| JOEEXOTIC | The Netflix series Tiger King centred on this former zookeeper and convicted felon (3,6) |
| EXOTIC | Surname of Joe, the subject of the 2020s Netflix series Tiger King (6) |
| TOWER | Series of fantasy novels by Stephen King, centred on the knight/ gunslinger Roland Deschain (3,4,5) |
| THEDARK | Series of fantasy novels by Stephen King, centred on the knight/ gunslinger Roland Deschain (3,4,5) |
| ASHLEY | Harriet Finch has something of a crush on this former vicar in the Dales (6,6) |
| BASKIN | Surname of Carol, the CEO of Big Cat Rescue who featured in the 2020 Netflix true crime documentary series Tiger King (6) |
| IRWIN | Steve -; late zookeeper and television presenter nicknamed the Crocodile Hunter (5) |
| KEVINJAMES | US actor whose films include Grown Ups, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Here Comes the Boom, Zookeeper and Hitch (5,5) |
| REPEATER | Twice-convicted felon |
| APPEAL | Choice for a convicted felon |
| CHAINGANG | Convicted felons with connections (5,4) |
| PRISONERS | Play in progress, losing golf to convicted felons |
| GALLAGHER | Aidan - stars as Number Five in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy (9) |
| TIGERKING | *Netflix documentary series about a controversial zookeeper |
| TRAPEZIUM | It's four-sided where tapir and emu could have surrounded head zookeeper (9) |
| ORGANIZER | Zookeeper |
| PIRACY | Anne Bonny and Mary Read were tried and convicted for this crime in Jamaica in 1720 (6) |
| FREDDYCARTER | Star of the BBC series Free Rein and the Netflix series Shadow And Bone (6,6) |
| MORRIS | Former vice-president of the Bluebell Railway who played the part of the zookeeper in Animal Magic and narrated Tales of the Riverbank (6) |
| KRISTENBELL | The Good Place actress who plays Joanne on the Netflix series Nobody Wants This: 2 wds. |
