0:00:03 > 0:00:07How safe is it for them to be outside? I heard they bite your nose off.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09- Oh, no, no, no. - But it does happen?- Yes.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Hey, baby!
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Come here to Mama.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17- He's OK. He just wants to hug. - Hello, how do you do?
0:00:17 > 0:00:19- Quite strong, isn't he?- Yeah. - He's quite strong.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- He's not going to bite me?- No.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- Why do I think he will bite me? - I don't know.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26He's not going for my nuts. He's not going to bite my testicles?
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- He wants you to hold him.- He wants you to hold him.- He'll squeeze you.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- He's not going to bite? - He'll put his mouth on you.- OK.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Just kiss him. Give him kisses.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37- Oh, yes.- Oh, that's lovely.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38OK.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- SHE LAUGHS - I read so much about them ripping your face off.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- Don't act nervous.- I'm not nervous.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45It's actually quite nice.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'I was on safari in the suburbs, on the trail of wild animals
0:00:53 > 0:00:55'and wild animal owners,
0:00:55 > 0:01:00'who have turned dangerous jungle creatures into human companions.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:04- You don't think animals really want to be wild?- No.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06They're not stupid.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08'Despite their risks,
0:01:08 > 0:01:14'there is a large and growing population of exotic animals who make their homes here in America.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19'And a network of breeders and dealers who make a living out of wildlife in captivity.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:25He decided he was going to be a tiger and they couldn't say, don't shoot my tiger.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27- Just let him eat...?- Say, eat me.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'I was hoping to find out if the practice is fair on the animals,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34'whether it's even safe and, most of all,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36'why anyone would want a tiger.'
0:01:49 > 0:01:53'GW Exotic Animal Park is a not-for-profit zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma,
0:01:53 > 0:01:58'with one of the largest big cat collections in the world.'
0:02:02 > 0:02:05'I'd arranged with park owner Joe Schreibvogel,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09'better known as Joe Exotic, to spend a few days at the park.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14'But my arrival had coincided with some unpleasant news.'
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Hi, we're going to do this rescue real quick
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and we've got just a limited time, OK?
0:02:23 > 0:02:27By early afternoon, they're forecasting a tornado outbreak.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30This is going to be, some of you, your first experience,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34so as soon as we get back, all the animals are going in lockdown.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35OK?
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Putting all the cats in lockdown,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41the chimps are going lockdown, all the primates are going lockdown.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45And we're going to get prepared for the worst.
0:02:45 > 0:02:51I have never in my life seen what they put on TV as far as a warning.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It's going to get that bad.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56You think there could be a tornado on the way here?
0:02:56 > 0:03:01- That is what they are calling for. - You have how many tigers here?- 176.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06- So it could release the tigers... - It would be a disaster.- ..into Oklahoma City.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- It could be a disaster.- These are captive-bred tigers, are they not?
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- They're not wild-born tigers. In a sense they're tame.- You're right.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16They're not going to be as dangerous as if a wild tiger was to be out there.
0:03:16 > 0:03:23But the only hazard is what the people would do to approach them.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27You know. Because these tigers would think you want them to play.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31What do I do if I...? I mean, can I help if there's an emergency?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34HE LAUGHS We'll lend you a gun!
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- We have enough guns.- It will be sad if...- It would be a horrible thing.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41- It would be sad if you had to shoot a bunch of tigers. - It would be horrible.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Very horrible.- Could you do that? - I would have to.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50'In previous lives, Joe had been a cop and a pet-store owner.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55'And he was still occasionally a magic entertainer.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00'Joe's park has more than 200 big cats,
0:04:00 > 0:04:05'including lions, tigers and a rare half-lion, half-tiger crossbreed,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07'called a liger.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13'Many of the animals are rescued and rehomed from private owners who could no longer take care of them.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:18OK. Let the fun begin.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22'The tornado is still a few hours away.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25'Joe had an appointment to rescue some more animals.'
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Tornadoes scare me more than tigers.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32Why?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Cos at least you can fight back with a tiger.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39There's no fighting back with a tornado.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43One of the pitfalls of exotic pet ownership
0:04:43 > 0:04:46is that animals that are manageable when small
0:04:46 > 0:04:48become more of a burden as they mature.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- Hey, chief.- How you doing? - It's been years.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- You don't look a whole lot different, other than you're greyer. - A little bit!
0:04:55 > 0:04:59- How are you going to attempt this, Joe?- That's what we're sitting here discussing -
0:04:59 > 0:05:02- which one we want to do first. - Are you going to tranquillise them?
0:05:02 > 0:05:07We're going to have to tranquillise the leopard. Leopards are a little more aggressive...
0:05:07 > 0:05:08than tigers are.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13- Why do you have them?- It's just something I always wanted to have, ever since I was a little kid.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- They're just pets?- Yeah, yeah. I've always loved them.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21- How come you're having to get rid of the animals?- I hurt my back couple of years ago.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I can't really get in with 'em or do anything with them, so...
0:05:24 > 0:05:27So he's re-homing them to the best facility in the country.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32'The cargo for this outing would be Curtis's tigers, Madonna and Big Boy,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'and his leopard, Jade.'
0:05:35 > 0:05:36Come here, girl.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Come here, sister. Come here, sister.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43The first job - to put them to sleep.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46That's all I needed.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49This will be painless.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54There you go! Good night.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57- There you go.- Get her?- Yep.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10These are amazing animals and you would think they'd have a value -
0:06:10 > 0:06:13is there not a big market for fully grown tigers, for private buyers?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- There is no market.- No?- None.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19You couldn't sell that tiger today for 100.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22There's too many out there to give away.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25I have 176 of them. HE CHUCKLES
0:06:34 > 0:06:36'Back at Joe's park, Jade, Madonna and Big Boy
0:06:36 > 0:06:39'were introduced to their new lodgings.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Hey!
0:06:44 > 0:06:47There you go. She's still sleepy.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49One, two, three.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Ooh! Oh! Oh!
0:06:53 > 0:06:55OK, now, this is what... Ssh! Be quiet.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Keep him in the shade.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Finish locking down your cats.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14We are...right here.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Here's Ardmore, where we just were. Here's Pauls Valley.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It's estimating in the next hour and a half,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24it's going to be big enough to start producing tornadoes.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Are you nervous?
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Always nervous.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31We got to do lock-ups. It's getting darker.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34'Before the tornado hit,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37'all the animals would have to be locked indoors.'
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Come on. Wah! One more...
0:07:39 > 0:07:41One more time. Wah!
