Shandor Larenty is a third-generation animal handler, TikTok star and multiple international award-winning content creator and photographer. Wildlife has shaped his life since childhood. Today, he shares that world with millions of people, bringing the personalities of the animals he works with into homes across the globe.
Behind the camera is a career built on years of practical experience: caring for animals, learning their behaviour and understanding the responsibility that comes with working so closely with them.
Three generations. A lifelong passion. A world of stories to tell.
As a boy, Shandor looked forward to Sundays. They were his chance to accompany his father, animal trainer Alex Larenty, to work. Watching the animals respond to his dad helped him recognise, early on, the life he wanted for himself.
He followed a family tradition passed from his grandmother to his father and then to him. That upbringing gave him an education rooted in observation, patience and time spent alongside experienced handlers.
A cheetah named Shitana became an important part of those early years. The relationship deepened his determination to work with wildlife. What began as a childhood fascination grew into his profession, and remains a very personal commitment.
Shandor’s career spans animal care, predator handling and work on film and television productions. His experience includes commercials, nature documentaries and the Hollywood film Blended, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.
Much of the work is less visible: preparing food, cleaning enclosures, checking animals’ health and noticing changes in behaviour. He has spoken about the unpredictability of each day, and the satisfaction of spending it with animals he knows so well.
His photography and films draw on that familiarity. A look, a movement or an unexpected moment can reveal something about an animal that a distant view might miss.
On TikTok and Instagram, Shandor has taken his passion to a global audience. His videos share the character of the animals around him, from powerful big cats to often misunderstood hyenas, while opening conversations about their care and the pressures facing wildlife.
As a multiple international award-winning content creator and photographer, he brings together two parts of his life: working with animals and finding ways to help other people care about them.
At Lion & Cheetah Sanctuary, that story continues. Discover the people behind the sanctuary and the animals whose daily lives give their work its purpose.
