This is a wild ride through the life of a movie star who found a purpose for the second half of her life, and it's an amazing ' tail '. This is lavishly illustrated with photos of the animals that she loved, and she shared the joys and the excitement and horror of being attacked, while filming, She even ended up with the first crossbreed between a tiger and a lion, which never happens in the wild, since these two cats do not cross paths in the wild.

She never said no, and her gates were always open. This is a personal diary of Tippi's life, and a love, hate relationship with all of these amazing animals that she cared for and often rescued from abusive owners and failing zoos who had no place to surrender an animal that had gotten too big or too dangerous to care for. Small placards of palm prints with one finger missing were attached every 10 or so feet to remind us not to touch the fence, as a humorous reminder. We were cautioned not to wear bright colors, short sleeved shirts, shorts or perfume of any kind, and to maintain a 5 foot distance from the fences. They are separated from the public by 20 foot high chain link fences topped with barbed wire, but make no mistake, it's the humans who are caged, in walkways through the spacious land in which the animals roam free. There are also giraffes, elephants and a host of other wild life. The sprawling 'ranch' covers 180 acres and is home to lions, tigers leopards, cougars and many other large cats, raised from newborn cubs. TOILETS on site are porta-potties.This is a re-read for me since I received this book as a gift from Tippi Hedren when I actually visited her at Shambala many years ago. Picnic with drinks in a cooler or insulated bag. There is a picnic table grove alongside the lake where everyone gathers. The tour lasts about 2 hours, followed by a BYO picnic and engaging talk by the Director. You are required to stand 4 feet away from all enclosures - for the animals' safety. The docents tell stories of how the individual animals came to live at Shambala as well as interesting facts about big cats. The day we were there, they divided about 50-60 people into 3 groups of 20 or so visitors, each led by a docent. They book up in advance, so be sure to reserve early. TOURS: Tours are given only 1 weekend per month on both Sat & Sun. This sanctuary for rescued wild cats is run by actress Tippi Hedren of Hitchcock fame (and mother of Melanie Griffith).

If you love cats, especially lions and tigers, then you must visit.

I am amazed at how wonderfully cared for the animals are at Shambala.

Shambala reserve