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Joe, are they chimpanzees?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Dance!
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Turn around. Turn round.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- There we go!- Would you get in there with them?- No.- Why not?
0:07:53 > 0:07:59That's dangerous. That would be stupid, for me to get in with them,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02because they... They would hurt me.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Then they would get a bad name, so we just play through the bars.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08They don't look threatening.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10They'll lure you in,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and they'll be really, really lovable.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Until they can get you. And it's a game to them.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Have you locked these down now?
0:08:19 > 0:08:24They're cleaning the inside and they're feeding inside and then they'll go in lockdown.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25- For the tornado?- Right.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Are we OK to come in?
0:08:28 > 0:08:30- Huh?- Is it safe?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Get him! Get him!
0:08:36 > 0:08:39The chimps are secure and in lockdown.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46TIGER GROWLS What? What is that?
0:08:46 > 0:08:48What? Monique's in heat.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Which one is Monique?
0:08:50 > 0:08:55- The Tiger. It's actually a ti-liger. - What's a ti-liger?
0:08:55 > 0:08:59A liger mom and a white tiger dad.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02"So that's my girlfriend, huh?"
0:09:03 > 0:09:07See, normally, he wouldn't growl at you. Hey! Hey!
0:09:07 > 0:09:12That's your girlfriend, tell 'em! Hmm? Yep!
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- Do you like it when they do that to you?- We don't encourage that.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18If he was to get you,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21he would not kill you and eat you right away.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23He's going to torment you.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26So if you were to get in there
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and I was out here trying to get you out,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32he would be on top of you, covering you up because you're his.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- I'd just shoot you. It'd be more humane.- You'd shoot me? In the head?
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Yeah! HE CHUCKLES
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Cos I'm not going to get you back, so why make you suffer?
0:09:44 > 0:09:48If I ever got attacked by a lion like that, shoot me, please.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Yeah. That would go on for hours. Unless you shot the lion.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56That would make more sense - shoot the lion.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Here we go.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19This man across the street from us, he has 200 horses.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25So imagine 200 horses and 176 tigers in the same mass.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- My money's on the tigers! - THEY CHUCKLE
0:10:28 > 0:10:30It wouldn't look good!
0:10:31 > 0:10:36"The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a tornado warning for extreme north-westerly..."
0:10:36 > 0:10:41- That's us.- "Precautionary preparedness actions -
0:10:41 > 0:10:42"take cover now.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48"Under no circumstances be around wild animals - tigers, lions especially dangerous.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50"And chimpanzees."
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- 'Take cover now. Leave mobile homes and vehicles.'- Wow!- What do you see?
0:10:54 > 0:10:56A tornado. Just over the gift shop.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01- Approximately eight miles away. - You seem excited!- I am, yeah.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06'The day before, in neighbouring Missouri,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10'a tornado had killed more than 150 people.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:11GROWLING
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Hey!
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Come back this way, cos it's going to blow hard.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- You want to go in before it gets really bad?- It's totally up to you.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26This is going to blow straight through there. Uh-oh.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- While!- That's not a good sign.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I don't see any rotation.
0:11:40 > 0:11:47Here we go! The angels are shining on us!
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- Huh?- Right(!)- They are!
0:11:49 > 0:11:52They're keeping us from getting hurt.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Look out that-a-way.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58That's just here.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Got to have faith. Hurry up - it's going to go away, cos you've got faith.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'But our luck was in. There would be no tigers shot tonight.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29'The next day, and with the extreme weather out of the way,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32'it was time for a tour of the park.'
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- What's going on here?- You want to sit in and play with them?
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- There's a bear and a... They're kind of cuddling.- They ARE cuddling.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41They're buddies. Come on in.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Hey! Come here. Come here.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Sit down here.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51How old is she?
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- She's about four months.- Why have you put a tiger in...
0:12:55 > 0:12:56with a bear?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59This is scary! This is scary!
0:12:59 > 0:13:03These two may be able to stay together for ever.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- And then they might not. - Why would you want that?
0:13:05 > 0:13:10- That would be awesome.- Why?- Because they are two species that get along.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15That would just go to show, as a educational tool,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18here at our park, that no matter who we are, we should get along.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22- GROWLING - You OK?- Yeah.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- Did that hurt?- Not really.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- Did THAT hurt?- No. No, no, no, it did not.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Mwah!
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Some would say, "Let tigers be tigers.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- "Let them be true to their tiger nature..."- What is a tiger nature?
0:13:36 > 0:13:41- To kill?- Kind of, yeah. To kill. Not to be cuddling with a bear.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- He's in captivity. He will never be a tiger.- What will he be, then?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47A tiger in captivity. HE CHUCKLES
0:13:47 > 0:13:49NOW that hurts!
0:13:52 > 0:13:54So, what kind of life is that for a tiger, then?
0:13:54 > 0:14:00- I mean, do you think they are happy...- Oh, shoot! THAT one hurt!
0:14:04 > 0:14:05I...
0:14:06 > 0:14:09The question was...?
0:14:09 > 0:14:13How happy is a tiger in an enclosure?
0:14:13 > 0:14:16In the wild, they roam for hundreds of miles.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21And it's such a restricted existence, isn't it?
0:14:21 > 0:14:26Can... Can you miss something you've never experienced?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30This cat has never been in an area to roam 200 miles,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34so how can he miss that? It's kind of like...
0:14:34 > 0:14:37if you were born in a wheelchair,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41are you sure you're going to be happier walking instead of riding?
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Because you've never walked.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52'Though Joe rescues and re-homes unwanted animals,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54'he also breeds them.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57'The practice is controversial.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01'Animal rights groups have accused Joe of creating more surplus tigers,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05'calling Joe's park a "scam-tuary".
0:15:06 > 0:15:10'He invited me to meet some of his latest arrivals at his home.'
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Am I right in thinking you have a fairly newborn tiger in here?
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Mm-hm.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22- Called...?- Not named yet. - Not even named yet? How old?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- Eight days.- Can we meet him?
0:15:25 > 0:15:28I need to ask Paul if he's fed him.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- If he hasn't been fed, we can feed him.- Who's Paul?- Paul?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- One of my other half. - One of your...?
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Other significant others.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42- There's two men in your life?- Yes. - Is that difficult?- No.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46What about jealousy - sexual jealousies - between the three of you.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Because it never happens without all three of us.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- Really?- Really.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- And that works?- Works awesome.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Cos we're all too tired to have sex.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00This is my youngest.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- How old?- Eight days.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08What, little baby? What, little buddy? OK.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11So, how old was he when he was taken from his mum?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- I fed him from the minute he was still wet.- Really?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Why breed them?
