America's Most Dangerous Pets Louis Theroux


America's Most Dangerous Pets

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How safe is it for them to be outside? I heard they bite your nose off.

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-Oh, no, no, no.

-But it does happen?

-Yes.

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Hey, baby!

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Come here to Mama.

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-He's OK. He just wants to hug.

-Hello, how do you do?

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-Quite strong, isn't he?

-Yeah.

-He's quite strong.

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-He's not going to bite me?

-No.

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-Why do I think he will bite me?

-I don't know.

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He's not going for my nuts. He's not going to bite my testicles?

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-He wants you to hold him.

-He wants you to hold him.

-He'll squeeze you.

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-He's not going to bite?

-He'll put his mouth on you.

-OK.

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Just kiss him. Give him kisses.

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-Oh, yes.

-Oh, that's lovely.

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OK.

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-SHE LAUGHS

-I read so much about them ripping your face off.

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-Don't act nervous.

-I'm not nervous.

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It's actually quite nice.

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'I was on safari in the suburbs, on the trail of wild animals

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'and wild animal owners,

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'who have turned dangerous jungle creatures into human companions.'

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-You don't think animals really want to be wild?

-No.

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They're not stupid.

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'Despite their risks,

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'there is a large and growing population of exotic animals who make their homes here in America.

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'And a network of breeders and dealers who make a living out of wildlife in captivity.'

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He decided he was going to be a tiger and they couldn't say, don't shoot my tiger.

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-Just let him eat...?

-Say, eat me.

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'I was hoping to find out if the practice is fair on the animals,

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'whether it's even safe and, most of all,

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'why anyone would want a tiger.'

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'GW Exotic Animal Park is a not-for-profit zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma,

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'with one of the largest big cat collections in the world.'

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'I'd arranged with park owner Joe Schreibvogel,

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'better known as Joe Exotic, to spend a few days at the park.

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'But my arrival had coincided with some unpleasant news.'

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Hi, we're going to do this rescue real quick

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and we've got just a limited time, OK?

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By early afternoon, they're forecasting a tornado outbreak.

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This is going to be, some of you, your first experience,

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so as soon as we get back, all the animals are going in lockdown.

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OK?

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Putting all the cats in lockdown,

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the chimps are going lockdown, all the primates are going lockdown.

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And we're going to get prepared for the worst.

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I have never in my life seen what they put on TV as far as a warning.

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It's going to get that bad.

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You think there could be a tornado on the way here?

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-That is what they are calling for.

-You have how many tigers here?

-176.

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-So it could release the tigers...

-It would be a disaster.

-..into Oklahoma City.

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-It could be a disaster.

-These are captive-bred tigers, are they not?

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-They're not wild-born tigers. In a sense they're tame.

-You're right.

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They're not going to be as dangerous as if a wild tiger was to be out there.

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But the only hazard is what the people would do to approach them.

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You know. Because these tigers would think you want them to play.

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What do I do if I...? I mean, can I help if there's an emergency?

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HE LAUGHS We'll lend you a gun!

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-We have enough guns.

-It will be sad if...

-It would be a horrible thing.

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-It would be sad if you had to shoot a bunch of tigers.

-It would be horrible.

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-Very horrible.

-Could you do that?

-I would have to.

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'In previous lives, Joe had been a cop and a pet-store owner.

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'And he was still occasionally a magic entertainer.

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'Joe's park has more than 200 big cats,

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'including lions, tigers and a rare half-lion, half-tiger crossbreed,

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'called a liger.

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'Many of the animals are rescued and rehomed from private owners who could no longer take care of them.'

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OK. Let the fun begin.

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'The tornado is still a few hours away.

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'Joe had an appointment to rescue some more animals.'

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Tornadoes scare me more than tigers.

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Why?

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Cos at least you can fight back with a tiger.

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There's no fighting back with a tornado.

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One of the pitfalls of exotic pet ownership

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is that animals that are manageable when small

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become more of a burden as they mature.

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-Hey, chief.

-How you doing?

-It's been years.

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-You don't look a whole lot different, other than you're greyer.

-A little bit!

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-How are you going to attempt this, Joe?

-That's what we're sitting here discussing -

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-which one we want to do first.

-Are you going to tranquillise them?

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We're going to have to tranquillise the leopard. Leopards are a little more aggressive...

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than tigers are.

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-Why do you have them?

-It's just something I always wanted to have, ever since I was a little kid.

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-They're just pets?

-Yeah, yeah. I've always loved them.

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-How come you're having to get rid of the animals?

-I hurt my back couple of years ago.

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I can't really get in with 'em or do anything with them, so...

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So he's re-homing them to the best facility in the country.

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'The cargo for this outing would be Curtis's tigers, Madonna and Big Boy,

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'and his leopard, Jade.'

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Come here, girl.

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Come here, sister. Come here, sister.

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The first job - to put them to sleep.

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That's all I needed.

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This will be painless.

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There you go! Good night.

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-There you go.

-Get her?

-Yep.

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These are amazing animals and you would think they'd have a value -

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is there not a big market for fully grown tigers, for private buyers?

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-There is no market.

-No?

-None.

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You couldn't sell that tiger today for 100.

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There's too many out there to give away.

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I have 176 of them. HE CHUCKLES

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'Back at Joe's park, Jade, Madonna and Big Boy

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'were introduced to their new lodgings.'

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Hey!

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There you go. She's still sleepy.

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One, two, three.

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Ooh! Oh! Oh!

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OK, now, this is what... Ssh! Be quiet.

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Keep him in the shade.

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Finish locking down your cats.

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We are...right here.

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Here's Ardmore, where we just were. Here's Pauls Valley.

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It's estimating in the next hour and a half,

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it's going to be big enough to start producing tornadoes.

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Are you nervous?

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Always nervous.

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We got to do lock-ups. It's getting darker.

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'Before the tornado hit,

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'all the animals would have to be locked indoors.'

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Come on. Wah! One more...

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One more time. Wah!

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Joe, are they chimpanzees?

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Dance!

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Turn around. Turn round.

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-There we go!

-Would you get in there with them?

-No.

-Why not?

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That's dangerous. That would be stupid, for me to get in with them,

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because they... They would hurt me.

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Then they would get a bad name, so we just play through the bars.

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They don't look threatening.

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They'll lure you in,

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and they'll be really, really lovable.

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Until they can get you. And it's a game to them.

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Have you locked these down now?

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They're cleaning the inside and they're feeding inside and then they'll go in lockdown.

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-For the tornado?

-Right.

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Are we OK to come in?

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-Huh?

-Is it safe?

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Get him! Get him!

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The chimps are secure and in lockdown.

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TIGER GROWLS What? What is that?

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What? Monique's in heat.

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Which one is Monique?

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-The Tiger. It's actually a ti-liger.

-What's a ti-liger?

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A liger mom and a white tiger dad.

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"So that's my girlfriend, huh?"

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See, normally, he wouldn't growl at you. Hey! Hey!

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That's your girlfriend, tell 'em! Hmm? Yep!

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-Do you like it when they do that to you?

-We don't encourage that.

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If he was to get you,

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he would not kill you and eat you right away.

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He's going to torment you.

