Daytripping at Tippi's

On Sunday, with temperatures soaring into the triple digits, many sweltering suburbanites made their way to the beach to beat the heat. I, on the other hand, headed for the desert. No, the hot weather hadn’t fried my brain cells; I was going to visit some very cool cats. Some very BIG cool cats who live at The Roar Foundation’s Shambala Preserve in Acton.

Shambala is home to approximately seven dozen lions, tigers, panthers, bobcats and servals, who have all been rescued from appalling, abusive situations. Regular readers of my column will recall me writing about Boo, a black leopard, who lived most of his young life in a beach house (or, more specifically, a closet when he “misbehaved”), until he came to live at Shambala in 1992. And Leo, a lion who was found living in a freezing basement in Branson, Missouri. And who can forget Patrick, a Liger (half lion and half tiger), whose cage in a private zoo was so tiny that his back end and leg muscles had atrophied?

Every big cat at the Preserve has a sad story and docents like Russ and Christine (who, this week, celebrates 21 years of service at Shambala) captivated us with their tales as we meandered throughout the grounds of the property. The animals’ enclosures were clean and roomy and each cat could retreat to his or her own shady “den,” sharpen their claws on strategically placed logs and tree branches, or quench their thirst by drinking from tubs of fresh water. Chuy, one of the Preserve’s personable and capable staff members, fed raw chunks of meat to the feline residents and turned a hose on Boo (the only cat who likes to be sprayed with water, he told us). With the temperature hovering around 102 degrees at one o’clock in the afternoon, I wished Chuy would point the stream of cold water in my direction!

At the end of the 90-minute walking tour, guests were treated to a visit by Shambala’s founder and president, Tippi Hedren. Clad in a khaki-colored tank top and Capri pants, the former Hollywood film actress (best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”) looked every bit as poised and elegant as she once did on the big screen. As the warm wind whipped through the trees and a freight train slowly chugged by, Tippi talked about her work to enact legislation to ban the sale of big cats as pets (pointing out that there are currently more tigers in the state of Texas than in all of India) and to outlaw “canned hunts,” where captive cats are shot and killed by trophy hunters, who pay anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for a chance to kill an animal.

I left Shambala with a new appreciation for the “wild ones” and filled with anguish and anger at how these magnificent creatures are treated by society. I’d like to encourage everyone to visit the Preserve and learn more about the plight of the big cats and how you can help. Take a three-hour “safari” or spend a night among the animals in an authentic and luxurious African safari tent (visit www.shambala.org for more information). My advice: go in the fall when the weather is a bit tamer.

PET STORE PLEA. In response to my column last week about pet stores that sell animals (and why they shouldn’t), Betsy of Santa Barbara emailed me with this note: “In terms of never returning to any store that sells animals, that leaves out almost every pet supply store because most sell fish and/or birds, the latter in cruel/small cages.” I responded, “There are plenty of places to buy pet food and supplies that don’t sell animals. Locally, there’s Lemos (one in Goleta, one in Santa Barbara) and La Cumbre Feed (on Calle Real, just past Earl Warren Showground), as well as OffLeash on State St. (pet accessories and treats), Dioji on Hollister Ave. just past Costco (dog boutique and spa), and internet sites like Drs. Foster and Smith. And you can always purchase cat and dog food as well as supplies like collars, leashes, and flea control products at your local veterinary clinic. Even big box stores carry pet food (although they normally sell low-end “store-brand” products, which I don’t recommend). Lemos is my top pick as they carry high-quality pet food such as Evo and Wellness, they offer a large selection of pet supplies, and the only animals you see in the store are the ones who tag along with their humans. Thanks for bringing up this important topic, Betsy!

MERCI TO MOLLY: A big thank you to Molly of Santa Barbara for writing to me with this compliment: “As lucky and blessed as the creatures are to have you on their side, I feel we’re quite a lucky bunch of humans here in Santa Barbara to have you among us!  The awareness and kindness you bring to the subject of animal awareness is priceless.  Thank you again for your wonderful contributions!  If I might be so bold, I would say that you are the St. Francis of the Central Coast!"

Yowzer! I’m honored and humbled to be ranked up there with St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment. While I don’t profess to be nearly as saintly as the beloved 12th-century Friar, I do my best to “walk the talk” and live my life with integrity and compassion for all living beings. As St. Francis once said, “While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.” Words to live by, for sure.

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Karen encourages readers to write in with comments (compliments are good too!) about her column. Send an email message to her at karenleestevens@cox.net.

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By Karen Lee Stevens,
Founder & President, ALL FOR ANIMALS, Inc.
Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved.

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