Unveiling the Secrets Behind Hangover's Trapped Tigers: Insights from a Renowned Big Cat Expert

Summary

Captive tigers are more common than people think, with more tigers in captivity in the US than in the wild worldwide.

The mountain lion biologist described the tiger in The Hangover as "chilling," despite showing no signs of disturbance. The film portrays accurate behaviors of captive tigers, including displacement behaviors and attempts to sedate the animal.

A big cat expert has revealed the truth behind the captive tigers featured in The Hangover. In the movie, the characters wake up after a wild night to find a Bengal tiger in their bathroom. This famous tiger was filmed using a real tiger owned by Mike Tyson, as well as a tiger puppet used for the more action-packed scenes. One memorable sequence shows the tiger ending up in the backseat of Phil, Alan, and Doug's car, nearly causing an accident as they drive.

According to mountain lion biologist Mark Elbroch, the situation of captive tigers shown in The Hangover is actually quite common. In a video with Insider, Elbroch explains that there are more tigers in captivity in the US alone than there are wild tigers in the entire world. He goes on to analyze the behavior of the real tiger in the movie, noting that it did not appear disturbed but rather "chill." Elbroch also comments on other moments in the film, such as the trio attempting to drug the tiger and the moment when the tiger wakes up distressed in their car. To hear his full comments, watch the video below.

This is a pet tiger, which is a type of pet animal. There are more tigers being kept in captivity in the United States alone than there are tigers living in the wild across the entire world. This fact is truly astonishing to contemplate. The tiger's ears were pointed forward, a behavior that is important to observe in cats. From this, it could be inferred that the tiger was not feeling threatened or agitated, but rather, it appeared to be relaxed.

It is an interesting concept to attempt to tranquilize the tiger. I personally know individuals who have tried this technique on wild animals before. They utilize syringes to inject them with drugs. I have witnessed this method being effective in practical situations, so it can be considered as a genuine approach. However, its effectiveness varies depending on the specific drugs used for sedation.

The Tiger Accuracy Rating Is Surprisingly High for The Hangover

When the tiger was spotted gnawing on the seat, such actions are known as displacement behaviors. Numerous animals in captivity demonstrate signs of stress in varying forms. They engage in biting and clawing as a means to cope. For this movie, I would rate it a 5 out of 10.

While The Hangover’s 5 out of 10 score falls short of representing tigers realistically, it is surprising that it scored as high as it did. As a comedic film that leans towards the exaggerated, The Hangover does not aim to portray captive tigers accurately. Despite this, the movie manages to capture certain aspects correctly, such as the widespread occurrence of captive tigers (something Mike Tyson himself was involved in) and the display of stress-induced behaviors witnessed in the car scene.

When it came to featuring the tiger on set, The Hangover kept its comedic intentions intact. While the drugging scene had a touch of realism, other parts of the scene provided absurd and likely baseless facts about tigers. For instance, Alan jokingly claimed that tigers love pepper but hate cinnamon as he prepared meat for the tiger. Later, the crew even attempted to soothe the tiger with sweet melodies.

The Hangover's portrayal of the tiger may not be entirely factual, and Elbroch's score for the film may have been generous. However, it is worth contemplating the harsh reality faced by captive tigers, many of whom are held irresponsibly, just like the characters in The Hangover. This truth has been brought to light through Netflix's documentary series Tiger King, which sheds light on the issues surrounding exotic pets and animal captivity.

Source: Insider