Telly 1st March 2021 by Denise Curtin

A British Tiger King Documentary Is In The Making With Ross Kemp

Move over, Joe Exotic.

Although we don’t like to think about our Tiger King, banana bread, 5k challenge days of lockdown 1.0, it looks like we’re in for another Joe Exotic-esque helping, but this time, with a British take.

For this brand new two part documentary series, Ross Kemp will be travelling around Great Britain to meet those who privately own exotic animals and press the questions which many of us can already guess the answers to.

Asking if it’s in the best interests of the animal to be living in privately owned pins in the UK, it’s believed that over 4,000 animals such as crocodiles, tigers and lions are under private owners, with Ross meeting some of these people in question.

The documentary which is set to air this spring on ITV will see owners from all walks of life including an ex circus performer and a man who keeps two lions in his back garden.

Ross will also talk to those who live nearby, hearing their views on having some pretty big cats for neighbours and if they think it’s poses a danger to them. Many of these exotic animals also tend to divide the villages with varying thoughts, yet their owners describe them as “big puppies”.

Explaining that all the animals in the documentary were animals born into captivity and so, wouldn’t have survived living in the wild, Ross adds that even still, their owners would not ‘consider sending their cat to a sanctuary which offers something close to a natural habitat.’

The two-part documentary titled Britain’s Tiger Kings – On The Trail With Ross Kemp will air later this season and it’s certainly one to watch. Bring it on.

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