0:16:16 > 0:16:20So in 10 to 15 years, when there's none left in the wild,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23we have some in captivity to replace the wild.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- You think they'll go extinct in the wild?- I know they will.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Would it make more sense to prioritise, er,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32conserving their habitats in the wild,
0:16:32 > 0:16:37rather than reproducing more tigers in captivity?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Well, you know, there's people...
0:16:40 > 0:16:43There's people that are working on that.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47But unfortunately, we have more powers higher than us
0:16:47 > 0:16:48destroying the habitat.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53- How will you raise this one? - This one will be raised to know us.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- To know you?- Yes.- You will be that tiger's mum, in effect?
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Yep, for the rest of its life.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03In a way, are you raising the tiger to be half tiger, half human?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05To be tame, in other words?
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Well, I'm going to raise him to be a tiger and respect humans. TIGER SQUEALS
0:17:09 > 0:17:14- Why is he...? Is he OK?- Yeah. Every time after they feed, they do that.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19OK, so, we're raising him to respect me,
0:17:19 > 0:17:24and I respect him enough that we both can stand there
0:17:24 > 0:17:29- and teach you about his native land. - His native land is America?
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Well, his great-great-great-grandfather's land is Siberia.
0:17:34 > 0:17:40Russia. So, we're going to, er, grow up together and teach him
0:17:40 > 0:17:43how to respect Russia, even though he's never been there.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47So he is serving an ultimate purpose to do with conservation,
0:17:47 > 0:17:48- in your view?- You bet.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52So in a way, you're making certain practical concessions
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- for the long-term benefit of its habitat?- Right. Right.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02'But Joe's animal ambassadors do serve another purpose.
0:18:09 > 0:18:15'One of the main ways the park pays for itself through an exotic animals roadshow.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18'Joe's breeding programme is needed to provide cubs
0:18:18 > 0:18:20'for interactions with the public.'
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- I'm Louis.- Louis, I'm Beth.- You've been here all week - is that right?
0:18:23 > 0:18:27We started yesterday and we'll be here through Sunday. Set up every day.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Who goes in these two?
0:18:30 > 0:18:34This right here is Fergie and this right here, over to your right,
0:18:34 > 0:18:35is the older cats.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- Fergie is one of the... Who's Fergie?- The liger.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44- And the bear?- The bear, she stays on the other side, over there.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49You've been on the road, more or less continuously, since January - is that right?
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Yeah, for almost a year we've been continuously on and off the road.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57And the animals? They'll be on the road for a couple of months?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Yes. - And how do you think they like it?
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Some might think, "Oh, it's a bit stressful for them, being trucked around like that."
0:19:04 > 0:19:07It's not stressful on them at all. They're very content, very happy,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and they enjoy coming out and getting the attention.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13What's a good day?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17A good day... A good day on the weekend is probably about 4,000.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Olivia! Can you look right here?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Olivia! Not too tight.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27All right, good job! Good job!
0:19:27 > 0:19:29- So that's how it works? - Yes, that's how it works.
0:19:29 > 0:19:35That's how people can help us out and hopefully they have some memories to share with their family.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38That bear seems kind of frisky - he seems to want to run around.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41She's frisky - yes, she is frisky. Little bears ARE frisky.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42They have a lot of energy.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Do you think they're happy in the cages?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I don't really want this to go anywhere else about this, OK?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56As far as... They're... She's...
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I don't want to say anything else, OK? I just don't want to, OK?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03But you're saying, "Yes, they are." Isn't that...?
0:20:03 > 0:20:08Well, yes, absolutely. This is the life they know and the life they're going to be very happy with.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12- I'd love to have that bear. - You'd like to have it as a pet?- Yes.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13What about when it grew up?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Well, you know, I like training little animals.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I've trained dogs - plenty of little dogs and stuff like that.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23- Have you seen a full-size bear up close?- They're large.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- Large bears. - Rip your head right off.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Maybe. I don't know about that.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- I want a tiger - one of those little ones.- Yeah.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34I don't know about when it got bigger.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- But having one like that would be cool.- Why?
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- Cos they're like, playful. - And it's different.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Like, everybody has a dog, everybody has a cat, but no-one has a tiger.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57700 miles away from Joe's park in Charlestown, Indiana,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01is another self-styled sanctuary, Animals In Need And In Deed,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03owned and run by Tim Stark.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Where his animals are concerned, Tim has a hands-on philosophy.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Are you ready? Huh? Ready?
0:21:16 > 0:21:19TIGER GROWLS Huh?
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- You want some of this?- D...
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- I don't know if he's enjoying that, Tim.- He loves it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Oh, quit. Oh, quit.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38You know, a lot of people joke around and call me Dr Doolittle. And I take that as...
0:21:38 > 0:21:40I take that offensive.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- I tell them I'm Dr Do A Lot, not Dr Doolittle.- Mm.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- Where are we actually going right now?- Here's the bears.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51These are the four bears I've got. Come here, Obidiah.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- Come here.- You're... You said you're comfortable getting in with these bears.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Oh, yeah, oh, yeah. - Well, shall we see you go in there?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01If you're comfortable doing that - you really don't feel it's a risk?
0:22:01 > 0:22:06I don't care if I don't come back out of there.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08I know the risk I'm taking.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12- You don't care if you come back out again?- This is what I do.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15If I die doing what I love to do, so be it.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Hmm. Hi, buddy. Hey, come here.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23- Obadiah, grizzly bear. Come here. - This is Obadiah?- Yes.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28- And this one?- Eli. I discipline him more because he's a troublemaker,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32so I get in here. He's leering at me. You can see him look at me different.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37- How do you discipline him? - Just mainly by voice commands.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Even, like, if I want to move him... Move it! Come on, move it!
0:22:40 > 0:22:45And he's automatic. You know, I've taught him that from the time they were little.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50- Do they like it in here, do you think?- Yeah, they seem to like it. - Does the pacing bother you?
0:22:50 > 0:22:54I've seen animals in the wild step up to a fence or whatever
0:22:54 > 0:22:55and pace back and forth.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- So, you know...- What about people who say, "These are wild animals.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03"You are going against their intrinsic nature by penning them up.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06"Even in a fairly big enclosure like this, it doesn't approximate
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- "anything like what a bear would range in in the wild." - They need to understand,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13the main reason that they have that larger territory out in the wild
0:23:13 > 0:23:17is not because that animal chooses to travel that distance.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20That animal HAS to travel that distance.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Don't you take pleasure in those things that you could call survival?
