Neil the lion was raised by actress Tippi Hedren and her family but was later moved to Shambala Preserve.
Tippi Hedren, best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” once lived with Neil the lion in the 1970s. Neil was featured in many photo shoots and even appeared in the home life of Hedren, her daughter Melanie Griffith, and her then-husband Noel Marshall. These unconventional living arrangements were part of the family’s life while preparing for the movie “Roar,” which involved dozens of untrained big cats.
As the family became more involved in animal rights and recognized the complexities of keeping wild animals as pets, they changed their perspective on the issue. Neil, along with other big cats that were acquired for the film, was eventually moved to the Shambala Preserve, a sanctuary founded by Hedren in 1983 located in California. The preserve was created to provide a haven for exotic felines that had been kept as private pets or retired from performing acts. At Shambala, Neil lived out his days in a more appropriate environment for a wild animal, receiving care and attention from professionals equipped to handle the needs of big cats. Hedren’s experience with Neil and the other big cats led her to become an advocate for the welfare of exotic animals and to lobby for laws against the private ownership of big cats in the United States.
