AN ICONIC Florida animal sanctuary has been sold after years of speculation fueled by unfounded claims that the owner killed her ex-husband on the property.

Big Cat Rescue and its former owner, Carole Baskin, rose to fame on the Netflix hit Tiger King after it was first released in March 2020.

The show’s titular star, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, claimed multiple times throughout the series that he believes Baskin, his rival, killed her second husband, Don Lewis, who originally owned Big Cat Rescue.

Lewis went missing in 1997 and was never found.

Baskin has denied any involvement in Lewis’ disappearance.

She took over Big Cat Rescue after he went missing and owned it up until last month.

After moving all of the rescue’s animals to a sanctuary in Arkansas, the owners sold the majority of the Tampa property.

“While there is naturally some emotion associated with the land sale after operating the sanctuary there for over 30 years, the overarching feeling is one of enormous satisfaction,” Howard Baskin shared in a statement with The U.S. Sun.

“This is a huge win-win both for the remaining abused captive cats we had here and for the cats in the wild who are under dire threats.”

The Baskins sold 56 of their 67 acres to a developer for $19.5 million.

The land is set to become townhomes and apartments, Carole’s husband Howard told local Fox affiliate WTVT.

However, unfounded speculation is swirling that investigators might look into the property for Lewis’ remains now that the property has been sold.

“Only a moron would even speculate about searching the property,” Howard told The U.S. Sun.

Lewis was declared legally dead five years after he went missing.

Exotic, who is currently serving 22 years in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against Baskin, spread meritless rumors that Baskin allegedly killed her husband and buried him on the property.

Baseless theories grew online that Lewis’ body was buried in a septic tank on the property.

However, Sheriff Chad Chronister, who led the investigation into Lewis’ disappearance at the time, disproved the idea.

“The tank wasn’t put in until years later, so it wasn’t relevant,” Chronister explained at a news conference in 2020.

Chronister also debunked allegations that Lewis’ body was put through meat grinders used to process tiger food, explaining the grinders were removed weeks before his disappearance.

NO BASE FOR WARRANT

Chris Castillo, a former assistant state attorney, told NBC affiliate WFLA-TV that investigators might have a hard time obtaining a warrant to search the property.

“This missing person’s report was filed with the sheriff’s office years and years ago,” Castillo told the outlet.

“So even if there was some evidence at the time that Mr. Lewis went missing that existed in that septic tank, there is a probability or a possibility that it may no longer exist in that location.”

Castillo said speculation and theories aren’t enough for investigators to get a warrant.

“You have to establish that there is actually facts or evidence through sworn testimony that a crime is occurring, has occurred or will occur,” Castillo said.

“Just mere speculation or conjecture or rumor is not enough to establish probable cause.”

There is no evidence that Lewis was murdered.

As for the Baskins, Howard said he and Carole plan to stay in Tampa.

“The proceeds of the property sale will be used to enormously increase the amount of funding we can do of in situ projects around the world that focus on reducing threats to wild cats to keep them from going extinct,” he told The U.S. Sun.

“We will particularly emphasize the smaller species that get little attention compared to the large, iconic species.”