Pair of local tigers will meet the eyes of moviegoers in "Transformers"

Pair of local tigers will meet the eyes of moviegoers in “Transformers”

Kristina Hernandez, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/22/2009 07:41:45 PM PDT

The hyped summer blockbuster “Transformers: Rise of the Fallen,” will feature a pair of 600-pound stars. But they’re not robots.
They are two Siberian tigers named Shirkon and Titon, and they are from the Big Bear Lake-based Predators in Action, which handles and trains animals for the silver screen.

In the film, the tigers snarl, run, and jump off a cliff. They took turns portraying a single tiger being chased down by hunters.

“And at the last minute, a Transformer comes in and saves him,” said Miller, who owns Predators in Action. “But as far as what they’re doing with the scene, I have no idea. I didn’t read the script.”

Miller said director Michael Bay specifically had the animals from his 55-acre facility in mind when writing the film. the film credits for Miller’s animals include “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise and the family-friendly action adventure “Two Brothers.”

Most notably, Shirkon was featured in the Academy-award winning film “Gladiator” starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe.

“Transformers: Rise of the Fallen” opens in theaters nationwide on Wednesday.

The two tigers from Predators in Action will be featured in a documentary “Time Warp” on the Discovery Channel Wednesday at 8 p.m.

More information on the organization can be found at www.predatorsinaction.com.

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_12667497

http://bigcatrescue.org