Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is applauding the impending arrest of embattled wildlife center owner Timothy Stark after Stark was held in contempt of court Wednesday.
Hill sued Stark and his animal rehabilitation center, Wildlife In Need (WIN), earlier this year for allegedly abusing exotic animals.
"Tim Stark has sought to hamper the wheels of justice at every step of the way,” Hill said via a Wednesday news release. “The court has shown extraordinary tolerance of his antics, but today it wisely decided that enough was enough in terms of Stark’s continuous attempts to thwart the judicial process.”
Crews from the state and the Indianapolis Zoological Society began removing animals from WIN facilities in southern Indiana earlier this week after a Marion County judge ordered Stark to relinquish custody of the animals and also to stay at least one mile away from the property.
Hill alleged on Monday that Stark was concealing some animals from authorities, and the court gave Stark until Tuesday afternoon to tell investigators the animals' location. Stark did not comply with that order.
READ MORE: Crews Begin Removing Exotic Animals From Indiana Site
Hill's lawsuit against Stark is pending.
Stark gained some notoriety when he appeared on the Netflix show "Tiger King" this spring.
WIN also faced scrutiny in 2019 when an employee was bitten by a hyena.
