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Decades ago, I worked for a commercial photographer in Los Angeles who built a niche for himself photographing wild animals for print ads. We were really busy at the time having two Bengal Tigers in our studio. It was unnerving being stared down by a HUGE tiger. We were using a 4x5 view camera and had to make every movement in slow motion (as per the trainer's advice). We also flew out to the Kansas Zoo to photograph Black Rhinos and Hippos. To our surprise Hippos have lightening fast reflexes. They are quick and potentially very dangerous.
Anyway, DuPont wanted this photog to build a set of the Arctic and use a live polar bear. The only "trainer" with a polar bear was in Florida! So, the polar bear trainer was contacted while the job was pending and agreed to come out to Los Angeles. Approximately two weeks after speaking with him, the studio manager called back to conform a date. The person on the other line informed him that the polar bear had attacked and killed the trainer--NICE! That made me reflect on whether it was safe to keep working with this particular photographer...
Wild animals can "f" you up.
Mike
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