For thousands of years, big cats have been revered and feared by humans.
It is a story of great fascination and deep fear. But what is our relationship with tigers, lions and other big cats today? How great is the suffering of the animals that are exploited, held captive, displaced from their habitat and killed by us humans?
Animal welfare organisation Four Paws hosted a series of exclusive screenings of a new documentary presented through the lens of award-winning photojournalist Aaron Gekoski, who has been documenting the interaction between humans and wildlife on film for many years.
“Dethroned is a film I wish I had never had to make. But given the threat big cats now face, it is perhaps the most important film I have ever worked on. We spent three years filming in six countries; the result is a journey into the depths of the inhumane treatment of these animals and what becomes of us when we destroy all that is sacred,” said Gekoski.
Four Paws SA director Fiona Miles said people’s relationship with big cats was at a critical point.
“Little remains of the former reverence. On the contrary: we lock the animals up, we trade in them and their body parts, we keep them as pets ‒ in short, we systematically exploit them and take away their dignity. Our aim was to show how things got to this point and what consequences this has for animals, people and the environment,” said Miles.
From the illegal trade in jaguars in Peru, to tigers as tourist attractions in Thailand, to the intensive farming of lions and tigers in South Africa ‒ legislation around the world is failing to prevent animal cruelty and to put a stop to criminal activities, she said.
“Four Paws has been campaigning for better protection of big cats for years. We hope that with this film we will raise people’s awareness of the mistreatment of animals and encourage them to rethink behaviours we have normalised,” she said.
“Unfortunately, many practices that exploit big cats are still legal in South Africa. Across the country, there are about 10 000 lions, more than 600 tigers known by authorities and an unknown number of other big cat species kept in captivity for commercial purposes. These include tourist attractions such as cub petting and ‘walk with’ opportunities but may include trophy hunting or for the export of live animals and parts,” said Miles.
“South Africa is the biggest exporter of big cats and their parts and many of the live big cats may be used in exploitative, commercial purposes around the world.
“For years, Four Paws has been offering big cats from private and commercial keeping a species-appropriate home for the rest of their lives in its sanctuaries. Animals from substandard zoos, circuses, and those that have been kept as pets can‘t be released into the wild. Our Big Cat Sanctuary LionsRock in South Africa alone is home to more than 100 lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards rescued from these circumstances,” said Miles.
The documentary, produced in collaboration with Terra Mater Studios and Four Corners Film and Photography, will be screened online on 26 November 26 at 8pm. To join the conversation register for free at https://www.four-paws.org.za/get-involved/events-webinars/dethroned-online-screening
A streaming link will be shared via email one day before the event. There will be a live Q&A session with the cast and crew after the screening.