missdawnann Review of The Elephant in the Living Room

The Elephant in the Living Room (2010)

Very informative documentary about the horrors of the exotic pet trade and the tragic lives of the animals involved.

[10/10 · 2 April 2011]

This movie will shock and astound you. It follows the work of a county officer/firefighter/paramedic, Tim Harrison, who takes the calls concerning loose large cats, poisonous snakes, or anything else of the sort that are released by owners or escape from their enclosures. He works to remedy dangerous and unhealthy situations for these animals by serving as a placement coordinator where he can. During the film we meet an owner who loves his pet lions, but keeps them in extremely confined conditions that become progressively worse after one escapes and chases cars down the highway. We see the tragedies unfold until he decides it is no longer feasible to keep the remaining lions and permits Tim to assist rehome them. You get a peek into some of the exotic pet auctions that will leave you with haunting images of primates, hyenas, and bears being sold like cattle to people with no sort of permit or certification. The reptiles people have access to is unbelievable. After seeing this film one realizes the importance of having laws in place to control this trade.