WINNER CATEGORY HUMANS AND NATURE
Aaron Gekoski | My Pet Tiger

Name: Aaron Gekoski
Picture title: My Pet Tiger
Category: Humans and Nature
Nationality: UK/Philippines
Occupation: Photographer and film-maker

Technical information
Camera: Canon 5D mark IV
Lens: Canon 35mm f2
EXIF:1/50th f4 ISO1000
Accessories: Godox AD200 and soft box

Aaron Gekoski says:

For more than three years, I’ve been working on a documentary about our complex relationship with big cats, titled Dethroned. This journey has taken us around the world in an effort to understand how we have shifted from respecting and revering big cats to consuming and exploiting them.

One segment of the film focuses on the exotic pet trade. Fueled by social media, the trade in big cats is thriving in Pakistan, where owners clamor to possess rare and dangerous animals such as lions, leopards, and tigers. Some are imported from South Africa, while others are bred locally.

In a bid to understand what drives someone to keep a big cat as a pet, we met a big cat owner in Karachi who had a tiger cub named Zorro. Zorro was particularly timid and disliked attention. However, for about a minute, he sat still, eyes fixed on the camera, before quickly retreating under the sofa, allowing me to capture this image.

The combination of eye contact and his frightened expression, paired with the opulent surroundings where he seemed to blend in so seamlessly, created a striking and memorable image. The contrast to his natural jungle home couldn’t be starker.

When the cubs grow too large to keep at home, they are often moved to other facilities for the safety of their owners. While keeping a big cat as a pet may look ‘cool’ online, in reality, it poses a danger to both people and animals.