The Hidden Tiger (2020)
The Hidden Tiger arose following the success of Netflix’s Tiger King; after Tiger King failed to show the conservation efforts, missing an exposure and educational opportunity. The Hidden Tiger focuses on the United States of America’s growing captive tiger problem and how organisations are attempting to combat this. The tigers are born into captivity; they are overbred, mistreated and under- regulated. The documentary exposé shows the hypocrisy of petting zoos that state they are helping conserve the tigers; whilst exploiting them and contributing to the extinction of the remaining wild tigers. The combination of scenes of concrete cages holding captive tigers juxtaposed by clips of wild tigers amongst thick vegetation shows the importance of the apex predator’s natural habitat. The exploitation of tigers extends from poaching to circus entertainment to back garden pets. The documentary concludes by emphasising the hope related to conservation efforts to change legislation. The film’s success is found within its educational and exposing narrative; showing the conservation programs that the viewer can connect with to help save the tigers from being extinct in the wild.
‘You have the tigers, they’re sitting in your forest. Don’t you have the guts, don’t you have the courage, don’t you have the ability, the brain to keep them alive in the forests that they live in. You want them to die and then recreate them in laboratories? Is there anything more foolish to be done?’
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