Why this woman regrets keeping a full grown lion as pet

Hollywood actress Tippi Hedren, in the 1970s, lived with a full grown lion named Neil. The lion lived with her and her daughter, Melanie Grifith, like family.

Photographs taken for LIFE magazine showed the lion playing with her daughter Melanie Grifith by the pool, sleeping in her bed, sprawling in the kitchen and becoming a distraction in the office of her then-husband, Noel Marshall.

Melanie being grabbed by the leg by Neil the lion

Hedren posing with the cat

Hedren, now 84, has now become a vocal critic of keeping big cats as pets. She runs a sanctuary, California’s Shambala Preserve, for some 32 big cats.

Why does she regret letting the cat into their home?

Speaking to MailOnline’s Tom Leonard in New York this week, she said: “I cringe when I see those pictures now. I have to tell you we were stupid beyond belief. We should never have taken those risks. These animals are so fast, and if they decide to go after you, nothing but a bullet to the brain will stop them.

She however stressed that the lion’s trainer, Ron Oxley, was always shadowing the animal.

Writing in her memoir, Hedren said of the lion: “He loved to sleep on Melanie’s bed. One night I went down to find them both asleep, side by side. It was a sight some mothers might not relish”.

According to Hedren: “We’re dealing with animals who are psychopaths, They have no conscience or remorse genes, and they will kill you for their dinner".

What about fear of being killed or injured by the large cat? Hedren said: “No, it’s not good to be scared around lions. Ron told us exactly what we could do and what we couldn’t do. And we listened very carefully to him.

“He taught us, and Melanie especially, to respect the animal and not do anything that might annoy him, like scratch his nose or suddenly run up and put your arms around him”

MailOnline reports that among the many rules, they were also warned to ensure that the lion didn’t become possessive about anything, even a chair, which is when they are at their most dangerous.

Neil was always kept well-fed. He dined once a day, eating more than 5kg of raw meat, with added vitamins and minerals.