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So if you were to get in there

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and I was out here trying to get you out,

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he would be on top of you, covering you up because you're his.

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-I'd just shoot you. It'd be more humane.

-You'd shoot me? In the head?

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Yeah! HE CHUCKLES

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Cos I'm not going to get you back, so why make you suffer?

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If I ever got attacked by a lion like that, shoot me, please.

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Yeah. That would go on for hours. Unless you shot the lion.

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That would make more sense - shoot the lion.

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Here we go.

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This man across the street from us, he has 200 horses.

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So imagine 200 horses and 176 tigers in the same mass.

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-My money's on the tigers!

-THEY CHUCKLE

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It wouldn't look good!

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"The National Weather Service in Norman has issued a tornado warning for extreme north-westerly..."

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-That's us.

-"Precautionary preparedness actions -

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"take cover now.

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"Under no circumstances be around wild animals - tigers, lions especially dangerous.

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"And chimpanzees."

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-'Take cover now. Leave mobile homes and vehicles.'

-Wow!

-What do you see?

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A tornado. Just over the gift shop.

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-Approximately eight miles away.

-You seem excited!

-I am, yeah.

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'The day before, in neighbouring Missouri,

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'a tornado had killed more than 150 people.'

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GROWLING

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Hey!

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Come back this way, cos it's going to blow hard.

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-You want to go in before it gets really bad?

-It's totally up to you.

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This is going to blow straight through there. Uh-oh.

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-While!

-That's not a good sign.

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I don't see any rotation.

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Here we go! The angels are shining on us!

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-Huh?

-Right(!)

-They are!

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They're keeping us from getting hurt.

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Look out that-a-way.

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That's just here.

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Got to have faith. Hurry up - it's going to go away, cos you've got faith.

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'But our luck was in. There would be no tigers shot tonight.

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'The next day, and with the extreme weather out of the way,

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'it was time for a tour of the park.'

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-What's going on here?

-You want to sit in and play with them?

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-There's a bear and a... They're kind of cuddling.

-They ARE cuddling.

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They're buddies. Come on in.

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Hey! Come here. Come here.

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Sit down here.

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How old is she?

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-She's about four months.

-Why have you put a tiger in...

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with a bear?

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This is scary! This is scary!

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These two may be able to stay together for ever.

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-And then they might not.

-Why would you want that?

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-That would be awesome.

-Why?

-Because they are two species that get along.

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That would just go to show, as a educational tool,

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here at our park, that no matter who we are, we should get along.

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-GROWLING

-You OK?

-Yeah.

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-Did that hurt?

-Not really.

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-Did THAT hurt?

-No. No, no, no, it did not.

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Mwah!

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Some would say, "Let tigers be tigers.

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-"Let them be true to their tiger nature..."

-What is a tiger nature?

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-To kill?

-Kind of, yeah. To kill. Not to be cuddling with a bear.

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-He's in captivity. He will never be a tiger.

-What will he be, then?

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A tiger in captivity. HE CHUCKLES

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NOW that hurts!

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So, what kind of life is that for a tiger, then?

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-I mean, do you think they are happy...

-Oh, shoot! THAT one hurt!

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I...

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The question was...?

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How happy is a tiger in an enclosure?

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In the wild, they roam for hundreds of miles.

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And it's such a restricted existence, isn't it?

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Can... Can you miss something you've never experienced?

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This cat has never been in an area to roam 200 miles,

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so how can he miss that? It's kind of like...

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if you were born in a wheelchair,

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are you sure you're going to be happier walking instead of riding?

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Because you've never walked.

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'Though Joe rescues and re-homes unwanted animals,

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'he also breeds them.

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'The practice is controversial.

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'Animal rights groups have accused Joe of creating more surplus tigers,

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'calling Joe's park a "scam-tuary".

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'He invited me to meet some of his latest arrivals at his home.'

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Am I right in thinking you have a fairly newborn tiger in here?

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Mm-hm.

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-Called...?

-Not named yet.

-Not even named yet? How old?

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-Eight days.

-Can we meet him?

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I need to ask Paul if he's fed him.

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-If he hasn't been fed, we can feed him.

-Who's Paul?

-Paul?

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-One of my other half.

-One of your...?

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Other significant others.

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-There's two men in your life?

-Yes.

-Is that difficult?

-No.

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What about jealousy - sexual jealousies - between the three of you.

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Because it never happens without all three of us.

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-Really?

-Really.

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-And that works?

-Works awesome.

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Cos we're all too tired to have sex.

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This is my youngest.

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-How old?

-Eight days.

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What, little baby? What, little buddy? OK.

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So, how old was he when he was taken from his mum?

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-I fed him from the minute he was still wet.

-Really?

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Why breed them?

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So in 10 to 15 years, when there's none left in the wild,

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we have some in captivity to replace the wild.

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-You think they'll go extinct in the wild?

-I know they will.

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Would it make more sense to prioritise, er,

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conserving their habitats in the wild,

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rather than reproducing more tigers in captivity?

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Well, you know, there's people...

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There's people that are working on that.

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But unfortunately, we have more powers higher than us

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destroying the habitat.

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-How will you raise this one?

-This one will be raised to know us.

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-To know you?

-Yes.

-You will be that tiger's mum, in effect?

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Yep, for the rest of its life.

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In a way, are you raising the tiger to be half tiger, half human?

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To be tame, in other words?

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Well, I'm going to raise him to be a tiger and respect humans. TIGER SQUEALS

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-Why is he...? Is he OK?

-Yeah. Every time after they feed, they do that.

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OK, so, we're raising him to respect me,

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and I respect him enough that we both can stand there

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-and teach you about his native land.

-His native land is America?

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Well, his great-great-great-grandfather's land is Siberia.

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Russia. So, we're going to, er, grow up together and teach him

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how to respect Russia, even though he's never been there.

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So he is serving an ultimate purpose to do with conservation,

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-in your view?

-You bet.

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So in a way, you're making certain practical concessions

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-for the long-term benefit of its habitat?

-Right. Right.

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'But Joe's animal ambassadors do serve another purpose.

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'One of the main ways the park pays for itself through an exotic animals roadshow.

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'Joe's breeding programme is needed to provide cubs

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'for interactions with the public.'

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-I'm Louis.

-Louis, I'm Beth.

-You've been here all week - is that right?

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We started yesterday and we'll be here through Sunday. Set up every day.

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Who goes in these two?

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This right here is Fergie and this right here, over to your right,

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is the older cats.

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-Fergie is one of the... Who's Fergie?

-The liger.

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-And the bear?

-The bear, she stays on the other side, over there.

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You've been on the road, more or less continuously, since January - is that right?

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Yeah, for almost a year we've been continuously on and off the road.

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And the animals? They'll be on the road for a couple of months?

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-Yes.

-And how do you think they like it?

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Some might think, "Oh, it's a bit stressful for them, being trucked around like that."

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It's not stressful on them at all. They're very content, very happy,

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and they enjoy coming out and getting the attention.

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What's a good day?

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A good day... A good day on the weekend is probably about 4,000.

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Olivia! Can you look right here?

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Olivia! Not too tight.

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All right, good job! Good job!

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-So that's how it works?

