WILD AT HEART
Ross Kemp dives into the world of wild animal ownership and meets some of the UK’s very own tiger kings
If you thought wild animal ownership was something exclusive to out-of-the-box Americans, think again. Instead of delving into gangs and war zones, Ross Kemp is taking a look at the UK’s crop of tiger kings for his latest documentary.
Inspired by the Netflix phenomenon Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, Ross gains access to the country’s elusive, tight-knit and growing community of wild animal owners.
There’s no doubt about it, the number of animals being kept in cages is on the rise in Britain and with barely any barriers to bagging a Dangerous Wild Animal licence, it’s clear to see why.
Ross said: “In the last 20 years, there’s been a 57 per cent increase in wild cat ownership, a 94 per cent increase in venomous snakes, a 198 per cent increase in crocodilians and a 2000 per cent increase in scorpions.”
Here, he tells us more about what he discovered while filming and remembers a run-in with a reptile that he’d rather not relive...
Ross, tell us all about your new show…
Well, it’s something I never thought I’d be doing when I started making documentaries about gangs. These people don’t often do interviews so to get them on camera is quite the achievement.
Were you surprised by what you encountered while filming?
I was just shocked that wild animal ownership exists on such a scale in the UK. I found it easier to accept that it does in the US and other parts of the world, but I didn’t think it happened on these shores.
Why do people want to own these creatures?
There’s a myriad of complex and emotive reasons. Some people want them because they’re dangerous, some people want them because they love animals and some people want them because they believe they’re rescuing them from being euthanised.
How did you get on with the owners?
It’s not for me to take sides. Personally, I would like to see the animals in their natural habitat. Of course that’s where they should be.
You get pretty close to a lion with no form of protection. Do you have any more close encounters?
I get pretty close to some snakes which I’m not great with. I’m given one to carry called Princess. She’s about 15 metres long, wider than me (that’s saying something) and I could barely hold her. She could’ve easily eaten me, so that was scary.
If you missed the craze during the first lockdown, you can still watch
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness on Netflix.
What’s the main takeaway?
Just the fact that it’s actually happening in this country because I had no idea that it was. It also brings the whole notion of captivity into question. What is the point of it?