Since 1969, Ontario’s African Lion Safari, located just outside Toronto, has been a place where one can come face to face with a lion or elephant without travelling to beautiful Africa. Since the early 1970s, this new-style zoo has also been providing wild animals to commercial sets across Canada and around the world.

"We’re best known for our elephants, birds of prey and our parrots," says Carole Precious, ALS’ manager of birds. These days, ALS services "an average of six spots a year," from right at home to the Andes mountains.

Turns out, over the past few years, demand for live wildlife in Canada has plummeted, while the international community of commercial producers has embraced the Canadian service.

"About 10 years ago, it seemed like we were getting calls regularly for commercials to be produced in Toronto. I don’t know if fewer commercials are being produced or if they’re using computers so much that they are not opting for live animals," muses Precious. "They also have animatronic animals, which is interesting. I’m wondering if that has to a degree replaced live animals. If that’s the case, it’s unfortunate, because live animals are just so much more impressive."

The beasties have had their chances to shine for such spot clients as Hostess Potato Chips (black vulture), Labatt’s Genuine Draft (black vulture), Laurentide Beer (peregrine falcon), Canada Life Insurance (peregrine falcon), Bank of Montreal (American fish eagle), Miller Beer (bald eagle), Chrysler mini-vans (elephants), Red Rose tea (elephants), Valvert water (bald eagle), Saturn (elephant, yak and rhino), Aero chocolate bars (elephant), Ontario Lottery Corporation (macaws) and Goosebumps Toys (black vulture).

Two practices make ALS attractive as an international destination for live, trained animals. First, says Precious, ALS is "one of two places in Canada that produces elephants," and second, it is "one of the few [organizations] in the world that actually has trained bald eagles." On top of the rare, trained creatures, ALS is also proud of what it calls "a hands-on approach" to animal training.

"That’s what distinguishes us from a lot of conventional zoos where they don’t have as much hands-on contact and they don’t have as many handleable animals," Precious explains.

As manager of birds, Precious has found herself on many commercial sets over the years, and has seen her animals used by people with all kinds of attitudes. "What is so interesting is that these creative people will get an idea of what they want an animal or bird to do for a commercial, and it is so far removed from the reality of what that creature can do. We’ve been asked to do highly impossible things," she says.

Directors, as well, often provide a challenge for Precious and her wild pets.

"They keep pushing and trying to get the wrangler to get the animal to do more and more. And they often have absolutely no clue of the limitations of the animal. Then it’s up to us to say, ‘The bird’s done it. This is what you wanted. This is it buddy.’ "

Overall, she says, commercial work is a very rewarding and positive experience. In particular, Precious is enamored with the crews she has met on set.

"In general, I have found the crews on set to be absolutely fantastic – sensitive to the animal, sensitive to the wrangler, not trying to be in your way. Just super."

The process of acquiring an animal for a commercial performance is more specific than one might imagine. In fact, ALS must see the storyboard for a spot prior to agreeing to release one of its animals.

"We tell them whether the behavior is possible or not with the animals we have. Then they look at photographs or they come out and look at the animals – send somebody out to make sure it’s exactly what they need." If the behavior seems feasible to the trainer and the spot-maker finds an animal they like, the parties "work out a price and do a contract."

Are some animals more camera-happy than others? Are some better performers? Precious, who trains the ALS birds herself, has a different way of looking at her beastly stars.

"I would suggest that really it’s not so much a matter of whether they’re performers. It’s a matter of how highly trained they are and conditioned to human presence so you can get them to do a variety of behaviors in front of a film crew."

ALS is currently servicing a couple of spots out of the U.S., but has no Canadian work on its plate. Overall, however, the manager of birds is pleased "there are so many commercials with animals in them. Animals are a natural part of our world and it’s good that we’re trying to make commercials about them. Sometimes they’re not as realistic as I would like, but at least we’re trying to make commercials that integrate animals into the messages that we want to communicate to people." *

-www.lionsafari.com