Bisons slaughtered for movie: investigation launched
By Tribute on June 30, 2016 | 11 Comments
A movie company, Studio 8 Films, is currently under investigation following reports of five bison that were killed during production of the movie The Solutrean in Alberta.
The movie, a survival story set during the last Ice Age, required bison carcasses to be used as props during a scene. The film’s animal wrangler, John Scott, is being questioned as to whether or not he had the bison killed specifically for the movie. The American Humane Association strictly prohibits killing any animal for use in a film. Scott has numerous animal-wrangling credits to his name, including the films The Revenant and Night at the Museum 3.
Dwight Beard also works as a wrangler for local film shoots. He explained, “I was sent out to John Scott’s ranch to load some buffalo. When I got out there, the butchers arrived, the guys from Longview Beef Jerky arrived, and I watched them shoot and butcher four buffalo. Loaded them in my trailer and I hauled them to the movie set in East Coulee, Alberta.”
When asked if the bison could have been killed for another reason, Beard says it’s unlikely. In fact, Scott himself is reported as saying that he did nothing wrong even if he did kill the animals, saying, “The fact that I’m a bison producer and I have the right to sell my bison wherever I want is a legitimate statement.” Real animals were used instead of props because the film wanted “skin coming off, the hide coming off.”
The original complaint about the bison was made to the Alberta SPCA during filming near Drumheller. However, SPCA spokesman Roland Lines told us that although his group disagrees with killing an animal specifically for a movie, they have no legal authority to investigate because there was no indication that the bison had suffered while they were slaughtered.
However, the American Humane Association stated that if their investigation finds any wrongdoing, they will submit the evidence to the proper authorities.
No release date has yet been announced for The Solutrean. ~Natalia Makarski
They should be arrested and never allowed to film in Canada again.
These bison are bred for consumption by a rancher. They would have been slaughtered either way, but instead of being made into jerky and burgers right away they were used on a film set THEN fed to animals at a zoo.
If these animals were not tortured or caused abnormal or undue harm then John Scott s correct to say e can sell them when and how he pleases. No different from a beef rancher sending cows to slaughter.
This is pretty disturbing. I sincerely wonder how many awful things go on to bring a film to the screen. More than most people would like to know, I’m sure.
Disgustinng. How could they?
Get a life people
Angie has a point. But it’s still pretty unsettling.
This is terrible, the baby has blood on his fur. Why is skinning innocent animals so entertaining that they have to put it in a film? That’s one film I’ll definitely avoid.
Andrea, that’s a stock photo. More than likely actually a baby bison that’s just been born with afterbirth still showing on parts of it’s coat.
Absolutely horrible. Does not even matter if they would be up for slaughter. The movie industry has strict rules about animals and the moviemakers of this movies did not respect this.
I’m not sure why they need to show dead carcasses for the movie that are “real life” but I do agree with Angie. These particular bison were bread to be slaughtered for meat just like some cows, pigs etc. are. As long as they were not tortured cruelly then there really is no wrongdoing and the meat did not go to waste. That would also be cruel as well if they slaughtered them and left them to waste.
Well here’s one movie I won’t be going to see. Why don’t they just use real dead bodies on the Walking Dead? They aren’t going anywhere anyway…