Britain's Tiger Kings is coming to ITV, with Ross Kemp fronting the new series that looks like it's the UK's answer to the Netflix hit Tiger King.
The two part documentary will explore the UK's private zoo owners, and it might surprise viewers to know that there's around 4,000 wild animals kept privately in Britain, with the new special giving us a unique insight into the people who own these exotic creatures.
Ross Kemp says: “When I first started making these films I didn’t think it was possible to privately own a lion or a tiger in this country. I’ve found it truly eye-opening and disturbing to discover just how easy it is to source one and get permission to keep it legally.”
Here's everything we know about the documentary so far...
'Britain's Tiger Kings' release date
Britain's Tiger Kings starts on Tuesday 30 March on ITV at 9pm.
What is 'Britain's Tiger Kings' about?
Britain's Tiger Kings follows Ross Kemp as he meets big cat owners in the UK, and finds out more about the issues surrounding exotic pet ownership, including any ethical problems and the reasons why someone would want to own a big cat.
According to ITV's synopsis: "Ross meets a man who keeps two lions in his back garden, and a couple who have used the profits from their scrap metal business to build a 200-strong animal collection.
“Ross also meets a former circus trainer who now trains animals for television programmes, films and adverts and keeps tigers among his menagerie.”
What else should we know?
As of 2016, a surprising amount of licences were issued to allow UK citizens to keep exotic pets. An article by BBC News revealed that licences for pumas, lynxes, ocelots, lemurs, vipers, ostriches and an assortment of wild cats have been issued in Cornwall alone.
Ross Kemp has added that all the animals featured in Britain's Tiger Kings were born in captivity. He revealed: "It's important to remember that all big cats I came into contact with were born into captivity and therefore wouldn't survive in the wild.
"But when I asked if they would consider sending their cat to a sanctuary which offers something close to a natural habitat — the answer was often no."
Is there a trailer?
Not yet, but we'll keep you updated when ITV releases one!
