Guess who’s coming to dinner? This particular star dusted evening is a highlight of my life. Growing up the Hollywood movie that most had an effect upon me was Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” starring the classic beauty Tippi Hedren. I followed Tippi’s movies and her regular publicity for years admiring how she conducted her life with supreme style and her deep compassion for animal welfare. To be asked to select a movie star to dine with, I would have no hesitation in screaming *Tippi Hedren*. As life does offer some extraordinary lucky chances and being known for my profound love of animals, my friend Lynn Santer asked me to entertain Tippi at my home one evening in August 2006 while Tippi was visiting Australia for the television show “Where are they now?”
Tippi began her long love affair with wild animals in 1969 while doing a film, “Satan's Harvest”, in Africa. She "met" a mellow lion, and much of her life since then has been devoted to the big cats.
Perhaps Tippi Hedren's most unique endeavor is being "den mother" and close friend to sixty-odd big cats - lion, tiger, leopard, cougar, and serval at The Roar Foundation's Shambala Preserve near Acton, California. Tippi serves as President guiding the organization's efforts to increase the public's knowledge about wildlife in our world, and provides guidance and leadership in maintaining the beautiful Shambala Preserve for the wild beings for whom the haven was established.
The high desert animal preserve is home to the felines and was first established as an African-type set for the motion picture, “Roar”, which Tippi co-produced and starred in with her daughter, film actress Melanie Griffith. After the five year filming was completed, it became the current, non-profit center for big cat care and research.
In keeping with her outlook on the environment and conservation, many of Shambala's residents are cast-offs from private owners, zoos and circuses. "They're living out their lives in safety and comfort." The Preserve is open to the public on a reservation basis. Tippi is founder and President of The Roar Foundation and resides at Shambala in a cottage surrounded by big cat compounds. "I awaken to their roars." 
The story of Tippi's life and the animals "dearest to her heart" was told in Simon & Schuster's “The Cats of Shambala” (1985).
Several documentaries have been produced about the Shambala Preserve including, Lions: Kings of the Serengeti by the Richard Diercks Co, Inc. which won the Telly Award in 1995 for outstanding video documentary; and “Life With Big Cats” (1998), produced for Animal Planet, which won the Genesis Award for best documentary in 1999.
Deeply involved with international conservation groups to save wildlife, and an outspoken voice against cruelty to animals, both wild and domestic, Tippi’s a board member of "The Wildlife Safari", founded by her friend, Frank Hart, in Winston, Oregon. She also served on the board of "The Elsa Wild Animal Appeal" founded by her friend, the late Joy Adamson. And currently, she is President of the newly-formed "American Sanctuary Association." Her other charity work includes having served on The Board of Directors of the Women's Council of KCET (Channel 28), The Minnesota Fila Council, The American Heart Association, The March of Dimes, Multiple Sclerosis, International Orphans Inc., and several AIDS causes. She has been honored with "The Helen Woodward Animal Center's Annual Humane Award" (1995), the prestigious Founder's Award from the American Society or the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1996) and the "Lion and Lamb Award" from Wildhaven (1997) for her work on behalf of animal rights and conservation and two awards from "The Jules Verne festivals". She has stars on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" and "The Minnesota Proud" in the Minneapolis Theatre District.Since our meeting we have stayed in touch and Tippi wears my wildlife silks on some of her tropical holidays. This is the year I plan to visit her Shambala Preserve and stay over night in one or two authentic African tents on the Shambala Preserve, so I too can listen to the wild roars of the big cats. To view the feline guests at Shambala, book a tour and to read Tippi's extensive incredible achievements visit her Shambala Preserve.
Ms.Hedren has successfully co-authored a Federal Bill titles "The Captive Wildlife Safety Act" with her Congressman, Buck McKeon (R-CA), which was passed unanimously in the Senate and House and placed into law on Dec 19, 2003. Her current Federal Bill titled "A Federal Bill to Ban the Breeding of the Exotic Feline for Personal Possession will be introduced by Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), who has co-authored the Bill with Ms.Hedren, in Feb or March 2009. Both of these bills aim to stop the proliferation of exotic predators to be born in the U.S. to be sold as pets. It's a huge business and a dangerous one. In the past 5 years 37 people, adults and children, have been killed, 574 have been injured, many living on life support.
This is one of Tippi's goals. The other very large goal is to put into place an endowment to ensure the necessary care for those exotic felines who are born during the year in which the bill is enforced. At the time the bill is passed it will take 19 to 23 years for those exotic felines to live out their lives. Being a Capricorn, she is always climbing the mountain, going from one plateau to a higher one.
Ro London - Wildlife Crusader - www.wildlifecrusader.com Animal lover and wildlife designer Ro London, with her Sacred Fish Collections and Wildlife Crusader designer labels attract attention with vibrant patterns of unique wildlife designs printed on fine silks & natural fibres. Ro London creates spectacular fashions from her own fabrics using bold bright colors and inspirational artwork to draw attention to the world's endangered species. Each wildlife design emphasizes how we risk losing our precious animals living in their natural surroundings; every species chosen for a textile design has its own theme song! Ro's enchanting and spiritual CDs are rich with exotic melodies that demonstrates her deep concern for the preservation of our rare and threatened animals. Ro, is a dedicated artist who spends her whole working life exploring exotic habitats around the world in pursuit of the intricate details that make up her extraordinary designs. Ro lives in Tallai Hills Estate, Queensland Australia. You can reach Ro This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |  |