Cruel Camera - Unethical treatment of Animals in the Entertainment Industry

[Drachir]

Cruelty to Animals in the Entertainment Business : Chrissy's Story : the fifth estate : CBC News

This is an ugly little story. It documents the treatment of animals in wildlife documentaries and other productions created by the entertainment industry. It reveals the fact that there is not a great deal of wildlife in a lot of so-called documentaries. Instead animals raised or kept in captivity are used and sometimes abused. Other animals used in films such as chimpanzees are even more brutally treated in order to get them to behave in the desired manner. The chimps' reward for spending part of their childhood in film is to be sentenced to the equivalent of life in prison when they get too big and dangerous to use.

 

[Nik]

"... reveals the fact that there is not a great deal of wildlife in a lot of so-called documentaries...."

Um, that's not how I read it, but I could have missed something...

Of course, after several decades of 'Attenborough' programs, UK viewers expect a scary-high standard from wildlife documentaries...

'Animal Actors' is another matter entirely-- Please set RSPCA and/or Humane Society upon any cruelty.

( Only recycled electrons used for this message. )

 

[Drachir]

"... reveals the fact that there is not a great deal of wildlife in a lot of so-called documentaries...."

I'm not sure if I understand you exactly, but in the CBC program it was pointed out that captive or semi-tame animals were used in almost all documentaries and forced to act in ways that made the documentary more exciting. This led to many animals being injured or badly stressed out. The other part of the program detailed what happens to animals like chimpanzees after their film or TV career is over.

The one exception was the David Attenborough wildlife series in which all footage (except den and birth scenes where both the animal and camera crew would have been endangered). Apparently in this series animals were filmed as they were without hired stand-ins.

An example of such stand-in animal rentals can be found here Welcome to Animals of Montana