0:23:23 > 0:23:27The idea of finding food and making sure you have what you need?
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Isn't that, in a way, part of what gives you a sense of satisfaction in your life?
0:23:31 > 0:23:37A perfect example of that is, if you see the bears around your national parks,
0:23:37 > 0:23:43or in Alaska and stuff, where they're closer to a human population, where do they go?
0:23:43 > 0:23:47They come to the human population. Why? Free food.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- So you don't think animals really want to be wild?- No. No.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Their instincts are to survive, but they'd much rather survive
0:23:54 > 0:23:56by having everything handed to them, you know.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58They're not stupid.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04How you doing, boom baby? I know!
0:24:04 > 0:24:05This is Tatiana.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09This is Tatiana, my baboon daughter.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11- Tatiana's about three years old? - Yeah.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- And she's safe for us to be around? - Oh, yeah, come here, baby.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Get up here and see Daddy. Good girl. You're a good girl.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I know. I know. You want to play.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23She's my little girl.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28Me and her have a hell of a strong bond. She's unreal.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I know a lot of people that's had baboons and usually,
0:24:30 > 0:24:35once they get about two years old, nobody messes with them because they are so strong
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and can be so dangerous.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40She won't hurt you. She's just going to grab you real close.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44- She's going to want you to hold her. She's not a bit aggressive.- OK.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49- You feel her belt?- Yeah.- Just hold onto her belt.- Like that?- Yes.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53And she'll just... That's her belt. That's more or less her harness. TATIANA SQUEALS
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- She's screaming over the mic. She didn't understand the mic. - The mic is OK.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Look at this. This is interesting.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02She's wanting to groom you. She's just checking you out.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04It's quite a nice feeling.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09- But there's something about her face that's a little bit off-putting. - Yeah.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- No.- What shall we do...? - You know what?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- She'll automatically scream when I go to get her back.- OK.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Everything's fine. She's getting nervous when you get close and that's making me nervous.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23- Why are you making her nervous?- Just for the fact she don't want to...
0:25:23 > 0:25:28- She wants to stay out. She's getting attention.- Having fun? - She loves the attention.- OK.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31I don't really want to touch your bum that much, is one of the things.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35It's not a... It's not very appealing. Hold onto her belt.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39There's a definite kind of baboon smell coming off her.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- Do you wash her?- She takes a bath with me.- A real bath?- Yeah.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48- Tata! No.- What do you think Tatiana's quality of life is like?
0:25:48 > 0:25:50A spoiled-rotten brat.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51Tatiana, arms up.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53And so, er,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57would you not think that a baboon needs to be a baboon?
0:25:57 > 0:25:59For what purpose?
0:25:59 > 0:26:03To live out its full function, to be who it really is.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08And who are we as people to say who it really is? Tatiana! Here.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12She's going to start yelling a little. Come here, brat.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Give him a kiss! Give him kisses.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Give kisses. Give kisses.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21That was almost a kiss.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Do you think the fact that she's female and I'm male helps, actually?
0:26:25 > 0:26:31- I really don't...- There's a very faint kind of, er, primate...
0:26:31 > 0:26:34low-level erotic dimension?
0:26:35 > 0:26:36I don't know.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43'Tim's park is only occasionally open to the public.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'It is somewhere between a zoo and a private menagerie.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50'And though he calls it a sanctuary, he also breeds -
0:26:50 > 0:26:53'and many of the animals were bought, not rescued.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00'Though he was once a handyman, Tim no longer does paid work.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04'His animal habit is supported by his wife, Melissa.'
0:27:04 > 0:27:09When you met Tim, was this part of Tim's life back then?
0:27:09 > 0:27:13I knew, deep down, the passion that he had inside but,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16at that time, he didn't have any animals.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21- No.- We got married in '94 and in '97 is when I acquired my first wild cat.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Now look where I'm at!
0:27:24 > 0:27:28I'll put myself in a vulnerable state when it comes to walking in a bear cage.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31It's just that... You know, I fear people.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35I have no respect for people. I tell her all the time -
0:27:35 > 0:27:39I guess marriage is supposed to be based on trust and respect.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43I refuse to trust or respect any single human being on this planet.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47I don't trust myself - why would I want to trust anybody else?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- You don't trust and respect your wife?- No.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55'Back outside, Tim had one last surprise in store.'
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Come here.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05- You said this was against the law! - You wanted interaction with animals -
0:28:05 > 0:28:09- how's that?- What is our contingency plan at this point?
0:28:09 > 0:28:14We'll go in here, and we'll just wait. Are you OK? Tim, is that safe?
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Get in here, it's starting to rain a little too hard.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Is everyone OK? You're comfortable?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- Which tiger is that? - This is Glacier.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27We should probably have talked this through before you did it, Tim.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31If that tiger decides he doesn't want to be on that leash any more,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33there's not much you can do about it.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Leave it! Leave it!
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- Is it safe for me to come out there? - As far as to come over here, yeah.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55I've got him under control as best as I can.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00Right now, he's not going to be able to launch. I've got him short-leashed.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- He's probably quite a bit stronger than you are.- Quite a bit.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- So in a way, he's got you by the leash more than you've got him by the leash.- Somewhat.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Leave it. Leave it.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19You know, he's wanting to go and see all the other animals and this and that.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21GLACIER GROWLS
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Leave it! Leave it!
0:29:24 > 0:29:28- Do you need help, Tim? - Not a bit. I can handle it.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31You're going to get on the chair, you'll break the chair.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35You know what? Oh, get out of that.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40In a way, do you enjoy my nervousness a little bit?
0:29:40 > 0:29:45- No. No.- Is it a bit like having a Harley or a big gun or something,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48where there's a thrill in the sheer power?
0:29:48 > 0:29:53There is somewhat of a thrill of having them, you know, as far as...
0:29:53 > 0:29:56You know, you have them... Hey, chill!
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Leave it! Come on. Glacier, come on. Glacier, get up.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Get up. Glacier! Get up! Hey!
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Just leave it. Don't worry about them, worry about me.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Get in there.
0:30:11 > 0:30:12Good boy.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16People say all the time, "You're mixing bloodlines,"
0:30:16 > 0:30:20this or that. You know, you never know. I don't know where these tigers come from.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22I have no clue. I don't care.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26When I have a baby tiger born here, you know what it is to me?
0:30:26 > 0:30:31It's a damn baby tiger. You know, I don't give a damn what they...
