The father of “Tiger King” star Joe Exotic has reportedly died after a battle with COVID-19.
A funeral for Francis Schreibvogel is scheduled to take place Saturday in Oklahoma, according to TMZ, which first reported his death.
Other details about his death have not been released.
Schreibvogel’s son, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, is a former Oklahoma zookeeper who rose to widespread fame last year when Netflix released its “Tiger King” documentary series about major players in the world of big cat exhibitors.
Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year sentence behind bars on multiple charges, including for his alleged role in a murder-for-hire plot against animal rights activist Carole Baskin.
Maldonado-Passage’s team has been trying to get him pardoned, and is now expediting those efforts in hopes of allowing him to attend his father’s funeral, TMZ reported.
Members of his team reportedly plan to fly to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
If that attempt is unsuccessful, Maldonado-Passage will seek out a temporary release from a judge in an effort to attend the funeral, according to TMZ.
In September, Maldonado-Passage submitted a 257-page petition urging President Trump to pardon him.
