5 minutes with Tippi Hedren

Actor Tippi Hedren earned cinematic fame for her debut in Hitchcock’s wildlife-run-amok classic The Birds. Also a conservationist, she came to Illinois in 2001 to champion her Shambala Preserve, a California wildlife sanctuary for big cats—and caught a stage adaptation of The Birds, cowritten by David Cerda of Hell in a Handbag. Hedren will attend Handbag’s Caged Dames Thursday 19 to raise funds for Shambala.

Why the need for this preserve?
It’s very easy to acquire exotic cats as pets in the United States…I recently saw a year-old tigress listed on the Internet for $24,000. In many states, it’s more difficult to get a license for your dog than to have a tiger living in your backyard. What part of “predator” says “good pet”? They need to be free. And the accidents that happen to humans due to these animals are huge.

How many cats live at Shambala?
We always have over 70. They [are] often injured or undernourished, and live here for the rest of their lives. We have a lynx and bobcat, African lion, Siberian tiger….It’s hugely expensive to take care of these animals. We operate totally on donations, including my own.

It’s ironic that you’re famous for a film about humans attacked by wildlife, yet you’re helping wildlife wronged by humans.
You know what’s really ironic? We have a huge number of ravens who live on the preserve. They’re meat eaters, and what better place to live than where 600 pounds of meat is served every day?—Web Behrens

Tippi Hedren will be at Caged Dames on Thursday 19.