Carole Baskin, born Carole Stairs Jones on June 6, 1961 in Bexar County, Texas, emerged as an unlikely but central figure in popular culture through her lifelong animal rights activism and a sensational documentary series. She is the founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit sanctuary dedicated to the welfare of captive big cats, but she drew international fame and notoriety from her featured role in the 2020 Netflix documentary series Tiger King. The series chronicled her bitter and long-running feud with Oklahoma-based private zoo operator Joe Exotic, catapulting her personal life and catchphrase, "Hey all you cool cats and kittens!", into the global spotlight.

Her early life was marked by challenges, including leaving home as a teenager. She married her first husband, Michael Murdock, in 1979. Her path changed fundamentally in the early 1990s when she met Don Lewis, a wealthy businessman with whom she shared a passion for cats. They married in 1991 and together founded Wildlife on Easy Street, which later evolved into Big Cat Rescue. Lewis disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1997 and was declared legally dead in 2002, a tragedy that would later fuel intense public speculation following Tiger King. Baskin has consistently and vehemently denied any involvement in his disappearance, addressing the allegations directly on her sanctuary's website.

Following Lewis's disappearance, Baskin continued to grow Big Cat Rescue into a prominent animal sanctuary and advocacy organization, campaigning against the private ownership of big cats and breeding of cubs for petting zoos. In 2004, she married her current husband, Howard Baskin, who became an integral part of the sanctuary's operations and her public defense. The release of Tiger King in 2020 transformed Baskin into a household name, with the series focusing heavily on her feud with Joe Exotic, who was convicted for his murder-for-hire plot against her and wildlife violations.

Capitalizing on her sudden fame to further her cause, Baskin became a contestant on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2020, performing a memorable jazz routine to "Eye of the Tiger." She and Howard later provided their perspective in the 2021 documentary Shooting Joe Exotic, hosted by Louis Theroux. Despite the controversy and meme culture that surrounds her, Carole Baskin remains a dedicated activist, leading Big Cat Rescue and continuing her legislative efforts to pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act, aiming to end the private trade and ownership of big cats across the United States.