Award-winning Documentary to be Shown at the Library

The controversial subculture of raising exotic animals as household pets will be the subject of a program to be hosted by Washington-Centerville Public Library in January. On Thursday, January 19 at 6:30 pm, Centerville Library will present The Elephant in the Living Room, the award-winning documentary by Ohio native Michael Webber. Local animal rescuer Tim Harrison will be on hand to talk about the documentary in which he has a starring role, and will also relay stories about his own experiences in rescuing dangerous animals found wandering at large in suburbs across America. 

The newly released documentary couldn’t have had better timing. In October, just two months after the film’s nation-wide debut, the worst exotic animal tragedy in history occurred in Zanesville, Ohio, in which more than fifty wild animals were purposefully released from their cages to roam freely. Forty-nine of the wild creatures, including lions, rare Bengal tigers and grizzly bears, needed to be killed by local officials before they could do harm to the public. Six animals that survived the ordeal are now in protective custody at the Columbus Zoo. Both Harrison and Webber were interviewed by the national media after the story hit the newsstands, and coverage on the event went world-wide. 

Mr. Harrison is a nationally known expert in handling exotic animals, has written two books on the subject, and is well-known locally for his establishment of Outreach for Animals, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on the dangers of owning exotic animals. 

The library’s presentation will include a complete showing of the documentary followed by audience questions and answers. Because of the subject matter, the program may not be suitable for all audiences. The public is encouraged to arrive early to ensure seating, and no reservations will be taken.