-Yes, that's how it works.

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That's how people can help us out and hopefully they have some memories to share with their family.

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That bear seems kind of frisky - he seems to want to run around.

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She's frisky - yes, she is frisky. Little bears ARE frisky.

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They have a lot of energy.

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Do you think they're happy in the cages?

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I don't really want this to go anywhere else about this, OK?

0:19:490:19:52

As far as... They're... She's...

0:19:520:19:56

I don't want to say anything else, OK? I just don't want to, OK?

0:19:560:20:00

But you're saying, "Yes, they are." Isn't that...?

0:20:000:20:03

Well, yes, absolutely. This is the life they know and the life they're going to be very happy with.

0:20:030:20:08

-I'd love to have that bear.

-You'd like to have it as a pet?

-Yes.

0:20:080:20:12

What about when it grew up?

0:20:120:20:13

Well, you know, I like training little animals.

0:20:130:20:16

I've trained dogs - plenty of little dogs and stuff like that.

0:20:160:20:19

-Have you seen a full-size bear up close?

-They're large.

0:20:190:20:23

-Large bears.

-Rip your head right off.

0:20:230:20:26

Maybe. I don't know about that.

0:20:260:20:28

-I want a tiger - one of those little ones.

-Yeah.

0:20:280:20:31

I don't know about when it got bigger.

0:20:320:20:34

-But having one like that would be cool.

-Why?

0:20:340:20:37

-Cos they're like, playful.

-And it's different.

0:20:370:20:40

Like, everybody has a dog, everybody has a cat, but no-one has a tiger.

0:20:400:20:44

700 miles away from Joe's park in Charlestown, Indiana,

0:20:520:20:57

is another self-styled sanctuary, Animals In Need And In Deed,

0:20:570:21:01

owned and run by Tim Stark.

0:21:010:21:03

Where his animals are concerned, Tim has a hands-on philosophy.

0:21:060:21:10

Are you ready? Huh? Ready?

0:21:100:21:14

TIGER GROWLS Huh?

0:21:160:21:19

-You want some of this?

-D...

0:21:190:21:22

-I don't know if he's enjoying that, Tim.

-He loves it.

0:21:280:21:32

Oh, quit. Oh, quit.

0:21:320:21:34

You know, a lot of people joke around and call me Dr Doolittle. And I take that as...

0:21:340:21:38

I take that offensive.

0:21:380:21:40

-I tell them I'm Dr Do A Lot, not Dr Doolittle.

-Mm.

0:21:400:21:44

-Where are we actually going right now?

-Here's the bears.

0:21:440:21:48

These are the four bears I've got. Come here, Obidiah.

0:21:480:21:51

-Come here.

-You're... You said you're comfortable getting in with these bears.

0:21:510:21:55

-Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.

-Well, shall we see you go in there?

0:21:550:21:58

If you're comfortable doing that - you really don't feel it's a risk?

0:21:580:22:01

I don't care if I don't come back out of there.

0:22:010:22:06

I know the risk I'm taking.

0:22:060:22:08

-You don't care if you come back out again?

-This is what I do.

0:22:080:22:12

If I die doing what I love to do, so be it.

0:22:120:22:15

Hmm. Hi, buddy. Hey, come here.

0:22:150:22:18

-Obadiah, grizzly bear. Come here.

-This is Obadiah?

-Yes.

0:22:180:22:23

-And this one?

-Eli. I discipline him more because he's a troublemaker,

0:22:230:22:28

so I get in here. He's leering at me. You can see him look at me different.

0:22:280:22:32

-How do you discipline him?

-Just mainly by voice commands.

0:22:320:22:37

Even, like, if I want to move him... Move it! Come on, move it!

0:22:370:22:40

And he's automatic. You know, I've taught him that from the time they were little.

0:22:400:22:45

-Do they like it in here, do you think?

-Yeah, they seem to like it.

-Does the pacing bother you?

0:22:450:22:50

I've seen animals in the wild step up to a fence or whatever

0:22:500:22:54

and pace back and forth.

0:22:540:22:55

-So, you know...

-What about people who say, "These are wild animals.

0:22:550:22:59

"You are going against their intrinsic nature by penning them up.

0:22:590:23:03

"Even in a fairly big enclosure like this, it doesn't approximate

0:23:030:23:06

-"anything like what a bear would range in in the wild."

-They need to understand,

0:23:060:23:10

the main reason that they have that larger territory out in the wild

0:23:100:23:13

is not because that animal chooses to travel that distance.

0:23:130:23:17

That animal HAS to travel that distance.

0:23:170:23:20

Don't you take pleasure in those things that you could call survival?

0:23:200:23:23

The idea of finding food and making sure you have what you need?

0:23:230:23:27

Isn't that, in a way, part of what gives you a sense of satisfaction in your life?

0:23:270:23:31

A perfect example of that is, if you see the bears around your national parks,

0:23:310:23:37

or in Alaska and stuff, where they're closer to a human population, where do they go?

0:23:370:23:43

They come to the human population. Why? Free food.

0:23:430:23:47

-So you don't think animals really want to be wild?

-No. No.

0:23:470:23:51

Their instincts are to survive, but they'd much rather survive

0:23:510:23:54

by having everything handed to them, you know.

0:23:540:23:56

They're not stupid.

0:23:560:23:58

How you doing, boom baby? I know!

0:24:000:24:04

This is Tatiana.

0:24:040:24:05

This is Tatiana, my baboon daughter.

0:24:060:24:09

-Tatiana's about three years old?

-Yeah.

0:24:090:24:11

-And she's safe for us to be around?

-Oh, yeah, come here, baby.

0:24:110:24:14

Get up here and see Daddy. Good girl. You're a good girl.

0:24:140:24:18

I know. I know. You want to play.

0:24:180:24:21

She's my little girl.

0:24:210:24:23

Me and her have a hell of a strong bond. She's unreal.

0:24:230:24:28

I know a lot of people that's had baboons and usually,

0:24:280:24:30

once they get about two years old, nobody messes with them because they are so strong

0:24:300:24:35

and can be so dangerous.

0:24:350:24:37

She won't hurt you. She's just going to grab you real close.

0:24:370:24:40

-She's going to want you to hold her. She's not a bit aggressive.

-OK.

0:24:400:24:44

-You feel her belt?

-Yeah.

-Just hold onto her belt.

-Like that?

-Yes.

0:24:440:24:49

And she'll just... That's her belt. That's more or less her harness. TATIANA SQUEALS

0:24:490:24:53

-She's screaming over the mic. She didn't understand the mic.

-The mic is OK.

0:24:530:24:57

Look at this. This is interesting.

0:24:570:25:00

She's wanting to groom you. She's just checking you out.

0:25:000:25:02

It's quite a nice feeling.

0:25:020:25:04

-But there's something about her face that's a little bit off-putting.

-Yeah.

0:25:040:25:09

-No.

-What shall we do...?

-You know what?

0:25:090:25:12

-She'll automatically scream when I go to get her back.

-OK.

0:25:120:25:15

Everything's fine. She's getting nervous when you get close and that's making me nervous.

0:25:150:25:19

-Why are you making her nervous?

-Just for the fact she don't want to...

