Big Cats at Shambala

Where can you find 60 big cats blissed out in the desert?  The Shambala animal sanctuary founded and run by the vivacious Tippi Hedren, the famous star of the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds.

Since 1972, this unique 80-acre preserve on the edge of the Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles has provided a safe haven for endangered exotic big cats.

This week I was fortunate to visit this magical place and come face to face with Siberian and Bengal tigers, African lions and lionesses, mountain lions, leopards, bobcats, lynxes, and more.

The largest and most unusual cat was a liger named Patrick with a big personality and even bigger paws to match. Ligers are the offspring of a lion father and a tiger mother, and they speak both lion and tiger. Roar-fuff. An adorable and very hairy lion named Zeus greeted us, and even Boo the mysterious black leopard gave us a peekaboo nod.

The cats rescued by Tippi come from circuses, closed zoos, abusive owners, and drug lords. Each cat has an incredible story, heart-breaking in origin and heart-warming in the end. Most were born in captivity, bred by breeders for sale to unsuspecting owners who thought "wouldn’t it be fun to have a Bengal tiger kitten?" Fun that is until the kitten starts growing, and you suddenly have a wild tiger in your kitchen. Tippi even has the two cats rescued from Michael Jackson's compound. Tippi has authored legislation to attack these breeding problems at the source, and more is in the works.

Shambala provides a dignified life for these wild animals. I have to say that in my years of touring animal facilities, I have never seen big cats so happy and healthy. They were purring, rubbing up against Tippi, rolling over on their backs, and playing in the water and with each other. This is a testament to the care and love these animals receive from Tippi and the entire Shambala staff.

The Shambala Preserve relies on donations to the Roar Foundation to maintain its sanctuary. You can adopt your favorite big cat and then visit Shambala for an overnight stay in their high-end cabins. You can also attend one of their festive garden party celebrations - or go on safari to Kenya with Tippi for the ultimate wild-chic experience.  www.shambala.org