6 Times Louis Theroux Put Himself In Danger To Get A Story

One of the most curiously dangerous programmes in Theroux's back catalogue saw him investigate the subculture of Americans attempting to care for often-volatile wild animals as if they were domesticated pets.

Throughout the episode, Theroux grapples with the ethical issues surrounding the keeping of such animals in enclosures where they are looked after as pets as opposed to allowing them to live naturally in the wild.

A scene that is both highly dangerous but also unintentionally hilarious sees Louis meeting Tim Stark, the owner of a self-styled animal sanctuary in Indiana. Stark implores Louis to hold Tatiana, a three-year-old baboon which then proceeds to groom him while an uncomfortable-looking Theroux attempts to remain calm.

This tension is only compounded when Stark attempts to take the animal back from Louis, with the baboon becoming seriously stressed and making Louis even more nervous as a result. Stark also reveals during this exchange that he personally bathes with the baboon, which is probably a special kind of danger in itself.

Another completely surreal interaction comes when Louis meets Jill James, a seemingly ordinary woman that just happens to have a pair of 100lb chimpanzees living in a large cage at the bottom of her garden. The danger of owning such unpredictably strong animals becomes immediately apparent when the chimp charges towards Louis and the camera crew and breaks a window just a few meters away from them.

Though perhaps the animals weren't the only dangerous thing Louis spends time with throughout the documentary. Joe Exotic, the magician turned zookeeper featured prominently throughout the programme was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2018 for attempting to hire someone to murder the owner of an animal sanctuary who had criticised Exotic's treatment of animals.