0:25:190:25:23

-She wants to stay out. She's getting attention.

-Having fun?

-She loves the attention.

-OK.

0:25:230:25:28

I don't really want to touch your bum that much, is one of the things.

0:25:280:25:31

It's not a... It's not very appealing. Hold onto her belt.

0:25:310:25:35

There's a definite kind of baboon smell coming off her.

0:25:350:25:39

-Do you wash her?

-She takes a bath with me.

-A real bath?

-Yeah.

0:25:390:25:43

-Tata! No.

-What do you think Tatiana's quality of life is like?

0:25:430:25:48

A spoiled-rotten brat.

0:25:480:25:50

Tatiana, arms up.

0:25:500:25:51

And so, er,

0:25:510:25:53

would you not think that a baboon needs to be a baboon?

0:25:530:25:57

For what purpose?

0:25:570:25:59

To live out its full function, to be who it really is.

0:25:590:26:03

And who are we as people to say who it really is? Tatiana! Here.

0:26:030:26:08

She's going to start yelling a little. Come here, brat.

0:26:080:26:12

Give him a kiss! Give him kisses.

0:26:120:26:15

Give kisses. Give kisses.

0:26:150:26:18

That was almost a kiss.

0:26:200:26:21

Do you think the fact that she's female and I'm male helps, actually?

0:26:210:26:25

-I really don't...

-There's a very faint kind of, er, primate...

0:26:250:26:31

low-level erotic dimension?

0:26:310:26:34

I don't know.

0:26:350:26:36

'Tim's park is only occasionally open to the public.

0:26:380:26:43

'It is somewhere between a zoo and a private menagerie.

0:26:430:26:46

'And though he calls it a sanctuary, he also breeds -

0:26:460:26:50

'and many of the animals were bought, not rescued.

0:26:500:26:53

'Though he was once a handyman, Tim no longer does paid work.

0:26:550:27:00

'His animal habit is supported by his wife, Melissa.'

0:27:000:27:04

When you met Tim, was this part of Tim's life back then?

0:27:040:27:09

I knew, deep down, the passion that he had inside but,

0:27:090:27:13

at that time, he didn't have any animals.

0:27:130:27:16

-No.

-We got married in '94 and in '97 is when I acquired my first wild cat.

0:27:160:27:21

Now look where I'm at!

0:27:220:27:24

I'll put myself in a vulnerable state when it comes to walking in a bear cage.

0:27:240:27:28

It's just that... You know, I fear people.

0:27:280:27:31

I have no respect for people. I tell her all the time -

0:27:310:27:35

I guess marriage is supposed to be based on trust and respect.

0:27:350:27:39

I refuse to trust or respect any single human being on this planet.

0:27:390:27:43

I don't trust myself - why would I want to trust anybody else?

0:27:430:27:47

-You don't trust and respect your wife?

-No.

0:27:470:27:50

'Back outside, Tim had one last surprise in store.'

0:27:500:27:55

Come here.

0:27:580:28:00

-You said this was against the law!

-You wanted interaction with animals -

0:28:010:28:05

-how's that?

-What is our contingency plan at this point?

0:28:050:28:09

We'll go in here, and we'll just wait. Are you OK? Tim, is that safe?

0:28:090:28:14

Get in here, it's starting to rain a little too hard.

0:28:140:28:17

Is everyone OK? You're comfortable?

0:28:170:28:20

-Which tiger is that?

-This is Glacier.

0:28:200:28:23

We should probably have talked this through before you did it, Tim.

0:28:230:28:27

If that tiger decides he doesn't want to be on that leash any more,

0:28:280:28:31

there's not much you can do about it.

0:28:310:28:33

Leave it! Leave it!

0:28:420:28:45

-Is it safe for me to come out there?

-As far as to come over here, yeah.

0:28:490:28:52

I've got him under control as best as I can.

0:28:520:28:55

Right now, he's not going to be able to launch. I've got him short-leashed.

0:28:550:29:00

-He's probably quite a bit stronger than you are.

-Quite a bit.

0:29:000:29:03

-So in a way, he's got you by the leash more than you've got him by the leash.

-Somewhat.

0:29:030:29:07

Leave it. Leave it.

0:29:110:29:13

You know, he's wanting to go and see all the other animals and this and that.

0:29:150:29:19

GLACIER GROWLS

0:29:190:29:21

Leave it! Leave it!

0:29:210:29:24

-Do you need help, Tim?

-Not a bit. I can handle it.

0:29:240:29:28

You're going to get on the chair, you'll break the chair.

0:29:280:29:31

You know what? Oh, get out of that.

0:29:310:29:35

In a way, do you enjoy my nervousness a little bit?

0:29:360:29:40

-No. No.

-Is it a bit like having a Harley or a big gun or something,

0:29:400:29:45

where there's a thrill in the sheer power?

0:29:450:29:48

There is somewhat of a thrill of having them, you know, as far as...

0:29:480:29:53

You know, you have them... Hey, chill!

0:29:530:29:56

Leave it! Come on. Glacier, come on. Glacier, get up.

0:29:560:30:00

Get up. Glacier! Get up! Hey!

0:30:000:30:04

Just leave it. Don't worry about them, worry about me.

0:30:040:30:07

Get in there.

0:30:090:30:11

Good boy.

0:30:110:30:12

People say all the time, "You're mixing bloodlines,"

0:30:120:30:16

this or that. You know, you never know. I don't know where these tigers come from.

0:30:160:30:20

I have no clue. I don't care.

0:30:200:30:22

When I have a baby tiger born here, you know what it is to me?

0:30:220:30:26

It's a damn baby tiger. You know, I don't give a damn what they...

0:30:260:30:31

-You know, Siberian...

-Bengal.

-Sumatran, Bengal. It's a damn tiger.

0:30:310:30:36

100% tiger, you know. I can guarantee you that.

0:30:360:30:40

'Back at Joe's, there was a new face at the park.'

0:30:510:30:54

-Ricky.

-Can we say hello? I haven't met you properly.

-John Ricky.

0:30:540:30:58

-Nice to meet you.

-Park manager.

-How's it going?

-Part-time.

0:30:580:31:02

-Part-time.

-You're back?

-I'm back. I've still got a few more doctor's visits to go, but I'm back.

0:31:020:31:07

-You've got a health situation?

-Yeah, yeah. I'm missing a couple of feet.

0:31:070:31:12

-How did it happen?

-I was actually helping some friends of mine

0:31:130:31:16

test an amusement ride they built,

0:31:160:31:19

and I was actually the last live test and it failed.

0:31:190:31:22

We still have to run it off the chain link. We don't have enough.

0:31:260:31:30

'Among the chores of the day was attending to the two tigers I'd seen rescued.'

0:31:300:31:34

So the issue is, Madonna and Big Boy won't come into the area together?

0:31:350:31:41

-Right.

-So you can't clean the cage?

-Right.

-Why won't they go in together?

0:31:410:31:44

You know, I don't know. Because, well, they were together when we picked them up.

0:31:440:31:49

Plus, it would help, too, if Curtis would come and visit them.

0:31:490:31:55

-Hasn't he been?

-He hasn't been yet.

-Are they depressed?

