They were rivals, it is important to the story that the sanctuary belongs to Baskin:
> Joe Exotic is now serving 22 years for trafficking animals, killing tigers, and plotting to murder his sworn enemy, the big-cat rights activist Carole Baskin.
He ripped off Carol Baskin's logo and lost a $1m trademark infringement case. Joe transferred the park to his mother so Carol couldn't seize it as part of that judgement. This is just a judge ruling the transfer was fraudulent and giving the property to Carol.
