According to Internet Media: Would you believe that there are more tigers in captivity in Texas than in the whole of Africa? Such declarations become completely credible as documentarian Michael Webber's "The Elephant in the Living Room" delves into the growing trend of Americans treating some of the most dangerous animals on Earth as household pets.
Webber anchors his film in the activities of Tim Harrison, a now-retired safety officer in Oakwood, Ohio, a leafy suburban community of stately homes on huge lots.
Harrison has captured and rescued hundreds of alligators, lions, tigers and the largest and most deadly snakes — all in the U.S.
News reports of a 500-plus-pound lion reported on an interstate highway bring Harrison in contact with the lion's owner, Terry Brumfield, who lives in nearby Pike County, where it is perfectly legal for him to keep the lion, Lambert, and his mate, Lacie, in a large caged area.
Still suffering from the effects of a serious truck accident, Brumfield has been soothed by his lions' presence and loves them like his own children. While fearing for the animals' ultimate fate, Harrison wins Brumfield's trust, and the unfolding of the men's friendship and the destiny of the lions form the trajectory of the film.
"The Elephant in the Living Room" reveals the folly, cruelty and danger of treating often lethal exotic animals as pets. This impeccably made film is chock-full of enlightening and sometimes bizarre moments: visits to an exotic animal expo and an auction at which a small boy is given a dangerous baby snake as a pet.
Webber is also fair-minded: he includes a Las Vegas exotic pets dealer, a trained zoologist who wisely states that unless owners of such creatures act responsibly, fear amid the public will cause increasing banning of the private ownership of such pets. "The Elephant in the Living Room" could scarcely be more engaging — or more consciousness-raising.
Webber anchors his film in the activities of Tim Harrison, a now-retired safety officer in Oakwood, Ohio, a leafy suburban community of stately homes on huge lots.
Harrison has captured and rescued hundreds of alligators, lions, tigers and the largest and most deadly snakes — all in the U.S.
News reports of a 500-plus-pound lion reported on an interstate highway bring Harrison in contact with the lion's owner, Terry Brumfield, who lives in nearby Pike County, where it is perfectly legal for him to keep the lion, Lambert, and his mate, Lacie, in a large caged area.
Still suffering from the effects of a serious truck accident, Brumfield has been soothed by his lions' presence and loves them like his own children. While fearing for the animals' ultimate fate, Harrison wins Brumfield's trust, and the unfolding of the men's friendship and the destiny of the lions form the trajectory of the film.
"The Elephant in the Living Room" reveals the folly, cruelty and danger of treating often lethal exotic animals as pets. This impeccably made film is chock-full of enlightening and sometimes bizarre moments: visits to an exotic animal expo and an auction at which a small boy is given a dangerous baby snake as a pet.
Webber is also fair-minded: he includes a Las Vegas exotic pets dealer, a trained zoologist who wisely states that unless owners of such creatures act responsibly, fear amid the public will cause increasing banning of the private ownership of such pets. "The Elephant in the Living Room" could scarcely be more engaging — or more consciousness-raising.