0:31:550:31:58

-They're going through it, yeah.

-Are they?

-Yeah.

0:31:580:32:00

Do you ever have to euthanise animals for depression, or not settling in?

0:32:000:32:05

Not yet.

0:32:050:32:06

He just doesn't want to know, does he?

0:32:060:32:09

-Could you feed him a popsicle?

-No, he wouldn't eat a popsicle.

0:32:090:32:13

'Joe was getting ready for his annual Exotic Animal Expo.'

0:32:170:32:22

-What you doing, Nick? You putting food in?

-Yeah.

0:32:220:32:25

You can't. He hasn't washed yet. OK?

0:32:250:32:27

Set the food on top so he doesn't get it all wet.

0:32:270:32:30

Yeah, it's a little bit tense.

0:32:330:32:35

Like anything you're preparing for last-minute, trying to get the finishing touches.

0:32:350:32:40

-You have not washed your cage yet, right?

-No.

0:32:400:32:43

So, why are you putting your dry food in to spray the cage with water?

0:32:430:32:46

'Owners from around the country were converging at Joe's Park,

0:32:460:32:50

'many with animals in tow, for a weekend of classes and training

0:32:500:32:53

'in taking better care of their pets.'

0:32:530:32:56

-What time does it start, Joe?

-Nine.

-How many people have you got?

0:32:560:33:00

Er, last night, we had 85 or 90 here last night already.

0:33:000:33:06

The rest of them will be checking in this morning.

0:33:060:33:09

-And you'll be teaching - that's the big idea?

-That's the idea.

0:33:090:33:12

-What do you teach?

-How to do this, how to handle, how to shift.

0:33:120:33:17

How to stay alive.

0:33:170:33:19

That's the main goal.

0:33:190:33:20

-This is Louis. Louis's from London.

-Hi, how are you? We're from the BBC.

0:33:250:33:28

-Oh, hi.

-Nice to meet you.

-Yeah.

-How you doing?

0:33:280:33:31

-I'm doing good.

-You having fun?

-Yeah.

-Who's your friend?

0:33:310:33:34

-This is Emily.

-Emily?

0:33:340:33:36

-Emily would be a capuchin?

-Yes, she is.

-Is she full-grown?

0:33:360:33:39

-Yes, she's full-grown.

-What kind of a relationship do you have?

0:33:390:33:43

We've got a great relationship. She goes everywhere I go.

0:33:430:33:46

-Hello.

-Hi, how are y'all?

-Hello. My name's Louis.

-Hi.

0:33:460:33:51

-How are you?

-What's your name?

-Darla.

-Darla and...?

0:33:510:33:54

She doesn't like me to touch somebody else.

0:33:540:33:57

Actually, she doesn't like you to touch me!

0:33:570:34:00

-She has pierced ears?

-Yes, she does.

0:34:000:34:04

They're in there - I've had people tell me to take them out.

0:34:040:34:07

She's a big girl. If she wants them out, she'll take them out.

0:34:070:34:09

-They're still in there.

-They think they're beautiful. They really...

0:34:090:34:13

When you tell them they're beautiful, they understand.

0:34:130:34:16

Those ones don't have ears big enough to get pierced.

0:34:160:34:19

No, I don't think that I would do it. They're just so thin.

0:34:190:34:23

You've got little necklaces round them, though. Do you have...

0:34:230:34:27

-Emily's picture in a frame, there, around your neck?

-Yep.

0:34:270:34:31

They're like our family members - we love them,

0:34:310:34:33

we take care of them, and when we got 'em, we expected to do that.

0:34:330:34:37

That's what we planned on, to make the commitment.

0:34:370:34:40

That's what you have to do.

0:34:400:34:42

YAPPING

0:34:420:34:44

You have to be very careful...

0:34:470:34:49

..what you ask them out there.

0:34:500:34:52

Cos they're very protective of their monkeys.

0:34:520:34:54

It's all right to say, "What's your monkey's name? Is he your pet?"

0:34:540:34:58

"How hard is it to take care of?"

0:34:580:35:00

Any kind of educational questions, you bet.

0:35:000:35:03

But the minute you start, you know...

0:35:030:35:07

"Well, what do you think about these people not liking you

0:35:070:35:10

"to have a monkey?"

0:35:100:35:12

-"Would he rather be in the wild?"

-Exactly. Exactly.

0:35:120:35:15

-That's a no-no.

-That is a big no-no.

0:35:160:35:20

Of all exotic pets, primates are considered the most challenging.

0:35:250:35:31

So, we're talking about seven ounces of monkey chow.

0:35:310:35:34

Their intelligence makes them hard to keep stimulated.

0:35:340:35:38

They're also liable to become unpredictable and dangerous

0:35:380:35:41

as they reach sexual maturity, and can live 50, and even 60, years.

0:35:410:35:46

You have to have a shift pen.

0:35:470:35:49

What a shift pen is, you have a slide door of some kind, where you can lock

0:35:490:35:55

the animal into another cage, so you can safely clean without ever being

0:35:550:36:00

inside with the primate, to protect you, the monkey,

0:36:000:36:02

and the reputation of private owners.

0:36:020:36:06

You get a lot of baby blankets that have the little silky strip

0:36:060:36:09

right here on the top, or down the side.

0:36:090:36:12

They'll unravel that and get it caught somewhere,

0:36:120:36:15

and we've lost two monkeys that have hung themselves

0:36:150:36:18

in the middle of the cages in the first year or so of our park being here.

0:36:180:36:22

Look at him smile!

0:36:220:36:24

LAUGHTER

0:36:240:36:27

And who's this?

0:36:280:36:29

-This is Maddy.

-You have a special relationship with Maddy?

0:36:290:36:33

-I feel like I do.

-Yeah. She's a big daddy's girl.

-Give me a kiss.

0:36:330:36:39

Thank you.

0:36:400:36:41

Can you kiss?

0:36:440:36:45

Would you give me a kiss?

0:36:460:36:48

Can you give me a kiss? Hey.

0:36:480:36:51

Thank you.

0:36:520:36:53

'The most controversial of all exotic pets is the chimpanzee.

0:37:060:37:10

'In 2009, a chimp called Travis, in suburban Connecticut, attacked

0:37:110:37:16

'and nearly killed a human neighbour, ripping off her face.'

0:37:160:37:20

-Hello.

-Hi, I'm Louis.

-Jill James.

-Jill, nice to meet you.

0:37:200:37:24

-Can we come in?

-Sure, come on in.

-How are you doing?

-Good.

0:37:240:37:26

Thanks for having us.

0:37:260:37:28

'Jill and Brad James are among the very few private chimp owners

0:37:280:37:32

'in North America, with five-year-old Tukem Kerry

0:37:320:37:36

'and seven-year-old Cooper.'

0:37:360:37:37

CLATTERING

0:37:370:37:40

It's just a game.

0:37:430:37:44

Stop it!

0:37:470:37:49

-Is he spitting...is he spitting at me?

-No.

-What is the spitting?

0:37:490:37:53

-It's not friendly, is it?

-I don't think so, no. No.

0:37:530:37:58

Woah, woah, woah.

0:38:010:38:03

'It was time for another close encounter with a fellow primate.

