research and conservation initiatives. RSF projects optimize the prospects for preserving endangered species; for releasing captive animals into suitable, protected habitats; and for expanding awareness of the ties between humans and the natural world. To date, the RSF has contributed more than $1 million USD to wildlife initiatives around the globe.

Doc has worked on over 500 films, documentaries, TV shows and advertisements of all kinds. His credits include films like Ace Ventura, Dr. Dolittle, Mighty Joe Young, Disney's Jungle Book and many, many more. Doc is often consulted and appears as an on-screen wildlife expert for networks like the National Geographic Channel, BBC, Discovery Channel and CNN.