When Ralph Helfer, now one of Hollywood's top animal behaviorists, first began working, he was shocked by the cruelty that was accepted practice in the field. He firmly believed in "affection training" -- that love, not fear, should be the basis of any animal's development, even when dealing with the most dangerous of creatures. Then Zamba came into his life -- an adorable four-month-old lion cub that went on to prove Helfer's theories resoundingly correct.

Over the next eighteen years, Zamba would thrive and grow, and go on to star in numerous motion pictures and television shows -- all the while developing a deep and powerful bond of love and affection with the man who raised him. By turns astonishing, hilarious, and poignant, Zamba is not only the unforgettable story of the relationship that Helfer would come to consider one of the most important in his life but also that of the amazing career and adventures of the greatest lion in the world.

FROM OUR EDITORS

If the lion is the King of Beasts, Zamba is the king of the King of Beasts. This retired film star was not only the MGM Lion; he was also featured in numerous movies, television specials, and commercials. But Zamba the book is more than a "biography" of the ultimate animal kingdom mogul; it is a gripping personal story of a growing bond between an animal and his trainer. When author Ralph Helfer took Zamba into his home, the African Barbary lion was only a four-month-old cub. His account of their interaction is by turns hilarious, sad, and deeply touching.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

One day, Ralph Helfer, a celebrated animal behaviorist, received surprising phone cal. His close friends had found a young lion near death by the Zambezi River in Zambia and rescued him and brought him back to the States. Ralph had often spoken of wanting to a raise a lion from a young age-he had been developing a philosophy of training animals based on love instead of fear, which he termed "affection training." Weeks late, Zamba, then a two-month old cub arrived. As Helfer peeked into Zamba's box, he saw a small lion cub tilt his head, wait a single beat, then amble right into his arms. Hugging Helfer's neck with his soft paws, Zamba collapse on his chest, got comfortable, and fell asleep, their faces touching. They didn't move for the next two hours, Zamba was home.

For the next eighteen years, Zamba would appear in many motion pictures, on television, and not in the pages of any magazines. Zamba will give any Lion King fan a new hero and touch every animal lover's heart.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Legendary Hollywood animal trainer and behaviorist Helfer captures an incredible story of love between man and lion that displays all the qualities that made his previous book, Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived, so moving. Here Helfer is involved with the subject, which adds emotional depth to a lifelong adventure. Starting with his somewhat brutal childhood on Chicago's South Side, the author deftly develops his story of the spiritual harmony he finds in nature and the violence he sees in the film industry's use of animals. His unique bond with a lion cub he names Zamba grows into a lifetime relationship that includes countless guest stints in movies and television shows, and leads to Helfer's development of a system of animal training "based on love, not fear," called "affection training." It "has revolutionized the way animals are trained and treated in the motion picture industry." The heart of the book is an account of Helfer's trip to Africa to assist Zamba with a starring role in The Lion, where the author's bond with his lion becomes a true spiritual connection that will touch the heart of any animal lover. 8 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW. Agent, Richard Curtis. (July) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Following the success of his last book, Modoc, about "the greatest elephant that ever lived," animal trainer Helfer now recounts the story of his life with Zamba, "the greatest lion that ever lived." In the late 1950s, Helfer's dream of owning a lion came true when he acquired a cub. The daunting task of raising Zamba allowed Helfer to put into practice his "affection method,"which he was developing for use in a growing movie animal business. Helfer became one of the top trainers in Hollywood, owing much of his success to Zamba's remarkable ability to work closely with actors in difficult situations. Despite his saccharine writing style and unrealistic, flowery dialog, Helfer makes the narrative enjoyable with tales of Zamba riding in a car down the streets of Hollywood with his head and shoulders sticking out of the sun roof and of an assistant who tried to discipline a wild lion in Africa, mistaking it for Zamba. Purchase where animal stories are popular.-Ann Forister, Roseville P.L., CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-From a young age, Helfer had a way with animals and an urge to work with them. After an inauspicious start as a teen helper in a Los Angeles pet store, he gradually acquired animals that movie studios used in their productions. He was the first Hollywood animal trainer to use affection rather than fear. He showed that his method worked better, and now, of course, it has become commonly accepted. He even turned an orphaned lion cub into a vegetarian for a brief period, to test a theory. Over the years, Zamba appeared in many movies and television commercials and shows, riding to jobs in the back of Helfer's station wagon, uncaged. The author reminds readers that wild animals are never thoroughly predictable and are not house pets; even Zamba surprised him occasionally, although never in a dangerous way. The special bond between these two mammals; Helfer's ideas about animal-human communication and understanding; and the many stories, both humorous and touching, make this a fascinating book.-Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

An object lesson in living peacefully with animals, even a lion. Fifty years ago, Helfer (Modoc, 1997) was a revolutionary: a trainer who relied on trust and respect, not the standard fear training. He developed a positive relationship with his animal companions through what he calls "affection training," encouraging in his charges the patience and understanding to deal with humans. Helfer got a chance to test his theory when some friends brought an orphaned African lion cub named Zamba to his Santa Monica ranch. His fellow trainers called him a fool. The lion would turn on him, they warned, as soon as he was old enough to consider Helfer dinner rather than benefactor. It never happened. Helfer and Zamba went on to become motion picture and television legends. During their 18 years together, they had many adventures, from designing a bed big enough for the two of them (the lion was a bed hog) to a bit of dentistry, which quickly reminded Helfer that Zamba was still an animal, more than willing to remove a finger if it got in his mouth while an abscess was being extricated. A 1960 shoot in Africa for a movie called The Lion commands the second half of the text. The days were long enough to make Zamba cranky, and there were snakes in the garden as well. At one point, Zamba was kidnapped, only to be abandoned when the kidnappers realized their charge wasn't exactly docile. With so much attention lavished on this extraordinary lion, it comes as a shock to learn that Helfer's farm is home to more than 1,500 animals, all of which get the same kind of care as Zamba. The last pages describe a horrific flood at the ranch that could have erased all of Helfer's good works. Beautifully expresses asimple philosophy so many have trouble following: respect for all living creatures, given and returned.