0:38:030:38:07

'First out of the cage, Tukem Kerry.'

0:38:070:38:09

Oh, you're already helping me out.

0:38:090:38:12

Do you consider them your pets? How do you view them?

0:38:120:38:15

They're too human-like to be considered like a dog, or whatever.

0:38:150:38:20

I have small children, and to me it seems very like having a tiny,

0:38:200:38:24

hairy, very energetic little child.

0:38:240:38:27

It is, yes.

0:38:270:38:29

-Ooh!

-And what do your friends make of it? Do they worry about the safety?

0:38:320:38:36

Yeah, they do, they do.

0:38:360:38:39

You know, there's been two chimp attacks I know of in...

0:38:390:38:43

ten years, probably.

0:38:430:38:45

I'm not making light of that - it's bad.

0:38:450:38:47

But do you know how many Rottweilers and dogs tear people up every day?

0:38:470:38:52

There's relatively few chimpanzees in captivity in America.

0:38:520:38:56

So, proportionately,

0:38:560:38:58

-chimpanzees would represent quite a serious threat in the home.

-Yeah.

0:38:580:39:01

But you understand what I'm saying about dogs, too -

0:39:010:39:04

that they do it daily?

0:39:040:39:06

-Want another one? Do this.

-What do you want?

-What do you want?

0:39:060:39:10

-What do you want? Eat, please. There's a good boy.

-What do they eat?

0:39:100:39:15

-They eat Mexican, Chinese, er...

-They eat Chinese?!

0:39:150:39:20

Yeah, they love hot dip, spicy things.

0:39:200:39:24

They like pork rinds, hot pork rinds. Doritos, love Doritos.

0:39:240:39:29

As he gets older, will you not have to reduce

0:39:290:39:32

the amount of one-on-one contact, as he gets really strong?

0:39:320:39:35

I imagine I will. I mean, I'm going to use common sense about it,

0:39:350:39:38

I'm not going to put myself in the position to get hurt,

0:39:380:39:42

and I'll have the equipment in case it gets that way.

0:39:420:39:45

And then I won't go back in if that happens, you know?

0:39:450:39:48

At the point where he basically has to be confined to his enclosure,

0:39:480:39:52

will you feel bad about that?

0:39:520:39:54

He can still... He'll still be able to see me.

0:39:540:39:57

We may not be able to hug and love and all that,

0:39:570:40:00

but it won't be like...just totally abandoning him, you know?

0:40:000:40:04

-You feel you're in it for the long haul?

-Well, I don't know.

0:40:040:40:09

You don't know what'll hit you when you hit 60 or 70 or whatever.

0:40:090:40:12

'At 120 pounds, Jill and Brad's older chimp, Cooper,

0:40:140:40:18

'was not yet fully grown, but he was on the cusp of sexual maturity,

0:40:180:40:22

'and an age that is considered dangerous for a chimp.'

0:40:220:40:26

If we let him out and we're around him, what could happen?

0:40:260:40:29

Do you think it'll be all right? What do you think?

0:40:290:40:31

It usually is, but I would rather be safe than sorry,

0:40:310:40:34

so let's do it the safe way.

0:40:340:40:36

-Which is us in the house?

-Yeah, let's just see.

0:40:360:40:38

-You're not nervous or anything?

-Me? No.

0:40:380:40:42

But if he bites my nose off, you could be in trouble.

0:40:420:40:45

SHE LAUGHS

0:40:450:40:46

-It does happen!

-Cut it out. Show him the bang-bang.

0:40:460:40:50

Show him the bang-bang.

0:40:500:40:52

CHIMP BANGS

0:40:520:40:54

You better behave. I'm not putting up with no shit out of you.

0:40:540:40:57

You understand? Understand?

0:40:570:40:59

I don't care. Oh, he wants to eat. He's going to eat. No. No!

0:41:050:41:09

-Here he comes.

-GLASS SHATTERS

0:41:110:41:13

Oh, shit!

0:41:130:41:15

Come here. Beep him, Brad.

0:41:150:41:17

-Jill?

-Yeah?

-Can you come here?

-OK.

0:41:220:41:26

We're just thinking this through,

0:41:260:41:27

and I think we may have what we need, so...

0:41:270:41:31

You're afraid of him! That's OK.

0:41:310:41:35

It's the element of the unpredictable that is

0:41:350:41:38

one of the big downsides of having a chimpanzee as a pet.

0:41:380:41:42

And as he gets stronger, the stakes go up, don't they?

0:41:420:41:45

Because the accident, if it happens, could be more serious.

0:41:450:41:48

But you see out there with us how gentle he is.

0:41:480:41:51

CHIMP THUMPS AND SCREECHES

0:41:510:41:53

That's just normal. That's their play thing.

0:41:530:41:56

They do it together, they'll get in the house and do that together.

0:41:560:42:00

You just got a letter back from someone

0:42:110:42:14

in a donation envelope that you sent?

0:42:140:42:17

Yeah - "Tomorrow, my husband and I were going to visit your animal park and spend the day.

0:42:170:42:22

"I decided to research your park on the internet tonight

0:42:220:42:24

"and saw the abuse of the animals documented by PETA."

0:42:240:42:27

-Did they say "all of the abuse"?

-"All of the abuse."

0:42:270:42:30

"I was shocked and disgusted and told my husband

0:42:300:42:32

"we would not be visiting your park tomorrow or any time in the future."

0:42:320:42:37

A newsletter came back in the mail today with that wrote all over it.

0:42:370:42:41

That's from PETA, they've seen something, from the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals?

0:42:410:42:46

-Right.

-So, what do you take from that letter?

-What do I take from it?

0:42:460:42:51

Ignorant people believe anything they fucking read on the internet.

0:42:510:42:55

So your point about the letter is that that's what you're up against?

0:42:550:42:59

-Yes.

-And that's hurting you?

-Financially.

0:42:590:43:02

We were expecting a cheque in that envelope!

0:43:020:43:05

-'Joe was on the brink of a financial crisis.'

-Are you out on trees?

0:43:060:43:11

Well...well, soak 'em good.

0:43:120:43:15

They're dying. I can't win for losing.

0:43:160:43:19

What's going on in this one?

0:43:250:43:26

In this cage, we have one male lion, a female lion and two female tigers.

0:43:260:43:31

So out of one cage, we'll get purebred lions,

0:43:310:43:34

and we'll have two litters of ligers.

0:43:340:43:36

Isn't that fascinating?

0:43:360:43:38

That in one cage, you can get purebreds and crossbreds?

0:43:380:43:42

'But closing down was not an option.

0:43:440:43:48

'To explain why, he took me to a special spot in the park.'

0:43:480:43:51

See, now, this right here, my brother's buried in Texas,

0:43:570:44:02

so this is where I respect my brother.

0:44:020:44:06

What does it say?

0:44:060:44:09

I need a minute.

0:44:150:44:16

Couldn't do that one!

0:44:200:44:21

It says, "To the best friend that I ever had, our brother."

0:44:270:44:33

And I'm going to be buried right here.

0:44:340:44:37

And my mum and dad are actually in the process of seeing

0:44:370:44:41

if they can get his body moved from there to here.

