It was recently reported that on the HBO Dustin Hoffman drama series about horse racing, Luck, two horses were put down due to severe injuries they received on set. Animal rights activist group PETA said that if the producers had followed correct protocols and safety measures this tragedy would have been averted.
What are South Africa’s safety and regulatory measures in terms of animals on film sets?
In South Africa there are two main organisations that provide animal monitoring on set – Animal Issues Matter (AIM) and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL).
AIM’s Dee Terblanche says that local regulations pertaining to animals in entertainment are contained in the Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962 (APA) incorporating the Performing Animals Protection Act No 24 of 1935 (PAPA).
She elaborates that at present the film industry voluntarily secures the services of an inspector when they need to ensure their media can be aired in the client’s country. “As there is no legal requirement, this is a self-regulating process which only happens if a welfare report is required by the client. If not, the production tends to by-pass an inspector and only employs a wrangler. This means that three quarters of animal shoots are not monitored.’
Inspectors
Animal Welfare inspectors also have the right under the APA to visit any film set that use animals to ensure a PAPA licensed wrangler is present and that the animals are being handled correctly. According to Terblanche not all film shoots hire inspectors and they are rarely employed on stills shoots.
An inspector has the responsibility of inspecting pre-production training and checking veterinary certificates where necessary.
Terblanche continues: “This protects the company, agency, client and wrangler from any criticism that may arise from animal interest groups and potentially compromises the flighting of the commercials and the client’s reputation. The PAPA makes it a legal requirement that no animal may be used on set without being handled by a magisterially registered animal wrangler with a valid certificate. But without an inspector, there is no one to monitor this.’
Experience essential
Luke Cornell of Union Pictures gives his view: “Currently the regulations require any animal used on set be accompanied by a licensed handler, under the Performing Animals Act. However this is somewhat of an issue, as seemingly some people obtain them without any experience, simply by applying to a magistrate.
“Any exotic or wild animal has to be transported on a valid permit from the conservation authorities of that province. The American Humane Association (AHA) has a set of guidelines that I use and at one stage the AACL here had a vague document regarding film that was never really passed along to owners or animal trainers. The bottom line is that if you don’t have a happy animal they don’t really work.’
Tereblanche explains that Animal Welfare charges film companies a nominal fee plus fuel expenses to monitor and provide a report. “This charge can equate to 1% of the cost to production compared to the wranglers and animals alone. Therefore budgetary excuses for not employing an inspector are considered null and void.’
She notes some of the key elements that productions maintain to protect animals: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from pain injury or disease; freedom to express normal behavior; freedom from discomfort; and freedom from fear or distress.
Cornell, who has trained and supplied animals to film sets for the past 24 years, has invested his life savings in a farm where the animals can live in suitable conditions. He has built a studio on the farm to avoid travelling animals unnecessarily.
“I am a member of the Animal Keepers Association of Africa as well as the Pan Africa Zoo Association, the Animal Interest Alliance and I hold a Performing Animals Licence,’ says Cornell.
The animal’s voice
He stresses that as animals cannot speak, the handler is their voice and their control mechanism and therefore is responsible for their welfare.
“When working on a production we generally request a storyboard and assess the animal’s ability to deliver the required performance,’ continues Cornell. “Then we prepare the animals for the task as best we can. The biggest challenge is informing non-animal people, often producers and directors, that either the animal cannot deliver what they desire or that the animal has had enough and is going home.’
The standard of animal protection in South Africa on sets is world class according to Cornell. “I think we deliver world class animal action and animals. We have had very few instances of injury or newsworthy incidents in all the years I have been on the job.’
Terblanche adds that the South African film industry is successfully self-regulated up to a point but could be improved by following the example of the American Humane Association (AHA)
By Karen van Schalkwyk
Screen Africa Magazine March 2012
