Louis Theroux: America's Most Dangerous Pets
- Thread starter lee456
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I found it really upsetting. I honestly don't know what to say.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
What can I say that others haven't,apart from wait till they have bred Sabre-toothed Cats at the place,then they can start on Unicorns!!!
I thought it was ridiculous after three words. How they think a Sabre-Toothed Tiger will emerge from mixing animals is beyond me. I would have though the big clue in the name of the animal would have been a give away.
As for the others in the programme the less said the better.
I hate the BBC for not letting you stream things from outside the UK...but I am in the UK so I watched it. For the most part it showed a place called G.W. Wildlife Park. A place with something like 160 big cats, most of them kept in tiny cages and even a few mixed species groups. The owner of the park was so easily hate-able. At one point he tried to justify keeping a bear and a lion together by saying that it was educational because it showed how we can all get along. The saber-toothed cat that people are talking about is a project of the park. They hope to achieve this by breeding goodness know what sort of mix in the hope of getting one to just pop out. One of the parks employees said that scientists were trying and failing to do it in laboratories and that they were doing it in real life, right there at the park. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I think the absolute worst practice of this place though was their animal roadshow. They drive around to shopping centres and set up temporary enclosures for baby big cats and bears among other animals so that people can have their photo taken. It doesn't sound so terrible (I'm not justifying this but that isn't the worst part) until you find out that they keep breeding their tigers and lions to keep this roadshow going to fund the park. They already have all of those big cats, they rescue some as well and they can still justify breeding more to drag all up and down the country side so people can have their photo taken with them. I think scam-tuary has never been a more befitting title.
They also went to see some cases of chimpanzees being kept by private individuals in tiny little cages. The owners bought their 'children' out of the cages for the cameras. Some of the chimps were reaching adulthood and weren't small anymore. It was just crazy. I'm so glad that these sorts of things would never be allowed in Australia and by the looks of it attitudes are changing in The United States as well.
They also went to see some cases of chimpanzees being kept by private individuals in tiny little cages. The owners bought their 'children' out of the cages for the cameras. Some of the chimps were reaching adulthood and weren't small anymore. It was just crazy. I'm so glad that these sorts of things would never be allowed in Australia and by the looks of it attitudes are changing in The United States as well.
That might have something to do with ensuring they get top monies from selling programmes abroad to anable them to continue their ongoing balancing act of producing some fine programming whilst not increasing the money they get from the government and UK licence payers (mandatory £145 per year per household with a TV).
Otherwise a good summary, you omitted the (in my opinion) even worse idiot punching the Lynx and some of the crazies turning up with dressed up animals for the "open day" (the Kangaroo in a pushchair was paticularly derranged) but you put accross the essence of the programme well.
I'm sure there's also a significant number of private individuals in the US who keep exotics very responsibly but unfortunately, as with everthing where reponsibility's left with individuals, there's always a core of people who don't do the right/sensible thing. For instance most people keep dogs or drive cars responsibly but there's always some that won't. Whether that means more laws and regulations are needed is a whole other, and complex, debate (personally I think the UK has got exotics regulations about right, though I know there are some that would disagree).
How could I forget? The same guy who went in with three or four nearly full grown bears and had a pet baboon who was allowed to climb all over Louis.
It was absolutely horrific, just one mad idea after another I particularly hated the lynx punching and capuchin with pierced ears!
I'm just glad in the uk we have good legislation and good ethics for example it seems in America most exotics are hand reared to be kept in a house but in the uk the majority parent rear everything unless totaly nessersary. Infact I know private keepers that have a 0% handrear policy
These are then kept in outdoor enclosures and treated like the animal that they are and not a surrogate child!
I'm just glad in the uk we have good legislation and good ethics for example it seems in America most exotics are hand reared to be kept in a house but in the uk the majority parent rear everything unless totaly nessersary. Infact I know private keepers that have a 0% handrear policy
These are then kept in outdoor enclosures and treated like the animal that they are and not a surrogate child!
nanoboy
Well-Known Member
After reading the reviews, I managed to obtain a copy of the show. "Depressing" and "shocking" are just two of the many words that come to mind.
What about the guy who said he wasn't bothered about breeding Bengals with Sumatrans with Siberians? "It's all tigers to me" he said. Jesus.
Or what about the guy who owned 160 big cats, and said that he would euthanise all the animals instead of letting PETA take them away from him?
What about the guy who said he wasn't bothered about breeding Bengals with Sumatrans with Siberians? "It's all tigers to me" he said. Jesus.
Or what about the guy who owned 160 big cats, and said that he would euthanise all the animals instead of letting PETA take them away from him?
Mr T
Well-Known Member
The only good thing about this is the fact that the animals he will be breeding are extremely unlikely to be pure breed animals anyway. As far as I am aware, and I may the be wrong, nearly all the tigers held by private owners in the USA are a mix of bengals and siberians.
I just watched the programme and was horrified. The junk food the woman fed her chimps, the irresponsible breeding, the bully beating up his lynx - and other animals I am sure, judging by their reactions - who said he had no respect for his wife, the dangerous practices... It's just unbelievable that any of it can be legal, it disgusts me.
It also made me angry that the woman who takes in chimps that have become unmanageable perpetuates the situation by selling baby chimps.
The whole thing was depressing and infuriating to watch.
I really hope that the unfortunate events in Ohio will somehow promt an urgent rethink in wild animal legislation.
I just wish Louis Theroux (who is a great presenter) had asked questions about private ownership rather than about the concept of animals in captivity in general which came up a couple of times. I was concerned that a casual viewer would equate mainstream responsible zoos with these dangerous and selfish individuals.
It also made me angry that the woman who takes in chimps that have become unmanageable perpetuates the situation by selling baby chimps.
The whole thing was depressing and infuriating to watch.
I really hope that the unfortunate events in Ohio will somehow promt an urgent rethink in wild animal legislation.
I just wish Louis Theroux (who is a great presenter) had asked questions about private ownership rather than about the concept of animals in captivity in general which came up a couple of times. I was concerned that a casual viewer would equate mainstream responsible zoos with these dangerous and selfish individuals.
Standpitpony
Well-Known Member
I think GW exotic animal memorial park is appaling.I went on to the website and all they ask you to do is donate money!!!Doesn't look like they'll be open for business for long...Which is DEFINITELY good news to me 
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I just saw this documentary the other night. Joe Dirt at the GW Wildlife Park seemed like an absolute nut, but then Louis went to see the guy who entertained himself by punching his lynx (I thought it was a bobcat though?) and Joe Dirt suddenly seemed completely normal in comparison. But then it got to the end where they started talking about breeding sabre-tooth tigers and I honestly couldn't even find words to come out of my mouth.
Really really bizarre programme.
Really really bizarre programme.
nanoboy
Well-Known Member
I liked the doco, but he kept asking the wrong question I think. Instead of asking if the animal shouldn't be in the wild, I think he should have asked their opinion whether the animals should be in private hands rather than zoos.
Is Joe Dirt the gay skinny guy? If so, I found him to be quite entertaining. I don't think it was relevant to highlight his alternative lifestyle though. If he did breed a sabre tooth tiger, that would be pretty cool, just like an elephant breeder hoping to get a mammoth popping out.