0:30:31 > 0:30:36- You know, Siberian...- Bengal. - Sumatran, Bengal. It's a damn tiger.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40100% tiger, you know. I can guarantee you that.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54'Back at Joe's, there was a new face at the park.'
0:30:54 > 0:30:58- Ricky.- Can we say hello? I haven't met you properly.- John Ricky.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- Nice to meet you.- Park manager. - How's it going?- Part-time.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07- Part-time.- You're back?- I'm back. I've still got a few more doctor's visits to go, but I'm back.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12- You've got a health situation?- Yeah, yeah. I'm missing a couple of feet.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- How did it happen?- I was actually helping some friends of mine
0:31:16 > 0:31:19test an amusement ride they built,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22and I was actually the last live test and it failed.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30We still have to run it off the chain link. We don't have enough.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34'Among the chores of the day was attending to the two tigers I'd seen rescued.'
0:31:35 > 0:31:41So the issue is, Madonna and Big Boy won't come into the area together?
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- Right. - So you can't clean the cage?- Right. - Why won't they go in together?
0:31:44 > 0:31:49You know, I don't know. Because, well, they were together when we picked them up.
0:31:49 > 0:31:55Plus, it would help, too, if Curtis would come and visit them.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- Hasn't he been?- He hasn't been yet. - Are they depressed?
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- They're going through it, yeah. - Are they?- Yeah.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05Do you ever have to euthanise animals for depression, or not settling in?
0:32:05 > 0:32:06Not yet.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09He just doesn't want to know, does he?
0:32:09 > 0:32:13- Could you feed him a popsicle? - No, he wouldn't eat a popsicle.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22'Joe was getting ready for his annual Exotic Animal Expo.'
0:32:22 > 0:32:25- What you doing, Nick? You putting food in?- Yeah.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27You can't. He hasn't washed yet. OK?
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Set the food on top so he doesn't get it all wet.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Yeah, it's a little bit tense.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40Like anything you're preparing for last-minute, trying to get the finishing touches.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- You have not washed your cage yet, right?- No.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46So, why are you putting your dry food in to spray the cage with water?
0:32:46 > 0:32:50'Owners from around the country were converging at Joe's Park,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53'many with animals in tow, for a weekend of classes and training
0:32:53 > 0:32:56'in taking better care of their pets.'
0:32:56 > 0:33:00- What time does it start, Joe?- Nine. - How many people have you got?
0:33:00 > 0:33:06Er, last night, we had 85 or 90 here last night already.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09The rest of them will be checking in this morning.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- And you'll be teaching - that's the big idea?- That's the idea.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17- What do you teach?- How to do this, how to handle, how to shift.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19How to stay alive.
0:33:19 > 0:33:20That's the main goal.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28- This is Louis. Louis's from London. - Hi, how are you? We're from the BBC.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31- Oh, hi.- Nice to meet you.- Yeah. - How you doing?
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- I'm doing good.- You having fun? - Yeah.- Who's your friend?
0:33:34 > 0:33:36- This is Emily.- Emily?
0:33:36 > 0:33:39- Emily would be a capuchin? - Yes, she is.- Is she full-grown?
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- Yes, she's full-grown.- What kind of a relationship do you have?
0:33:43 > 0:33:46We've got a great relationship. She goes everywhere I go.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51- Hello.- Hi, how are y'all?- Hello. My name's Louis.- Hi.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- How are you?- What's your name? - Darla.- Darla and...?
0:33:54 > 0:33:57She doesn't like me to touch somebody else.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Actually, she doesn't like you to touch me!
0:34:00 > 0:34:04- She has pierced ears? - Yes, she does.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07They're in there - I've had people tell me to take them out.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09She's a big girl. If she wants them out, she'll take them out.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13- They're still in there.- They think they're beautiful. They really...
0:34:13 > 0:34:16When you tell them they're beautiful, they understand.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Those ones don't have ears big enough to get pierced.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23No, I don't think that I would do it. They're just so thin.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27You've got little necklaces round them, though. Do you have...
0:34:27 > 0:34:31- Emily's picture in a frame, there, around your neck?- Yep.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33They're like our family members - we love them,
0:34:33 > 0:34:37we take care of them, and when we got 'em, we expected to do that.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40That's what we planned on, to make the commitment.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42That's what you have to do.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44YAPPING
0:34:47 > 0:34:49You have to be very careful...
0:34:50 > 0:34:52..what you ask them out there.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Cos they're very protective of their monkeys.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58It's all right to say, "What's your monkey's name? Is he your pet?"
0:34:58 > 0:35:00"How hard is it to take care of?"
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Any kind of educational questions, you bet.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07But the minute you start, you know...
0:35:07 > 0:35:10"Well, what do you think about these people not liking you
0:35:10 > 0:35:12"to have a monkey?"
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- "Would he rather be in the wild?" - Exactly. Exactly.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20- That's a no-no.- That is a big no-no.
0:35:25 > 0:35:31Of all exotic pets, primates are considered the most challenging.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34So, we're talking about seven ounces of monkey chow.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Their intelligence makes them hard to keep stimulated.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41They're also liable to become unpredictable and dangerous
0:35:41 > 0:35:46as they reach sexual maturity, and can live 50, and even 60, years.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49You have to have a shift pen.
0:35:49 > 0:35:55What a shift pen is, you have a slide door of some kind, where you can lock
0:35:55 > 0:36:00the animal into another cage, so you can safely clean without ever being
0:36:00 > 0:36:02inside with the primate, to protect you, the monkey,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06and the reputation of private owners.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09You get a lot of baby blankets that have the little silky strip
0:36:09 > 0:36:12right here on the top, or down the side.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15They'll unravel that and get it caught somewhere,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18and we've lost two monkeys that have hung themselves
0:36:18 > 0:36:22in the middle of the cages in the first year or so of our park being here.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Look at him smile!
0:36:24 > 0:36:27LAUGHTER
0:36:28 > 0:36:29And who's this?
0:36:29 > 0:36:33- This is Maddy.- You have a special relationship with Maddy?
0:36:33 > 0:36:39- I feel like I do.- Yeah. She's a big daddy's girl.- Give me a kiss.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41Thank you.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45Can you kiss?
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Would you give me a kiss?
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Can you give me a kiss? Hey.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53Thank you.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10'The most controversial of all exotic pets is the chimpanzee.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16'In 2009, a chimp called Travis, in suburban Connecticut, attacked
0:37:16 > 0:37:20'and nearly killed a human neighbour, ripping off her face.'
