![]() was devastated by a powerful storm over Soledad Canyon which severely flooded the region and caused mudslides in the canyons. The compound was also used as a location for shows such as Daktari and the original Star Trek episode " Shore Leave." Perhaps the most famous animal Helfer trained was Zamba, who appeared in the MGM logo as Leo the Lion from 1957 to the present.ĭuring these years, Helfer created what he called "affection training", which purported to replace the whip, gun, and chair of the old-school handlers with love, understanding, and respect. Some of its most famous animals were Clarence, the cross-eyed lion Judy, the chimp in Daktari and Ben (originally named Bruno), the bear in Gentle Ben. ![]() was a training compound and a provider of animals for Hollywood. In 1963, the property was cut in half by the Antelope Valley Freeway, so they relocated to Soledad Canyon and bought 600 acres (2.4 km 2) of land to build a new ranch, naming it Africa U.S.A. ![]() In 1955, he purchased the 1,500-acre (6.1 km 2) Vasquez Rocks property to train animals, which he called Nature's Haven. In 1942, his mother left her husband Sam and moved with her children to Hollywood, where they settled in the Green Apartments, one block off Hollywood Boulevard. ![]() He was born in Chicago and had one sister, Sally. ![]() Ralph Helfer (born Apin Chicago, Illinois) is an American animal behaviorist, creator of Marine World/Africa USA, and author of books about animals. ![]()
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