The Elephant In the Living Room

Tim Harrison wears many hats: he's a police officer and a paramedic. He also wrangles exotic animals that people set free. Harrison is the director of Outreach for Animals, a Dayton organization that educates people about exotic animals and discourages them from keeping them as pets. In THE ELEPHANT IN THE LiVING ROOM we ride along in Tim's truck as he goes about his business. And there's plenty of it: he recently picked up 19 alligators near Dayton and 10 near Cincinnati. He tells stories about rescuing a boa constrictor from inside somebody's walls and about a deadly Gaboon viper that some kids found in a garage. He attends a reptile show and an Amish exotic animal auction where cameras are not welcome. One of Tim's pet projects is the case of Terry Brumfield and his two adult lions. Which makes Tim worry as he wonders about his own role as either the hero or the villain of these stories. Still, there are no laws restricting people from keeping exotic pets. – B.B.