#Rick Kirkham Reveals ‘The Truth Behind Joe Exotic’ in ID Special

Preview Courtesy of Investigation Discovery

Five years after fleeing Oklahoma’s G.W. Exotic Animal Park, TV producer Rick Kirkham still has nightmares.

The industry veteran featured in Netflix’s sensational docuseries Tiger King had been working with erratic zoo owner “Joe Exotic,” aka Joe Maldonado-Passage, to launch a reality show.

When a mysterious 2015 fire destroyed most of his footage, Kirkham escaped with just his memories of Maldonado-Passage abusing animals and brandishing guns. Or so we thought.

In this new special, Kirkham, who lives in Norway, previews surviving footage that shows him being attacked by a tiger and the brash Maldonado-Passage — now serving 22 years behind bars for hiring a man to kill animal-rights activist Carole Baskin — fearful of his animals.

After this interview airs, exec producer Ulrika Bokstad says, Kirkham “wants to leave it all behind.”

The Truth Behind Joe Exotic: The Rick Kirkham Story, 9/8c, Investigation Discovery