The Elephant in the Living Room

What an eye-opener. I simply had no earthly idea what is going on with "exotic animals" in the United States. I mean WTF. Who in their right mind would keep wild animals as household pets? This needs to be outlawed in all 50 states. I applaud the effort made in the state of Ohio and all 49 other states need to follow suit - immediately. On top of my disbelief at the statistics of the number of lethal creatures there are in US households, I could hardly believe what the Amish are doing. They have one of the main sources for the purchase of these creatures that need to be living life in their own natural habitat. Not in homes where they can literally kill or maim a young child at any given moment because this has happened - repeatedly. Not a one time occurrence. There should be a law that if someone has this type of creature and the creature causes harm or death to a human, that person should be held liable and serve prison time. Period. I thank the producer for this documentary and opening my eyes as I plan to contact my local representatives to find out what the laws are where I live and if this practice is allowed, to petition to prohibit it. Permanently. Geesh. I wonder just how more mad humans can get. I mean mad in a mentally ill state. Good heavens people, this is what domesticated animals are for.

This film contains absolutely fascinating information.Its a story that hasn't been told and everyone in the U.S. should know about it.I watched the film twice and each time I was mesmerized. Tim is a character who is charismatic, devoted to his mission and sincere. He's a modern American hero and should probably have his own TV show on this subject. Terry is a little tough to watch.I wondered at his naive stance. If the content of this film is true (and I think it is)it should be required viewing at zoos, schools,and pet stores. We have an alarming epidemic in America and nobody is talking about it. Maybe THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM will help uninformed Americans wake up.

I have been permanently altered by this documentary, one of the best animal and human relations films I have ever seen. Even two months after seeing it at the Sonoma International Film Festival, I keep reflecting on the many beautiful and heart-wrenching stories interwoven in this compelling and unbelievable tale of the lives of exotic animals and the people who buy and own them in the United States. It will open your eyes to the true cost of allowing exotic animals to be imported into our country. And the plight is not only for the animals but for the people who buy, love, and care (or try to care) for them. Compassion, courage, and candor are what make this movie so touching and real. You get more than just a passing glimpse into the lives of people affected by exotic animal ownership. You will come to love a real American hero, Tim Harrison, as he tries to walk the fine line between caring for both the animals and the people affected by the choices they make in becoming exotic animal owners. You will also be moved by the story of Terry, a man in Ohio who was given the gift of a lion cub one fateful day. What is so great about The Elephant in the Living Room is that the director, Michael Webber, clearly followed his heart in creating this film. Instead of a superficial story, he traveled all over the country painstakingly documenting and following the lives of some unique individuals and animals that you will never forget. Lambert the Lion will stay in my heart forever. Thank you for making this film, Michael!

A little surprised this is rated PG considering that it shows the lion being tortured and killed albeit accidentally. And a python being shot intentionally. Just the fact that this is about wild animals who are dangerous I think it should be at least a PG-13 rating. It does focus on the fact that there are a lot of irresponsible owners that cause problems, especially when they release animals they can no longer care for in and around towns and cities where humans live. There was no focus on an elephant in this film that I could see, although I do admit I nodded off for a few minutes here and there. Not because it was so boring but because I was very tired. I'm a documentary fan and I'm an animal fan so I did find this film interesting; however it does focus on Terry and his lions. In the end we are happy that the remaining of the pride will be in a Sanctuary that is huge upgrade from where they were although still nothing like where they would be in the wild. The film briefly shows various stories about other animals which is the chimpanzee and the elephant, but it's so brief and we want more info but the film just meanders along through long drawn out footage of Terry and his languishing lions. There is no happiness in this film. I think it intends to show us that there needs to be some regulation IE being required to show that you have expertise and a place to keep such an animal. There's one review that expounds on the fact that many experts do keep exotic animals safely and with high regard for the animal and in many cases are helping to keep them from being extinct. But in this film we find that for instance huge pythons are released to the point where they have now created a biome where they don't really belong. There is a need to regulate how where and who can keep animals that will kill you if given the chance. For instance I certainly think it should be illegal for a family with small children to keep a snake that could eat them. I know the statistics show us that most snake owners who own dangerous snakes do fall victim to their animal. We've all heard horrific stories about people who have kept exotic animals only to be killed by them. I'm not that familiar with the positive stories and in fact we probably don't hear much about those. I would have liked this film to focus at least a tiny bit more on the brief inserts such as the starving elephant that was removed from someone's home. I found it extremely upsetting the lion was electrocuted although accidental. We call it an accident but it was incompetence and unnecessary. What the film really does show though is how beautiful those lions are.

It feels like your heart is getting ripped right out of you when you see what happens. Almost as if you are right there. Even though the narrative is told mostly through an animal lover's perspective -- which seeks to restrict the ownership of exotic pets -- we also hear from those who think otherwise. He may be the subject of much condemnation on these boards, but Terry's dilemma with his pet lions really does articulate the position many owners of exotic pets find themselves in: they love the animals and would defend them with their lives, but a wild and dangerous animal taken out of its natural habitat poses a threat to all.

The sincerity of everyone involved in this film really does shine through. But the central character, Tim Harrison, comes across particularly as someone who genuinely cares about animals. It was Tim's authenticity that colored much of the material and it was the trust he fostered that made it possible to gain the kind of access needed to make this film.

Well worth your time to watch this even if you disagree with the premise.