October 16, 2024 10:19 AM UTC

"Tiger King's" Carol Baskin Pours Big Bucks Into Big Cat Hunting Ban

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

Among the 14 statewide measures Colorado voters are working through on this year’s ballot is Proposition 127, which would ban the hunting of mountain lions, lynx, and bobcats, with exceptions for self-defense or defending livestock. It’s not a fight in which we in this space have a dog or a cat, but as FOX 31 reported last month, the measure is picking up a lot of high-profile conservationist support:

Several notable figures from Colorado and out-of-state have endorsed Proposition 127, which would ban trophy hunting of big cats like mountain lions, bobcats or lynx.

Some notable people who are in favor of the proposition include Academy Award-winning actor Robert Redford, international conservationist Jane Goodall and former Colorado politicians Tom Tancredo and Mark Udall, according to a press release from Cats Aren’t Trophies, a coalition behind the effort that includes multiple Colorado organizations…

“Preserving the natural balance of Colorado’s wilderness means respecting all its inhabitants,” Redford said. “Mountain lions and bobcats are vital to the ecosystem, and their lives should not be reduced to trophies or pelts. Banning trophy hunting and fur trapping is not just about protecting these magnificent creatures, it’s about safeguarding the integrity of our natural world for future generations.”

Big name endorsements always help, but one of the biggest financial supporters of Proposition 127 putting her money where her big cat’s mouth is is none other than Carol Baskin, made famous a few years ago as either the protagonist or the villain (opinions vary strongly) of the wildly popular Netflix series Tiger King:

That’s a total of $225,000 from Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue to the Proposition 127 campaign, a sign among other things that life post-Tiger King fame has been good for Baskin’s financial bottom line! We haven’t heard how Baskin’s eponymous nemesis from the show feels about Colorado’s proposed big cat hunting ban, but Joe Exotic is reportedly more focused these days on overturning his 21-year prison sentence after his Lyndon LaRouche-style run for President from jail didn’t work out.

Will the bitterly opposed factions from Tiger King find common ground protecting Colorado’s big cats? Perhaps that plot twist will make Season 4.