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Numerous exotic cats seized in most recent raid at Tiger King facility sent to Colorado

The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg is now home to 120 animals that had been at facilities seen in the Netflix documentary "Tiger King."
Credit: AP
In this Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, file photo, one of the tigers living at the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park is pictured at the park in Wynnewood, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

KEENESBURG, Colo. — Multiple exotic cats seized from the Tiger King Park earlier this month have made their way to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, a facility that's home to 120 animals that lived at places seen in the Netflix documentary. 

Pat Craig, the executive director of the Wild Animal Sanctuary, said he was limited in what he could release publicly due to the ongoing Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation. 

The DOJ announced Thursday that a total of 68 lions, tigers and ligers (lion/tiger hybrids) were taken from the Tiger King Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma in May over alleged mistreatment under the Endangered Species Act.

This facility is now owned by Jeff Lowe and his wife Lauren. Jeff Lowe was a central figure in the Netflix documentary "Tiger King", which featured Joe Exotic (his real name is Joe Maldonado-Passage). 

Exotic previously operated the Tiger King zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, which the Lowes also operated before moving it to Thackerville, a community near the Texas border.

Exotic is serving a 22-year prison sentence for a murder-for-hire plot.  

RELATED: Feds seize 68 big cats from 'Tiger King Park' in Oklahoma

RELATED: 39 tigers, 3 bears from the ‘Tiger King’s' roadside zoo are now in Colorado

Craig said the Wild Animal Sanctuary has taken 50 cats from Lowe's facility since January. 

The Wild Animal Sanctuary's website says it is home to 600 rehabilitated animals that live on 10,500 acres of land at its three facilities. 

The largest spans 9,000 acres in southwestern Colorado, and the public can visit the main facility in Keenesburg. 

In addition to lions and tigers, the Wild Animal Sanctuary is also home to bears, wolves, jaguars, leopards, alpacas and more. 

Learn more about the Wild Animal Sanctuary here. 

> Watch the video above for a previous 9NEWS story on the Wild Animal Sanctuary.

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