HBO’s “Chimp Crazy” and the Suffering of Captive Wild Animals Across the World
A statement from global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS
Vienna, 19 August 2024 – In March 2020, the world was talking about Tiger King, the true crime documentary that introduced an eccentric cast of tiger breeders whose obsession with big cats and how to profit from them was exposed. In a new series, Chimp Crazy, which was released yesterday, the director of Tiger King takes a close look at so-called ‘chimp moms’ who raise chimpanzees as pets. Like with Tiger King, this look behind the scenes reveals a network of abuse and exploitation of wild animals, who often never set foot in the wild and spend their whole lives in cruel captivity. FOUR PAWS urges viewers worldwide to be conscious viewers and stay aware of the featured animals' suffering, as well as that of countless others in similar situations, while being entertained by the show.
For many years, FOUR PAWS has been working tirelessly to urge decisionmakers to improve the protection of big cats and other wild animals in captivity and to ban the commercial trade of tigers and other big cats in Europe and beyond. There are an estimated 1,600 captive tigers in Europe, 10,000 in the US and 600 tigers caged in South Africa that are exploited for human entertainment. The Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted in 2022 in the US, to end the private ownership of big cats as pets and prohibit exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including cubs. While much still needs to be done to implement it, FOUR PAWS hopes that other countries where the commercial trade is legal, such as multiple European and Asian countries as well as South Africa, follow this example.
Together with renowned photojournalist, Aaron Gekoski, Four Corners Film and Photography and Terra Mater Studios, ϲĻ has produced the enthralling wildlife documentary film Dethroned, an investigation into our relationship with big cats and how they are revered and exploited in different cultures around the world. Following its premiere in Vienna on 20 June, an exclusive online screening is planned for November 2024.
Katharina Braun
(she/her)Team Lead Public Relations
+43 (0) 664 885 33 270
VIER PFOTEN International
Linke Wienzeile 236
1150 Vienna, Austria
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. ϲĻ