The use of animals in film and television production has significantly improved through oversight programs, but welfare risks remain in unregulated contexts globally.
Film and television animal welfare has improved dramatically through certification programs and increasing CGI capability, but gaps remain. Domestically in the US, AHA monitoring of union productions has reduced egregious welfare incidents. However, large-scale international productions, reality television, and non-union productions may have minimal oversight. Exotic animals including reptiles and invertebrates receive less protection than mammals. The economic pressure to use real animals for perceived authenticity must be weighed against welfare costs, and productions should be encouraged to demonstrate that CGI replacement would not achieve equal creative results before using live animals.