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Reptile Fever: Inside the Billion-Dollar Exotic Trade
16 Jul
Summary
- A documentary series exposes the dark underworld of exotic reptile smuggling.
- The illegal trade fuels a billion-dollar global criminal enterprise.
- Law enforcement and obsessive collectors clash over rare reptiles.
The HBO documentary series "Monsters of God" uncovers the dark and violent underworld of exotic reptile smuggling, a multi-billion-dollar global criminal enterprise. Directed by Eric Goode, the five-part series examines the obsessive collectors and smugglers who pursue rare and dangerous reptiles, driven by what they call "the fever."
This illicit trade has spanned six continents over 50 years, with American zoos reportedly paying exorbitant prices. The documentary also highlights the efforts of wildlife officers dedicated to stopping these smugglers and the unethical practices employed to supply zoos across the U.S.
Filmmaker Eric Goode, known for "Tiger King," focuses on his lifelong fascination with reptiles and the "forbidden, the rarest of the rare." "Monsters of God" premieres on August 6.
