HES A COKE DEALER LONG STORY....
#FOM
Walt Disney’s live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book continues to break box-office records, and has been greeted with adoration by both fans and critics. The movie --which showcases an array of incredible animals—features the unique and highly endangered pangolin as one of the computer-generated animal characters who drops in on Mowgli the Man-cub during his adventures in the jungles of Central Asia.
With the incredible success of The Jungle Book movie, what is your hope for how this could impact the future of pangolins?
The pangolin is one of many endangered species featured in the film. I voice a Pygmy Hog, which is another species worth mentioning. I think it’s up to our generation and that of our children to consider the relationship that we have with nature. The way we interact with the world around us is going to determine to what extent that which came before us remains for generations to come. Educating kids and introducing them to these species might give them an opportunity to continue to exist as they have. It would be sad if the only examples of these creatures left in the world are the digital ones.
What was the reaction at Disney when you told them you wanted to include a pangolin character?
We hadn’t introduced Disney to the idea of the character until we were pretty far down the road. He was a supporting player but the scenes that I included him in had a lot of comedic impact. He quickly became a favorite in the screenings and I encouraged Disney to include him in their merchandizing. I explained that pangolins were endangered and that we should draw as much attention as we could to this species so that people might become aware of the danger they are in. The pangolin was added to the merchandise line-up in a commitment to raise awareness for the pangolin and the overall efforts of the Disney Conservation Fund.
Q&A with Director Jon Favreau about his inclusion of a pangolin