0:37:20 > 0:37:24- Hello.- Hi, I'm Louis.- Jill James. - Jill, nice to meet you.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26- Can we come in?- Sure, come on in. - How are you doing?- Good.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Thanks for having us.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32'Jill and Brad James are among the very few private chimp owners
0:37:32 > 0:37:36'in North America, with five-year-old Tukem Kerry
0:37:36 > 0:37:37'and seven-year-old Cooper.'
0:37:37 > 0:37:40CLATTERING
0:37:43 > 0:37:44It's just a game.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Stop it!
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- Is he spitting...is he spitting at me?- No.- What is the spitting?
0:37:53 > 0:37:58- It's not friendly, is it? - I don't think so, no. No.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Woah, woah, woah.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07'It was time for another close encounter with a fellow primate.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09'First out of the cage, Tukem Kerry.'
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Oh, you're already helping me out.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Do you consider them your pets? How do you view them?
0:38:15 > 0:38:20They're too human-like to be considered like a dog, or whatever.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24I have small children, and to me it seems very like having a tiny,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27hairy, very energetic little child.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29It is, yes.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36- Ooh!- And what do your friends make of it? Do they worry about the safety?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Yeah, they do, they do.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43You know, there's been two chimp attacks I know of in...
0:38:43 > 0:38:45ten years, probably.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47I'm not making light of that - it's bad.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52But do you know how many Rottweilers and dogs tear people up every day?
0:38:52 > 0:38:56There's relatively few chimpanzees in captivity in America.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58So, proportionately,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- chimpanzees would represent quite a serious threat in the home.- Yeah.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04But you understand what I'm saying about dogs, too -
0:39:04 > 0:39:06that they do it daily?
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- Want another one? Do this. - What do you want?- What do you want?
0:39:10 > 0:39:15- What do you want? Eat, please. There's a good boy.- What do they eat?
0:39:15 > 0:39:20- They eat Mexican, Chinese, er... - They eat Chinese?!
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Yeah, they love hot dip, spicy things.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29They like pork rinds, hot pork rinds. Doritos, love Doritos.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32As he gets older, will you not have to reduce
0:39:32 > 0:39:35the amount of one-on-one contact, as he gets really strong?
0:39:35 > 0:39:38I imagine I will. I mean, I'm going to use common sense about it,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42I'm not going to put myself in the position to get hurt,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and I'll have the equipment in case it gets that way.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48And then I won't go back in if that happens, you know?
0:39:48 > 0:39:52At the point where he basically has to be confined to his enclosure,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54will you feel bad about that?
0:39:54 > 0:39:57He can still... He'll still be able to see me.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00We may not be able to hug and love and all that,
0:40:00 > 0:40:04but it won't be like...just totally abandoning him, you know?
0:40:04 > 0:40:09- You feel you're in it for the long haul?- Well, I don't know.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12You don't know what'll hit you when you hit 60 or 70 or whatever.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18'At 120 pounds, Jill and Brad's older chimp, Cooper,
0:40:18 > 0:40:22'was not yet fully grown, but he was on the cusp of sexual maturity,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26'and an age that is considered dangerous for a chimp.'
0:40:26 > 0:40:29If we let him out and we're around him, what could happen?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Do you think it'll be all right? What do you think?
0:40:31 > 0:40:34It usually is, but I would rather be safe than sorry,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36so let's do it the safe way.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38- Which is us in the house? - Yeah, let's just see.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42- You're not nervous or anything? - Me? No.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45But if he bites my nose off, you could be in trouble.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46SHE LAUGHS
0:40:46 > 0:40:50- It does happen!- Cut it out. Show him the bang-bang.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Show him the bang-bang.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54CHIMP BANGS
0:40:54 > 0:40:57You better behave. I'm not putting up with no shit out of you.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59You understand? Understand?
0:41:05 > 0:41:09I don't care. Oh, he wants to eat. He's going to eat. No. No!
0:41:11 > 0:41:13- Here he comes. - GLASS SHATTERS
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Oh, shit!
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Come here. Beep him, Brad.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26- Jill?- Yeah?- Can you come here?- OK.
0:41:26 > 0:41:27We're just thinking this through,
0:41:27 > 0:41:31and I think we may have what we need, so...
0:41:31 > 0:41:35You're afraid of him! That's OK.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38It's the element of the unpredictable that is
0:41:38 > 0:41:42one of the big downsides of having a chimpanzee as a pet.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45And as he gets stronger, the stakes go up, don't they?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Because the accident, if it happens, could be more serious.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51But you see out there with us how gentle he is.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53CHIMP THUMPS AND SCREECHES
0:41:53 > 0:41:56That's just normal. That's their play thing.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00They do it together, they'll get in the house and do that together.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14You just got a letter back from someone
0:42:14 > 0:42:17in a donation envelope that you sent?
0:42:17 > 0:42:22Yeah - "Tomorrow, my husband and I were going to visit your animal park and spend the day.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24"I decided to research your park on the internet tonight
0:42:24 > 0:42:27"and saw the abuse of the animals documented by PETA."
0:42:27 > 0:42:30- Did they say "all of the abuse"? - "All of the abuse."
0:42:30 > 0:42:32"I was shocked and disgusted and told my husband
0:42:32 > 0:42:37"we would not be visiting your park tomorrow or any time in the future."
0:42:37 > 0:42:41A newsletter came back in the mail today with that wrote all over it.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46That's from PETA, they've seen something, from the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals?
0:42:46 > 0:42:51- Right.- So, what do you take from that letter?- What do I take from it?
0:42:51 > 0:42:55Ignorant people believe anything they fucking read on the internet.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59So your point about the letter is that that's what you're up against?
0:42:59 > 0:43:02- Yes.- And that's hurting you? - Financially.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05We were expecting a cheque in that envelope!
0:43:06 > 0:43:11- 'Joe was on the brink of a financial crisis.'- Are you out on trees?
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Well...well, soak 'em good.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19They're dying. I can't win for losing.
0:43:25 > 0:43:26What's going on in this one?
0:43:26 > 0:43:31In this cage, we have one male lion, a female lion and two female tigers.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34So out of one cage, we'll get purebred lions,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36and we'll have two litters of ligers.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Isn't that fascinating?
0:43:38 > 0:43:42That in one cage, you can get purebreds and crossbreds?
0:43:44 > 0:43:48'But closing down was not an option.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51'To explain why, he took me to a special spot in the park.'
