I figured this documentary would be difficult to watch, and it was—and even more upsetting than I had anticipated.
So be warned…but definitely watch it!
DETHRONED is a documentary about big cats such as jaguars, lions, tigers, and leopards, and the threat they face in human captivity and trafficking, and as humans move deeper into their habitats. The documentary follows renowned environmental photojournalist Aaron Gekoski—who has been documenting our complex relationship with animals for nearly 20 years—across our planet in an attempt to uncover where we have parted ways with the big cats and what could happen if we continue to allow these beautiful, majestic creatures to be abused, traded, commodified, enslaved, or killed merely for profit or sport.
In the process, Gekoski crosses continents to come face to face with multiple species of big cats. He infiltrates a group of upper-class Pakistanis who, tempted by the lure of social media fame, have started buying big cats to keep as house pets. He hikes the foothills of the Himalayas on the hunt for a man-eating leopard, exposes a tiger petting zoo and circus ring in Thailand, and has his life threatened in the Golden Triangle (a large, mountainous region of approximately 200,000 sq km (77,000 sq mi) in Southeast Asia, located at the interaction of Myanmar, Northern Thailand and northern Laos, which has become a global hub for drugs and all sorts of international trafficking), attempting to document the multi-million-dollar trade in big cats. In South Africa, he heads deep into the dark heart of the lion breeding industry.
But on a positive note—he also visits big cat preserves Lionsrock Big Cat Santuary and Pridelands Conservancy, humane and compassionate organizations that demonstrate that perhaps there is hope after all, and that it’s not too late.
DETHRONED asks us to re-consider our relationship with big cats, as well as contemplate what becomes of humanity if we continue to allow them to be destroyed.
Worth a watch, but again: viewer discretion advised:
Credits: Aaron Gekoski • Will Foster-Grundy
Terra Mater Studios • Four Corners Film & Photography
Four Paws International • Lionsrock Big Cat Sanctuary • Pridelands Conservancy