0:44:410:44:45

Because he's so far away that we never get to go see him.

0:44:450:44:49

But that's why we're here.

0:44:520:44:54

Me and Gerald owned a pet store in Arlington, Texas, when he got killed.

0:44:550:45:01

And I sold it for 70,000,

0:45:010:45:05

and Mom and Dad got 140,000 from his death.

0:45:050:45:11

I took my 70,000 and Mom and Dad took their 140,000

0:45:130:45:16

and we put it together and we paid for the property,

0:45:160:45:20

and we built this first row of cages.

0:45:200:45:22

-Do you think if GW saw this place, he'd be proud?

-I think he's proud.

0:45:240:45:28

-I know he's proud.

-It's been a hard week.

-Yep, yep.

0:45:280:45:34

With being sick and stressed out over money and everything else, it's...

0:45:340:45:39

I normally don't sit out here and bawl!

0:45:400:45:43

'Despite all his breeding of tiger cubs,

0:45:470:45:49

'more and more malls were refusing to book Joe's roadshow,

0:45:490:45:52

'under pressure from animal rights groups.

0:45:520:45:55

'I wondered how much longer he could go on.'

0:45:570:45:59

-So are you worried, Joe?

-Oh, we worry the whole time. Non-stop.

0:46:000:46:07

But we'll figure it out somehow. We'll make it.

0:46:070:46:11

It feels quite precarious. It feels like you're on a knife edge.

0:46:110:46:15

Well, we've been on the edge since the day

0:46:150:46:18

we opened this place 11 years ago.

0:46:180:46:20

In a way, you're in the position now of stockpiling tigers.

0:46:200:46:23

They're not so much on display, because most people...they've

0:46:250:46:30

-seen one tiger, they don't need to see another 149.

-Right.

0:46:300:46:34

Is there any scenario in which you could run out of money,

0:46:340:46:37

or cease to be able to operate this place,

0:46:370:46:40

and many of the big cats would have to be euthanised?

0:46:400:46:44

I've kicked that idea around, and if I ever went broke...

0:46:450:46:50

..I think I would euthanise everything, rather than put them

0:46:520:46:55

in another facility with the same financial stress.

0:46:550:46:59

-Do you really mean that?

-Yeah.

-1,400 animals?

-Yeah.

0:46:590:47:04

-I don't think you're being serious.

-I don't think you know me very well.

0:47:090:47:14

'With my time among America's exotic animals nearing its end,

0:47:240:47:28

'I had one last appointment outside the park.'

0:47:280:47:32

-I'm Louis.

-Hi, Louis, how you doing?

-Nice to meet you.

0:47:430:47:47

-Yeah, we got a nice rainy day.

-Yes, we do.

0:47:470:47:50

'Connie Casey is a chimpanzee breeder and dealer.

0:47:510:47:55

'She bred Jill and Brad's two chimps.

0:47:550:47:57

'She also bred the infamous Travis.

0:47:570:47:59

'She is landlady to a multitude of primates,

0:47:590:48:02

'including a colony of 20 chimpanzees.'

0:48:020:48:05

Who's up there?

0:48:070:48:09

Cobey and Raven and Daisy and Tony and Eric.

0:48:090:48:16

-What you thinking, Tony?

-Could any of these breed?

0:48:180:48:20

They're all intact, they could.

0:48:200:48:22

If you're lucky enough to have a breeding male,

0:48:220:48:26

then it's very fortunate for you.

0:48:260:48:30

In the past, baby chimps have brought in 40,000, you know?

0:48:300:48:37

-She really seems to enjoy human contact.

-Yeah.

0:48:460:48:49

Many of Connie's chimps were once pets who grew unmanageable.

0:48:500:48:55

Some were entertainers. Now, they live out their days here.

0:48:550:49:00

Once you get in here, you'll want to stay to that wall.

0:49:000:49:03

If you fall, don't reach out to the cage to keep yourself from falling.

0:49:040:49:08

Why?

0:49:080:49:09

Well, I don't want your fingers to go in the cage

0:49:090:49:11

and you be missing a finger.

0:49:110:49:13

Hey!

0:49:130:49:14

Hey, Eric. Sonny boy!

0:49:140:49:16

If you stand there too long, he's going to go suck up some water.

0:49:160:49:20

-Suck up some water and spit it?

-Yeah. Hey! You want to see? Good boy!

0:49:200:49:26

Good boy. Good boy.

0:49:260:49:29

Sheena, stop it. That's my sprinkler system. Hey!

0:49:310:49:37

What are you doing?

0:49:370:49:39

CHIMPS GRUNT AND SCREECH

0:49:390:49:42

Who's your rowdiest?

0:49:430:49:45

Er, right now, probably Connor.

0:49:460:49:48

CHIMP RATTLES CAGE

0:49:500:49:52

And then him. That's Tasha.

0:49:520:49:56

Why have you got screens up?

0:49:590:50:02

Because she, the little girl, she throws her bedding.

0:50:020:50:06

She's the worst thrower. It's worse throwing the bedding.

0:50:060:50:10

So if that wasn't there, she'd be throwing stuff at them

0:50:100:50:15

all the time, and then eventually they throw it back,

0:50:150:50:18

and so it's like...you know.

0:50:180:50:19

-A bedding fight.

-What did you think about the whole Travis thing?

0:50:210:50:26

Er, the Travis situation was a very unusual and horrible thing to happen.

0:50:260:50:34

-He shouldn't have been out of the cage.

-You knew him a little bit?

0:50:340:50:39

I knew his mom, yeah.

0:50:390:50:41

Yeah.

0:50:440:50:46

Is she here?

0:50:460:50:49

-Oh, I meant his human mom.

-Oh.

0:50:490:50:51

It's OK.

0:50:530:50:54

SCREECHING Connor, stop it.

0:50:560:50:59

CAGE RATTLES FURIOUSLY

0:51:010:51:04

-That's not necessary, is it?

-I want you to come out.

0:51:100:51:14

-He's got an intelligent face.

-I want you to come out.

0:51:140:51:18

-That didn't hurt or anything.

-He wasn't throwing it very hard.

0:51:190:51:22

-It could go worse than that?

-Oh, yeah. He can throw it.

0:51:220:51:25

-How do you feel being among the chimps? You enjoy it?

-Yeah.

0:51:250:51:29

-Do you think they love you?

-The chimps? Oh, yeah. I know they do.

0:51:290:51:34

How?

0:51:350:51:37

Do you think they don't?

0:51:390:51:41

It's so hard to read what they're thinking.

0:51:410:51:44

It's different when you live with them.

0:51:440:51:47

-But you wouldn't go in there with Connor.

-Not anymore I wouldn't.

0:51:470:51:52

Maybe because you don't trust him a little bit.

0:51:520:51:55

Yeah.

0:51:580:51:59

I was heading back to Joe's park for one last visit.

0:52:150:52:18

-Hi, guys, my name is Bonnie.

-And I'm Tim.

0:52:200:52:23

And we're going to be your tour guides tonight.

0:52:230:52:26

'On arrival, I discovered a radical new plan for pulling in visitors.'

0:52:260:52:29

Our park director, Joe Exotic,

0:52:290:52:32

has been working with animal ambassadors for over 23 years.

