Covid-19: Tiger King star Joe Exotic is renewing his request for a pardon after his father died of coronavirus

Joe Exotic has contacted Kim Kardashian West to ask for help getting out of prison. Photo / Supplied

Joe Exotic is renewing his request for a pardon after his father died of coronavirus.

The 'Tiger King' star is currently serving a 22-year sentence behind bars after being convicted of plotting a murder-for-hire against Big Cat Rescue rival Carole Baskin as well as other charges but he is desperate to obtain a pardon for his crimes so he can attend his dad's funeral.

Joe's legal team are set to fly to Washington D.C. to meet with an official, one of Joe's legal representatives Eric Love has told TMZ, in a bid to get the Netflix star out of jail before Sunday.

Joe's father, Francis Schreibvogel, died of complications of coronavirus and even if Joe can't secure a full pardon, he is at least hoping for a day release pass to allow him to mourn his father.

It comes after Joe contacted Kim Kardashian West to ask for help getting out of prison.

In a letter to the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star, Joe wrote: "I know you have never met me and may never want to however I do believe that you hold the values of our justice system dear to your heart."

"I am writing you this letter not as Joe Exotic but as the person Joseph Maldonado-Passage, asking you to please help me by just taking 10 minutes out of your life and placing a call to President Trump to look at my 257 page pardon it's all the evidence I'm innocent and ask him to sign my pardon so I can return home to [my husband] Dillon [Passage] and my father ..."

"I have lost 57 years of work, my zoo, my animals, my mother has died, my dad is dying and I've been taken away from my husband who I love dearly."

"Everyone is so busy making movies, getting interviews, selling stuff and dressing up like me that everyone forgot I'm a real live person in prison and kept from even telling my own story for something I didn't do."