0:43:57 > 0:44:02See, now, this right here, my brother's buried in Texas,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06so this is where I respect my brother.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09What does it say?
0:44:15 > 0:44:16I need a minute.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21Couldn't do that one!
0:44:27 > 0:44:33It says, "To the best friend that I ever had, our brother."
0:44:34 > 0:44:37And I'm going to be buried right here.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41And my mum and dad are actually in the process of seeing
0:44:41 > 0:44:45if they can get his body moved from there to here.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49Because he's so far away that we never get to go see him.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54But that's why we're here.
0:44:55 > 0:45:01Me and Gerald owned a pet store in Arlington, Texas, when he got killed.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05And I sold it for 70,000,
0:45:05 > 0:45:11and Mom and Dad got 140,000 from his death.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16I took my 70,000 and Mom and Dad took their 140,000
0:45:16 > 0:45:20and we put it together and we paid for the property,
0:45:20 > 0:45:22and we built this first row of cages.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28- Do you think if GW saw this place, he'd be proud?- I think he's proud.
0:45:28 > 0:45:34- I know he's proud. - It's been a hard week.- Yep, yep.
0:45:34 > 0:45:39With being sick and stressed out over money and everything else, it's...
0:45:40 > 0:45:43I normally don't sit out here and bawl!
0:45:47 > 0:45:49'Despite all his breeding of tiger cubs,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52'more and more malls were refusing to book Joe's roadshow,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55'under pressure from animal rights groups.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59'I wondered how much longer he could go on.'
0:46:00 > 0:46:07- So are you worried, Joe?- Oh, we worry the whole time. Non-stop.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11But we'll figure it out somehow. We'll make it.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15It feels quite precarious. It feels like you're on a knife edge.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Well, we've been on the edge since the day
0:46:18 > 0:46:20we opened this place 11 years ago.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23In a way, you're in the position now of stockpiling tigers.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30They're not so much on display, because most people...they've
0:46:30 > 0:46:34- seen one tiger, they don't need to see another 149.- Right.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37Is there any scenario in which you could run out of money,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40or cease to be able to operate this place,
0:46:40 > 0:46:44and many of the big cats would have to be euthanised?
0:46:45 > 0:46:50I've kicked that idea around, and if I ever went broke...
0:46:52 > 0:46:55..I think I would euthanise everything, rather than put them
0:46:55 > 0:46:59in another facility with the same financial stress.
0:46:59 > 0:47:04- Do you really mean that? - Yeah.- 1,400 animals?- Yeah.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14- I don't think you're being serious. - I don't think you know me very well.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28'With my time among America's exotic animals nearing its end,
0:47:28 > 0:47:32'I had one last appointment outside the park.'
0:47:43 > 0:47:47- I'm Louis.- Hi, Louis, how you doing? - Nice to meet you.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50- Yeah, we got a nice rainy day. - Yes, we do.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55'Connie Casey is a chimpanzee breeder and dealer.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57'She bred Jill and Brad's two chimps.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59'She also bred the infamous Travis.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02'She is landlady to a multitude of primates,
0:48:02 > 0:48:05'including a colony of 20 chimpanzees.'
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Who's up there?
0:48:09 > 0:48:16Cobey and Raven and Daisy and Tony and Eric.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20- What you thinking, Tony? - Could any of these breed?
0:48:20 > 0:48:22They're all intact, they could.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26If you're lucky enough to have a breeding male,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30then it's very fortunate for you.
0:48:30 > 0:48:37In the past, baby chimps have brought in 40,000, you know?
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- She really seems to enjoy human contact.- Yeah.
0:48:50 > 0:48:55Many of Connie's chimps were once pets who grew unmanageable.
0:48:55 > 0:49:00Some were entertainers. Now, they live out their days here.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03Once you get in here, you'll want to stay to that wall.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08If you fall, don't reach out to the cage to keep yourself from falling.
0:49:08 > 0:49:09Why?
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Well, I don't want your fingers to go in the cage
0:49:11 > 0:49:13and you be missing a finger.
0:49:13 > 0:49:14Hey!
0:49:14 > 0:49:16Hey, Eric. Sonny boy!
0:49:16 > 0:49:20If you stand there too long, he's going to go suck up some water.
0:49:20 > 0:49:26- Suck up some water and spit it? - Yeah. Hey! You want to see? Good boy!
0:49:26 > 0:49:29Good boy. Good boy.
0:49:31 > 0:49:37Sheena, stop it. That's my sprinkler system. Hey!
0:49:37 > 0:49:39What are you doing?
0:49:39 > 0:49:42CHIMPS GRUNT AND SCREECH
0:49:43 > 0:49:45Who's your rowdiest?
0:49:46 > 0:49:48Er, right now, probably Connor.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52CHIMP RATTLES CAGE
0:49:52 > 0:49:56And then him. That's Tasha.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Why have you got screens up?
0:50:02 > 0:50:06Because she, the little girl, she throws her bedding.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10She's the worst thrower. It's worse throwing the bedding.
0:50:10 > 0:50:15So if that wasn't there, she'd be throwing stuff at them
0:50:15 > 0:50:18all the time, and then eventually they throw it back,
0:50:18 > 0:50:19and so it's like...you know.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26- A bedding fight.- What did you think about the whole Travis thing?
0:50:26 > 0:50:34Er, the Travis situation was a very unusual and horrible thing to happen.
0:50:34 > 0:50:39- He shouldn't have been out of the cage.- You knew him a little bit?
0:50:39 > 0:50:41I knew his mom, yeah.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46Yeah.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49Is she here?
0:50:49 > 0:50:51- Oh, I meant his human mom.- Oh.
0:50:53 > 0:50:54It's OK.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59SCREECHING Connor, stop it.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04CAGE RATTLES FURIOUSLY
0:51:10 > 0:51:14- That's not necessary, is it? - I want you to come out.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18- He's got an intelligent face. - I want you to come out.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22- That didn't hurt or anything. - He wasn't throwing it very hard.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25- It could go worse than that? - Oh, yeah. He can throw it.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29- How do you feel being among the chimps? You enjoy it?- Yeah.
0:51:29 > 0:51:34- Do you think they love you? - The chimps? Oh, yeah. I know they do.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37How?
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Do you think they don't?
0:51:41 > 0:51:44It's so hard to read what they're thinking.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47It's different when you live with them.
0:51:47 > 0:51:52- But you wouldn't go in there with Connor.- Not anymore I wouldn't.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Maybe because you don't trust him a little bit.
