Experts estimate that there are now more tigers in private hands in the U.S. than there are roaming wild in the world. If this fact strikes you as extraordinary, you should check out the The Tiger Next Door.
A documentary film, directed by Camilla Calamandrei, The Tiger Next Door tells the story of a man named Dennis Hill who has been breeding and selling tigers from his backyard in Flat Rock, Indiana, for more than 15 years. Tigers are both an occupation and an obsession for Hill. But now, after a surprise government inspection, he’s lost the license that allowed him to keep exotic animals, and the state of Indiana is threatening to shut him down.
As Hill fights to hold on to his tigers over the days and months that follow, The Tiger Next Door, follows him—exploring his motives, his past, and the ethically murky world he’s created in his backyard. At the same time, the film ranges far beyond Hill’s animal compound, illuminating the connection between breeders like Hill and the near-epidemic of wild-animal keeping in the United States.
Calamandrei’s film asks us to think deeply about critically important concerns, such as animal rights, captivity, breeding, and other issues that shape our relationship with non-human animals. For more information about the film (and to purchase a copy), visit: www.thetigernextdoor.com.