The Elephant in the Living Room lands at the Oriental Theater

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More About

• Michael Webber
• Tim Harrison
• Terry Brumfield
• Wildlife
• Reptiles and Amphibians

Laws governing the keeping of exotic animals as pets vary from state to state in this country — and some states have no restrictions whatsoever, which means there's a vibrant subculture of raising some of the most dangerous animals in the world as common household pets. That's the premise behind the new feature-length documentary The Elephant in the Living Room, in which director Michael Webber follows two men integral to the exotic-animals-as-pets issue. Tim Harrison is a decorated police officer, firefighter and paramedic who has captured and rescued literally hundreds of lions, tigers, alligators, bears and deadly snakes in the U.S.; his story is counterbalanced by that of Terry Brumfield, whose two African lions were bottle-fed and hand-raised as cubs in his home. Webber tackles the controversy from both ends, and the result is a thought-provoking film that's already won several awards at small film festivals around the globe. See it for yourself when it screens at the Oriental Theater on Friday, April 8.