Pixiq

If you want to photograph a Bengal tiger, your best opportunity would be in India. There you might shoot—from a jeep or an elephant’s back—in one of the three Indian national parks that contain and protect approximately half of the world’s remaining wild tiger population. Or, you might choose to photograph captive tigers at a game farm or local zoo, through fences. I chose a third option.

In 1995, I had the opportunity to photograph two beautiful Bengal tigers at their spacious Southern California training facility. These tigers weren’t just languishing in an enclosure waiting for photographers to come along; they were highly prized working actors who had starred in a number of Hollywood films, including Disney’s un-animated version of The Jungle Book. I really had to meet them, and, to do so, I had to make an appointment with their agent.

I had in mind some photography that you wouldn’t be able to accomplish with tigers in the wild: I wanted to capture them running right toward the camera. So I lay down on the ground next to an assistant with a meat treat, and the cats’ trainer released them. As they raced toward me, I fired away. I guess you could do this in the wild—but you’d only do it once. With these animals, I was able to photograph the run repeatedly; they seemed to love it, and they never confused me with their reward.

Later, we tried some photography in a large enclosure where the two tigers were able to move wherever they wanted. They were trained, but not tame, and as I was photographing one, I was unaware that the other was stalking me. As the big cat leapt toward my back, the trainer intercepted it with a tackle worthy of the Pro Bowl. Any doubt I might have had that the entire exercise was dangerous for the trainer, the tigers, and me was completely removed.

I was extremely happy with the results of the photography I did that day. It was a privileged opportunity to get a completely different perspective on the big, gorgeous animals in action, and the images have been used in many books about big cats. But I can’t say that I’d do it again if I had the same chance today. While I know those two tigers were extremely well cared for and lived fine, long lives, I’m increasingly troubled by the prevalence of facilities that keep captive animals for photography. It bothers me, especially, that they seem to have cute new baby animals to offer every year, and I don’t know where last year’s babies go. I have my suspicions, though, that once the photographers are finished with them, they go to canned hunts, and I just can’t be a part of that.

Before you engage in photography of captive animals, investigate the conditions in which they are maintained, understand where the animals originated and what their future is, and satisfy yourself that the images you take away will be important enough to justify your financial support of the enterprise. Don’t let yourself be an unwitting supporter of unwise breeding, the importation of wild animals from their natural environments, inhumane treatment, or the canned hunt.