Eric Goode went from running one of New York City’s hottest nightclubs to tracking down a man known as the “Pablo Escobar of animal trafficking.”

The filmmaker behind Tiger King now explores the global exotic reptile trade in his five-part HBO docuseries Monsters of God.

From Nightlife to Wildlife

Goode opened Area, a Manhattan nightclub, in the early 1980s. The venue attracted Andy Warhol and other figures from New York’s art scene.

The club also became known for its changing décor. One installation, called “Natural History,” featured live animals.

Goode turned to Florida reptile dealer Tom Crutchfield for the animals. Years later, authorities targeted Crutchfield in Operation Chameleon for smuggling endangered snakes and turtles from Madagascar.

Crutchfield fled to Belize before authorities extradited him to the US. He later served 30 months in prison.

Meeting the ‘Pablo Escobar’

Goode’s latest documentary takes him deeper into the world of animal trafficking. One of its key figures is Anson Wong, a Malaysian wildlife trafficker.

Known as the “Pablo Escobar of animal trafficking,” Wong runs a network of wildlife smuggling operations in Malaysia.

Goode travelled to the mountains of Penang to meet Wong. He admitted that the encounter made him nervous.

“I was definitely fearful the day before meeting him and wondering how this was going to play out,” Goode said.

He added, “Sometimes I wonder if I’m just being stupid. It’s not that I’m brave by any stretch, but you feel it out. I don’t know if it’s the most nervous I’ve been, but it’s certainly up there.”

A Different Look at Animal Trafficking

Goode said Monsters of God aims to show different sides of the illegal wildlife trade.

“I wanted ‘Monsters of God’ to get all sides of the story, which ‘Blackfish’ didn’t.’ They just got the detractors but didn’t get SeaWorld,” Goode explained.

The documentary examines dealers, smugglers, collectors, zoos and federal investigators.

For Goode, the project reflects a career filled with unexpected turns.

“My trajectory is so weird,” he said.

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