Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived

By the author of Modoc:A famed trainer’s “wonderful” memoir of his bond with a lion—and his quest to change how animals were treated in Hollywood (People).

When Ralph Helfer, author of Modoc and 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 the unforgettable story not only of the relationship that Helfer would come to consider one of the most important in his life but also of the amazing career and adventures of the greatest lion in the world.

“Many stories, both humorous and touching . . . a fascinating book.” —School Library Journal

“A warmhearted tale of love between two species.” —Booklist

“Extraordinary.” —Kirkus Reviews

Includes photographs

© 2023 HarperCollins e-books (Ebook): 9780061758027

Release date

Ebook: November 21, 2023