A soldier who was saved from his demons by a pair of spotted wildcats has turned his story into an acclaimed film.
Harry Turner went to Peru to escape the trauma of serving in Afghanistan. There he ran an animal rescue centre where he reared two orphan ocelots.
That experience – which eased his post traumatic stress disorder and depression – is told in Amazon Prime documentary Wildcat.
Harry says: “I started filming because I ultimately wanted to make memories, for me to look back on and for me to show my family. I filmed the tough moments because when I was alone in the jungle, talking to the camera was similar to talking to a therapist.”
Harry, of Basildon, Essex, did a six-month tour in Helmand as an 18-year-old private in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment.
Now 29, he recalls: “War for anybody will be enough to keep you up at night. The things I have seen will always haunt me, the dead bodies will always be ingrained in my memory but these experiences have made me who I am today.
“I was in a bad place when I first flew to Peru. I bought a ticket without even knowing the language or the currency. I just needed to escape, I needed to get lost. I was extremely down and depressed. I honestly went to the jungle to kill myself. I didn’t want to live anymore.”
But after flying there in 2014, Harry met and fell for US tropical biologist Samantha Zwicker. They started a conservation charity called Hoja Nueva. The documentary shows his mission to rewild an orphaned ocelot he christens Khan after the Jungle Book character Shere Khan.
He said: “I was struggling with a lot of demons, Khan gave me a lot of motivation to keep being a good person. When Khan came into my life, I had no idea what the future looked like for him or me.
“I just knew that this world was cruel and he needed the best start to life. I realised his best chance for survival, without being in a zoo or breeding programme, was in the forest with someone who wanted it badly enough, me!
“Even though I had days where it was hard to get out of bed, I needed to and, more importantly, he needed me to.”
For several minutes on screen the bond between Khan and Harry plays out through his self-filmed phone videos, including exploring night-time jungle terrain and training how to kill prey.
Sadly Khan dies and Harry copes with his grief by turning the footage into a short film.
Touched by the story, filmmakers Trevor Frost and Melissa Lesh met Harry and decided to follow him as another baby ocelot – he named Keanu – is found motherless.
Harry explained: “I was worried for his safety at all times but I was confident in what Khan had taught me, that it was possible to teach Keanu to go back into the wild. These two cats were so completely different from each other, so I knew it was still going to be a crazy challenge but I had to, for Khan.”
The 106-minute documentary shows Harry’s own vulnerability and instability.
He said: “Through this film, and with the help of the rainforest, I allowed myself to open up on camera about my own issues, my healing process and I want others to be inspired to do something for this world and for themselves. It wasn’t easy, crying in front of the camera, but I was struggling.
“I needed to document how hard this process was, as well as how dark my mind got.
“I can’t really watch the film. I have lived it. Watching it over and over again is horrible. I cry at the majority of it. I get emotional because I have lost a lot, I have suffered. Since the film, I have come so far.
“My job was to make sure Keanu was a success. These animals are my sons. There isn’t a day that goes by without thinking about them. I needed them, and they needed me.”
Harry now has a new project – a US-based non-profit organisation called Emerald Arch he launched last year with his partner now, US conservationist Lexie Gray. “I started this to continue my dream and passion,” said Harry.
“We want to raise funds to buy Ecuadorian Amazon to save it from oil companies and deforestation. Not only to protect land and work with scientific research and animals – it will also give a safe space for depression.”
His aims mirror those of many who are demanding better treatment for traumatised service personnel and veterans – including the Sunday People ’s Save Our Soldiers Campaign.
Harry said: “We are looking at a veteran retreat, so people can come to the jungle and have time to reset.
“Nature is the most powerful healer. I always tell people who go into the jungle with me that if you have respect and an open mind, the jungle will offer you what you deserve to see. This is not the end for me. I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless, I will keep pushing myself to do better for this world, and I won’t stop doing good until my heart gives out.
“I have an incredible fiancée, Lexie, who always pushes me to do better, and with hers and other people’s support, I know I can and will.”
He said: “I am super proud of what I have accomplished.” He added: “I want people to walk away from Wildcat with hope, even though the film is sad and touches on dark places.”
For more details on Emerald Arch visit Emeraldarch.org and for the Peruvian rescue center see hojanueva.org
