A Werribee vet nurse is hoping to show the world how the plight of wildlife being used as tourist attractions can be transformed.
Philippa Wilkinson has spent the past three years working on The Elephant in the Room, a 20-minute documentary that focuses on responsible wildlife tourism.
It’s a cause that became close to her heart after she spent six months travelling through south-east Asia in 2012 and saw just how popular close-up wildlife experiences – including elephant trekking and lion and primate encounters – were with tourists.
While Ms Wilkinson understands how important these experiences can be for local tourism economies, she said some of the tactics being used to control wildlife were of concern.
“They belong in the wild … [but] there’s this element of control that’s involved so that you can get up close to them,” she said. “It’s not the most pleasant life for them.”
While on her travels, she documented some of her thoughts and ideas for affecting change.
Once back home, she assembled a team – including a presenter and editor – and with crowdfunding raised enough money for the group to go back overseas and get more footage.
She now hopes to enter her documentary in film festivals to help spread her message.
The Elephant in the Room will have its debut screening at the HIIT Factory, 27 Hall Street, Yarraville, on Saturday from 6pm.