0:51:58 > 0:51:59Yeah.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18I was heading back to Joe's park for one last visit.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23- Hi, guys, my name is Bonnie. - And I'm Tim.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26And we're going to be your tour guides tonight.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29'On arrival, I discovered a radical new plan for pulling in visitors.'
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Our park director, Joe Exotic,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35has been working with animal ambassadors for over 23 years.
0:52:35 > 0:52:36For over 12 years,
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Joe has had a belief that the world started with one tiger,
0:52:39 > 0:52:43and that was the sabre-tooth tiger some 360 million years ago.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45So, for his own wonder,
0:52:45 > 0:52:49Joe created this large habitat where baby tigers and baby lions
0:52:49 > 0:52:52could grow up together, knowing each other as adults.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54The question grew, could he take it one step further
0:52:54 > 0:52:59and try to create a sabre-tooth tiger without any human interference?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Can you imagine how exciting it would be, to see
0:53:01 > 0:53:05and talk to an animal ambassador that evolved from 360 million
0:53:05 > 0:53:08years ago, just because of one man's belief?
0:53:10 > 0:53:13So you're actually breeding a sabre-tooth tiger?!
0:53:13 > 0:53:17If the male ligers weren't sterile and could breed with the lionesses,
0:53:17 > 0:53:20that's the closest thing you can get to a sabre-tooth tiger.
0:53:20 > 0:53:21Whose idea was that?
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Scientists are trying to do it in test tubes all day long.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- Joe's actually done this naturally. - This is Joe's idea?
0:53:28 > 0:53:31What's the idea behind it?
0:53:31 > 0:53:33You know, it's kind of like the zoos and stuff want it.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36It's kind of like the woolly mammoth, they're trying to
0:53:36 > 0:53:41remake the woolly mammoth in test tubes and recreate all the past.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44- Kind of like Jurassic Park? - Yeah, pretty much.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48Don't you need research scientists and PhDs supervising,
0:53:48 > 0:53:49that kind of thing?
0:53:49 > 0:53:52You know, a PhD's just a document that goes on a wall, you know?
0:53:54 > 0:53:56It's all been done naturally, here.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01Everybody says the movie's actually come to real life.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Like a dinosaur could come out of something
0:54:03 > 0:54:05and devour everyone on the park.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08- Yeah.- Could be dangerous.- It could be. Like it's not already dangerous!
0:54:08 > 0:54:12- So you've got... This is a pretty good turnout.- Not bad.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16We've had better. We've done tours with 54, 55 people.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20- This is just 24, so...- Is this the future?- Is it the future?
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Yeah, probably.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25This is the first stop of our interactive tour,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28and what we're going to do is actually let you come up, one group
0:54:28 > 0:54:33at a time, we're going to get your picture with this miniature horse.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36As soon as we can get him to calm down a little bit.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39He is only two years old,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42so he does like to throw his little temper tantrums.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46- A kiss, right on the lips! - Give him a kiss.- There we go!
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Just make sure you're going around him.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51And smile, you're with a tiger!
0:54:51 > 0:54:54And he's not chewing on your legs. Ha-ha, he jumped!
0:54:54 > 0:54:57That was a little chuck he was doing for you!
0:55:00 > 0:55:03# Well, I love you so dearly I love you so clearly
0:55:03 > 0:55:07# I wake you up in the mornin' so early
0:55:07 > 0:55:10# Just to tell you I got the wanderin' blues... #
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Joe also had a new crop of tiger cubs which
0:55:15 > 0:55:18he was using for hands-on play with customers.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24My stay at the park was up - for this great ape,
0:55:24 > 0:55:26it was time to leave the zoo.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32I'd come to see America's exotic animals as something
0:55:32 > 0:55:34between pets and inmates.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Some of the unwanted ones end up at Joe's,
0:55:41 > 0:55:44but even he was breeding to make ends meet.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53By breeding and creating these lives,
0:55:53 > 0:55:56you have a responsibility to them for life.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59- Yes.- How can you really track that?
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Well, because most of them are still here.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07Most of the tigers that are in the back were my very first
0:56:07 > 0:56:08photo babies.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12For a tiger that's born as a baby and stays here for life in one
0:56:12 > 0:56:16of the cages, you think that's a pretty good life for a tiger?
0:56:16 > 0:56:18I think they're spoilt.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20They're taken care of.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23- And chimps, too?- Um, yeah.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28If I could pull my photo show off the road tomorrow, I'd do it.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30But I can't.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35Cos somebody has to keep stepping up to the plate and rescuing animals.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39I'm called a roadside zoo - yeah, I'm next to a road, and I'm a zoo.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41Big deal! Call me a roadside zoo!
0:56:43 > 0:56:45But don't call me a scamtuary,
0:56:45 > 0:56:47because I put my own money into keeping this place open.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50It's all bullshit.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54When you said you would euthanise these animals before giving
0:56:54 > 0:56:57- the place up, you weren't really serious.- I'm dead serious.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01If that's what they want, before they run me out of business,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04I'll euthanise every damn animal in this place.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07But if you think it's wrong for them to do it, why would you do it?
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Because I'm not going to let them do it.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13Are you always like this, or are you under a lot of stress?
0:57:13 > 0:57:16- No, I'm always like this. - For the last 10 years?- Yeah.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21- I was like this before. - When you were a cop?- Yeah.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24- You must have been a pretty weird cop.- I was a weird cop!
0:57:27 > 0:57:30In the end, the question may be, what kind of life is worth
0:57:30 > 0:57:33living for a tiger?
0:57:33 > 0:57:36If not for here, there would be no homes for many of these animals.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40So, for them, the choice is between a small cage,
0:57:40 > 0:57:42and an even smaller box.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45# Here in the small town
0:57:45 > 0:57:47# The people are funny
0:57:47 > 0:57:51# They don't like a stranger around
0:57:51 > 0:57:56# I hate to go, but there's still just one thing
0:57:56 > 0:58:01# And catch me hanging around... #
0:58:01 > 0:58:02He really doesn't like me.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08Perhaps there was someone with glasses who was mean to him once.
0:58:08 > 0:58:09Something about Ray.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12He didn't know anything about Ray, he just decided Ray was OK.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16He wanted to be friends with Ray. You know, same with me.
0:58:16 > 0:58:18And then there's other people that...he thinks
0:58:18 > 0:58:20he just doesn't like.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23MONKEY SQUEALS AND SHRIEKS
0:58:24 > 0:58:28He's not being aggressive, but he's not being friendly, either.
0:58:28 > 0:58:30Kind of like you.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:54 > 0:58:57E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk