The filmmakers behind the project, Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, aren’t the least bit surprised.
This seems to be more about ego and power, do you agree?
ERIC GOODE:This is not about someone’s love of animals, it’s about status.
Credit: Netflix
If someone really loved these animals, they wouldn’t have a collection.
But in this case people have hundreds and hundreds of animals, they have a menagerie.
you’ve got the option to’t possibly love that many animals.
So, it transcends the love of any one animal.
Now, they may have favorites but there’s a lot of anthropomorphizing going on.
These people like to think that their animals love them, and they love them back.
And in the documentary, they seem to struggle financially with keeping them all fed.
GOODE:Well it depends, its a case by case to be fair.
In Joe’s case, he really struggled to feed 225 tigers.
I’m sure that due to the coronavirus, no one’s going.
The people believe, and in their own skewed way, feel as though they love their animals.
For some, it’s like being in an abusive relationship.
So you do keep in touch with Lowe.
How are the animals doing?
Goode:I got a very long text today from Jeff Lowes, who is running Joes old zoo.
All I can tell you is that he is basically operating on fumes.
It’s not something that has just happened because of what’s happening in the world today.
But I think that it’s very sad whats happening to these animals.
And it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s going to happen to them.
Have you spoken to Joe since he went to jail?
This interview has been edited and condensed.
