Ms Darcy's All Creatures Great and Small

‘Tippi Hedren’s Animal Sanctuary.’

On June 27, 2017 by msdarcyonline

“A Meeting Place of Peace and Harmony for all beings, Animal and Human.”

This is the meaning in Sanskrit of the word “Shambala.” Shambala Preserve animal sanctuary is located forty miles north of Los Angeles, in Acton, CA. The Preserve was opened in 1972 by Hollywood legend and conservationist Tippi Hedren. Shambala is supported by the ‘Roar Foundation,’ which Ms. Hedren is president of and founded in 1983.

Shambala Preserve has given sanctuary to over 235 exotic felines: lion, tiger, cougar, black and spotted leopard, serval, bobcat, Asian leopard cat, snow leopard, cheetah, lynx, tigon, liger and African and Asian elephant. Many of these animals have come to the sanctuary because the authorities such as, U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Fish and Game, SPCA, Humane Societies, confiscated them and brought them to the Preserve. Many of the animals were born in captivity and are no longer wanted at circuses or zoos; private citizens have also given up animals to the Preserve when they realize they can no longer handle the wild animals.

The organization’s mission is to educate the public about the dangers of private ownership of exotic animals. Huge numbers of exotic dangerous animals are bred and sold in the United States for illegal purposes. Private ownership presents a grave danger to the public and is cruel and unfair to these animals. Stricter legislation is needed to prohibit breeding and selling. Shambala is actively involved in legislating this on federal and state levels.

The exotic cat trade is a huge multi billion-dollar business. Illegal wildlife trade is unsustainable, harming wild populations of animals and pushing endangered species toward extinction, according to U.S. Fishing and Wildlife Service. Shambala Preserve keeps the animals for the rest of their lives and does not breed, trade, sell or subject the animals to commercial use. The animals are treated with the greatest care, understanding and dignity. They receive the best human, nutritional, emotional and mental care possible.

It is possible to support the Roar Foundation through the following: Become a Member of the Roar Foundation, Adopt a Wild One, purchase an item from the Shambala Wish List, or attend an afternoon or Sunset Safari. It is even possible to participate in an Overnight Tent Stay and listen to the animals roar at night!

Tippi Hedren shows the Shambala Preserve in this two-part mini Safari video tour. You will get to see a ‘LIGER’, half lion and tiger! This animal is amazing and the video is very touching. Also shown are the two tigers that once belonged to Michael Jackson at his ‘Neverland Ranch.’