Locked into obedience by their trainer’s gaze, big cats perform at the Seven Star Park in Guilin in 2012.
The cats have been drugged, their teeth and claws pulled out, and they are controlled during the show by poles with metal spikes at the end. Audiences are often unaware of the level of cruelty involved. ‘This was truly an arena of broken animals’, Britta remarks. These cats are probably all hybrids of captive-bred animals. The one in the centre is most likely a liger – a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. Ligers are thought to be the largest living felines, tending to exceed the size of both their parent species.
Germany/UK
Britta has won numerous international awards and works with authorities, charities and environmental organisations to document crimes against wildlife and nature. Her images are published worldwide in magazines, newspapers and books and exhibited in galleries and museums. When not on assignment, Britta is busy speaking at photo festivals or conservation events with large, international audiences.
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