The Cats of Shambala

This was a great book. It is about Tippi Hedren (and her family) in the 1970's and their desire to make a movie about big cats. It is really a warm and sometimes heartbreaking story of the tenacity of this family in holding on to a dream. They went through so much in the making of their movie (Roar!) and the things they learned about big cats (the hard way - with many visits to the emergency room) make an interesting read. Unfortunately, Roar was pretty much panned when it came out in theaters. I have seen it and although the dialog is kind of "corney", the big cats are simply breathtaking. In reading this book, I came to know some of the life stories of my favorite animal actors in the movie. Tippi Hedren now runs The Shambala Preserve in California. Shambala is a nonprofit animal preserve that is home to almost seventy animals including African lions, Siberian and Bengal tigers, leopards, servals, mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, and Florida panther. Please visit their website at www.shambala.org to find out how you can help these beautiful animals

The lady that was "Raised by Wolves" has obviously been living in a cave. What a ludicrous and mean thing to say about this lovely benefactor of a woman that has spent a significant percentage of her life supporting and caring for these huge cats, largely with her own assets. The book is a great read and entertaining account of her and her husbands struggle to make a fun, family-orientated, movie worthy of these magnificent creatures. In the film, ROAR, her husband, at the time, Noel Marshall, in one of the... bravest, most amazing acts ever to be recorded in film, while surrounded by big cats, bare-handedly, without the aid of protection, injected himself into the middle of a fight, breaking it up...an actual fight between two very large, aggressive, mad, African male lions, Wow!...And that's "No Act"! And,, that's just one of the many astounding scenes you will find in this movie. It is definitely worth watching! If there truly are Earth Angels walking among us...this beautiful, caring, woman would have to be first cousin to Rahmiel and Verchiel. Tippi Hedren's humanitarian efforts with Big Cats, Elephants and other fortunate animals has been exemplary and her personal rapport with them legendary.

In The Cats Of Shambala, actress Tippi Hedren details the often harrowing history of her association with big (and I mean lion and tiger big) cats. From her first meeting with one, to the collection and saving of cats from various untimely fates, to the many trials and disasters endured during the filming of the ill-received movie, ROAR, through her establishment of The Roar Foundation (a permanent preserve out in Acton, California), she weaves an entralling tale of love for these animals. Many of the big cat subjects we meet here take on interesting and colorful personalities. There's more depth to these big cats than in many characters in today's popular novels! Moving, absorbing, inspiring, riveting, and never, never boring. You come away with a new appreciation and respect for big cats after reading this book.

Have you ever dreamt of raising a lion or tiger in your house as a pet? As a throw back to the Joy Adamson and "Born Free" era I dared to dream that dream, and came to the unfortunate realization that there are no books on the subject, until, that is, I found "Cats of Shambala". It is an insightful, funny, and sometimes heart wrenching look at life among the big cats, and what its like to share your home with them. It certainly brings home the reality of the chaos that is caused by these majestic creatures, and anyone reading it would certainly do well to live vicariously through Tippi and bring the book home rather than the cat! For those of you, who like me, have found yourself living with any of the exotic cats as pets, I'm sure you'll find this book answers many of the questions you've been asking.