“Tiger King” star Carole Baskin announced Thursday that she had launched a new virtual reality game where players track tigers in the wild.
In a press release, Baskin has worked since February with developer Xennial Digital on the game.
"My goal for decades has been to stop the practice of holding wild cats hostage under the guise of conservation or education," Baskin said in the statement. "Judging from the tens of thousands of calls, letters, emails, and social posts I’ve gotten after Tiger King aired, it’s clear to me that most people don’t understand that breeding tigers are causing their extinction in the wild, not preventing it. Another fallacy that came into sharp focus was the general public’s belief that captive-bred big cats can be set free.
Baskin said she wanted to prove to people that there was a better way to educate people and make them care about conservation than keeping wild animals in cages, so she wanted to develop a game to make that happen.
“It’s a fully immersive game that takes the player on a journey where they learn how to track a tiger in the wild,” Baskin said. “Along the way, they learn about the plight of the tiger in the wild and how the lucrative cub petting industry is fueling the demand for poached wild tigers. In the end, the user is empowered with the knowledge and resources to bring the tiger back from the edge of extinction.”
Baskin finished the statement saying she won't be giving out any interviews at this time, although many people have more questions about her take on "Tiger King".