Cape Town, 21 October 2024 – For thousands of years, big cats have been revered and feared by humans. It is a story of great fascination and deep fear. But what is our relationship with tigers, lions and other big cats today? How great is the suffering of the animals that are exploited, held captive, displaced from their habitat and killed by us humans? On this topic, Global animal welfare organisation, FOUR PAWS in South Africa hosted a series of  exclusive  screenings of the documentary for stakeholders and supporters produced in collaboration with TERRA MATER STUDIOS and FOUR CORNERS FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY. The film is presented through the lens of award-winning photojournalist Aaron Gekoski, who has been documenting the interaction between humans and wildlife on film for many years.

"Dethroned" is a film that I actually wish I had never had to make. But given the threat that big cats are now facing, it is perhaps the most important film I have ever worked on. We spent three years filming in six countries; the result is a journey into the depths of the inhumane treatment of these animals and what becomes of us when we destroy all that is sacred," says Aaron Gekoski.

"With this documentary, we want to show that our relationship with big cats is at a very critical point. Little remains of the former reverence. On the contrary: we lock the animals up, we trade in them and their body parts, we keep them as pets - in short, we systematically exploit them and take away their dignity. Our aim was to show how things got to this point and what consequences this has for animals, people and the environment," explains Fiona Miles, Director at FOUR PAWS.

From the illegal trade in jaguars in Peru, to tigers as tourist attractions in Thailand, to the intensive farming of lions and tigers in South Africa - legislation around the world is failing to prevent animal cruelty and to put a stop to criminal activities. FOUR PAWS has been campaigning for better protection of big cats for years. "We hope that with this film we will raise people's awareness of the mistreatment of animals and encourage them to rethink behaviours we have normalised," says Miles.

Unfortunately, many practices that exploit big cats are still legal in South Africa. Across the country, there are approximately 10,000 lions, over 600 tigers known by authorities and an unknown number of other big cat species kept in captivity for commercial purposes. These include tourist attractions such as cub petting and ‘walk with’ opportunities but may include trophy hunting or for the export of live animals and parts. South Africa is the biggest exporter of big cats and their parts from anywhere in the world and manyof the live big cats that are exported from South Africa may be used in exploitative, commercial purposes around the world. The commercial trade of big cats exploits animals in captivity and threatens wild populations.

For years, FOUR PAWS has been offering big cats from private and commercial keeping a species-appropriate home for the rest of their lives in its sanctuaries. Animals from substandard zoos, circuses, and those that have been kept as pets can‘t be released into the wild. FOUR PAWS places great importance on keeping human contact with them to a minimum, while at the same time providing them with the necessary care, medical food, enrichment and an environment that is appropriate for the animals. FOUR PAWS’ Big Cat Sanctuary LIONSROCK in South Africa alone is home to over 100 lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards rescued from these circumstances.

"Watching the documentary Dethroned allowed us to view the greater context that these issues occur in, and this was very important for me to witness. The feeling of defeat and despair that I feel as a scientist is that often when these stories are told it is often one dimensional, this way you lose a lot of support, and many communities that are affected are not shown in the light that this documentary has made. I think that the filmmakers did an amazing job in capturing this and not imposing a narrative for people to prioritise. They also did great work in navigating the complexities that were in the story, bringing about a great conversation starter about a lot of issues that are connected. I think it’s an important story, and I am glad that there will be an online screening. I think everyone should watch it and join in on the conversation,” said Merlyn Nkomo, Conservation Biologist at Shannon Elizabeth Foundation.

The upcoming documentary will be exclusively screened online on 26 November 2024 at 20:00. To join the conversation, register for FREE here. A streaming link will be shared via email one day before the event. Viewers can look forward to a live Q&A session with the cast and crew after the screening.

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