0:52:320:52:35

For over 12 years,

0:52:350:52:36

Joe has had a belief that the world started with one tiger,

0:52:360:52:39

and that was the sabre-tooth tiger some 360 million years ago.

0:52:390:52:43

So, for his own wonder,

0:52:430:52:45

Joe created this large habitat where baby tigers and baby lions

0:52:450:52:49

could grow up together, knowing each other as adults.

0:52:490:52:52

The question grew, could he take it one step further

0:52:520:52:54

and try to create a sabre-tooth tiger without any human interference?

0:52:540:52:59

Can you imagine how exciting it would be, to see

0:52:590:53:01

and talk to an animal ambassador that evolved from 360 million

0:53:010:53:05

years ago, just because of one man's belief?

0:53:050:53:08

So you're actually breeding a sabre-tooth tiger?!

0:53:100:53:13

If the male ligers weren't sterile and could breed with the lionesses,

0:53:130:53:17

that's the closest thing you can get to a sabre-tooth tiger.

0:53:170:53:20

Whose idea was that?

0:53:200:53:21

Scientists are trying to do it in test tubes all day long.

0:53:210:53:25

-Joe's actually done this naturally.

-This is Joe's idea?

0:53:250:53:28

What's the idea behind it?

0:53:280:53:31

You know, it's kind of like the zoos and stuff want it.

0:53:310:53:33

It's kind of like the woolly mammoth, they're trying to

0:53:330:53:36

remake the woolly mammoth in test tubes and recreate all the past.

0:53:360:53:41

-Kind of like Jurassic Park?

-Yeah, pretty much.

0:53:410:53:44

Don't you need research scientists and PhDs supervising,

0:53:440:53:48

that kind of thing?

0:53:480:53:49

You know, a PhD's just a document that goes on a wall, you know?

0:53:490:53:52

It's all been done naturally, here.

0:53:540:53:56

Everybody says the movie's actually come to real life.

0:53:570:54:01

Like a dinosaur could come out of something

0:54:010:54:03

and devour everyone on the park.

0:54:030:54:05

-Yeah.

-Could be dangerous.

-It could be. Like it's not already dangerous!

0:54:050:54:08

-So you've got... This is a pretty good turnout.

-Not bad.

0:54:080:54:12

We've had better. We've done tours with 54, 55 people.

0:54:120:54:16

-This is just 24, so...

-Is this the future?

-Is it the future?

0:54:160:54:20

Yeah, probably.

0:54:200:54:22

This is the first stop of our interactive tour,

0:54:230:54:25

and what we're going to do is actually let you come up, one group

0:54:250:54:28

at a time, we're going to get your picture with this miniature horse.

0:54:280:54:33

As soon as we can get him to calm down a little bit.

0:54:330:54:36

He is only two years old,

0:54:370:54:39

so he does like to throw his little temper tantrums.

0:54:390:54:42

-A kiss, right on the lips!

-Give him a kiss.

-There we go!

0:54:420:54:46

Just make sure you're going around him.

0:54:460:54:48

And smile, you're with a tiger!

0:54:480:54:51

And he's not chewing on your legs. Ha-ha, he jumped!

0:54:510:54:54

That was a little chuck he was doing for you!

0:54:540:54:57

# Well, I love you so dearly I love you so clearly

0:55:000:55:03

# I wake you up in the mornin' so early

0:55:030:55:07

# Just to tell you I got the wanderin' blues... #

0:55:070:55:10

Joe also had a new crop of tiger cubs which

0:55:130:55:15

he was using for hands-on play with customers.

0:55:150:55:18

My stay at the park was up - for this great ape,

0:55:220:55:24

it was time to leave the zoo.

0:55:240:55:26

I'd come to see America's exotic animals as something

0:55:290:55:32

between pets and inmates.

0:55:320:55:34

Some of the unwanted ones end up at Joe's,

0:55:390:55:41

but even he was breeding to make ends meet.

0:55:410:55:44

By breeding and creating these lives,

0:55:500:55:53

you have a responsibility to them for life.

0:55:530:55:56

-Yes.

-How can you really track that?

0:55:560:55:59

Well, because most of them are still here.

0:55:590:56:03

Most of the tigers that are in the back were my very first

0:56:030:56:07

photo babies.

0:56:070:56:08

For a tiger that's born as a baby and stays here for life in one

0:56:080:56:12

of the cages, you think that's a pretty good life for a tiger?

0:56:120:56:16

I think they're spoilt.

0:56:160:56:18

They're taken care of.

0:56:180:56:20

-And chimps, too?

-Um, yeah.

0:56:200:56:23

If I could pull my photo show off the road tomorrow, I'd do it.

0:56:250:56:28

But I can't.

0:56:280:56:30

Cos somebody has to keep stepping up to the plate and rescuing animals.

0:56:320:56:35

I'm called a roadside zoo - yeah, I'm next to a road, and I'm a zoo.

0:56:350:56:39

Big deal! Call me a roadside zoo!

0:56:390:56:41

But don't call me a scamtuary,

0:56:430:56:45

because I put my own money into keeping this place open.

0:56:450:56:47

It's all bullshit.

0:56:470:56:50

When you said you would euthanise these animals before giving

0:56:500:56:54

-the place up, you weren't really serious.

-I'm dead serious.

0:56:540:56:57

If that's what they want, before they run me out of business,

0:56:570:57:01

I'll euthanise every damn animal in this place.

0:57:010:57:04

But if you think it's wrong for them to do it, why would you do it?

0:57:040:57:07

Because I'm not going to let them do it.

0:57:070:57:10

Are you always like this, or are you under a lot of stress?

0:57:100:57:13

-No, I'm always like this.

-For the last 10 years?

-Yeah.

0:57:130:57:16

-I was like this before.

-When you were a cop?

-Yeah.

0:57:160:57:21

-You must have been a pretty weird cop.

-I was a weird cop!

0:57:210:57:24

In the end, the question may be, what kind of life is worth

0:57:270:57:30

living for a tiger?

0:57:300:57:33

If not for here, there would be no homes for many of these animals.

0:57:330:57:36

So, for them, the choice is between a small cage,

0:57:360:57:40

and an even smaller box.

0:57:400:57:42

# Here in the small town

0:57:420:57:45

# The people are funny

0:57:450:57:47

# They don't like a stranger around

0:57:470:57:51

# I hate to go, but there's still just one thing

0:57:510:57:56

# And catch me hanging around... #

0:57:560:58:01

He really doesn't like me.

0:58:010:58:02

Perhaps there was someone with glasses who was mean to him once.

0:58:050:58:08

Something about Ray.

0:58:080:58:09

He didn't know anything about Ray, he just decided Ray was OK.

0:58:090:58:12

He wanted to be friends with Ray. You know, same with me.

0:58:120:58:16

And then there's other people that...he thinks

0:58:160:58:18

he just doesn't like.

0:58:180:58:20

MONKEY SQUEALS AND SHRIEKS

0:58:200:58:23

He's not being aggressive, but he's not being friendly, either.

0:58:240:58:28

Kind of like you.

0:58:280:58:30

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0:58:510:58:54

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0:58:540:58:57

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