Born Free
The Human Habitat

Film & Campaign Description

Big Cats suffer in zoos

"My heart aches when I think about the thousands of big cats suffering in zoos. These remarkable, powerful predators should live freely where nature intended, not caged so we can be ‘entertained’. Your gift today will help us campaign to bring an end to the exploitation of big cats in zoos. Let’s keep big cats safe in the wild, where they belong!"

Dame Virginia McKenna, Born Free Co-Founder and Trustee

• Commuters and tourists were surprised to see Born Free patrons including Amanda Holden, Kirsty Gallacher, Jenny Seagrove, Ritchi Edwards, Hector Bateman along with Born Free’s Co-Founder and Executive President, Will Travers OBE, confined to a cage in London’s Leicester Square, as they each took part in a protest to highlight the unnaturally small housing endured by over 3,000 big cats living in zoos across the UK and Europe.

1. - Confined to enclosures 40,000 times smaller than their natural range.
2. - Solitary species forced to share what space they have with others, despite naturally living alone in the wild.
3. - Social big cats unable to form natural groups, as they would in the wild.
4. - Prevented from hunting, a fundamental instinct, yet often – unbearably – living in cages or enclosures close to natural prey animals.

The symbolic enclosure was complete with ‘zoo-style’ signage giving information about the human species and ‘Did You Know?’ facts outlining the limited enclosure space which is the reality for many large felines living in a captive setting.

The protest took place on the day we launched our Clawing at the Cages appeal and report, calling on the UK Government to stop the continued breeding of big cats – who will never be able to live a natural life in the wild, and may even be culled – and phase out the keeping of big cats in zoos for good.

A Roar-Free UK petition was launched, acheiving 7000 signatories within a matter of weeks.

The film was produced by our friends at PA Media Assignments with our friends Taylor Herring on Creative and PR.