Animal use in film and television has improved significantly with modern oversight, but gaps in monitoring and the rise of social media content create new challenges.
Film and television animal welfare has improved dramatically since the era of horses being tripped with wires for westerns. But the AHA monitoring system has documented gaps, and the rise of social media content has created an enormous unmonitored landscape. Wildlife content creators using trained or captive animals for social media views operate entirely outside traditional oversight. The same welfare concerns about training methods, handling stress, and inter-production housing apply. Consumer action — refusing to engage with social media content featuring exploited wild animals — reduces the revenue incentive driving poor welfare. Supporting content creators who use CGI, stock footage, or genuine wild observation contributes to the same outcome.