MEET RALPH HELFER

Ralph Helfer is a renowned exotic animal behaviorist, author, film producer, lecturer, and safari host. One of the greatest Hollywood exotic animal behaviorists to ever work the silver screen. Ralph is the original creator of "affection training," a method that uses love, patience, understanding, and respect to develop strong bonds between humans and wild animals. During his career, Helfer owned numerous animal celebrities, including Zamba the lion, Modoc, the elephant, Clarence the Cross-eyed Lion, and Judy the Chimp. His company, Africa USA, was the world’s largest supplier of affection trained animals for the motion picture and television industry for over 30 years, with an impressive 2000+ credits to his name and winner of numerous Patsy awards. He began his career in motion pictures determined to redefine what it meant to “train” the glamorous fanged, furry, and four-legged heroes the world watched every night on their television sets, and every weekend in their local cinemas. Through his affection training, he quickly began to surpass the other animal trainers on the Hollywood scene who resorted to fear training to get their desired results. The animals Ralph raised, nurtured, and worked with on a daily basis responded to his caring approach better than any big cat ever answered to a circus whip.  

His affection training technique revolutionized the movie and Television industry by making it safer for the actors and animals alike. He worked frequently with some of motion picture’s biggest stars, becoming the go-to behaviorist for The Pet Set with Betty White. He worked closely with Walt Disney, and his lions were used for the MGM logo. Many of his 1500+ large menagerie shot to stardom with Daktari, Savage Harvest, The Island of Dr. Moureau staring Burt Lancaster, Gentle Ben staring Clint Howard, Tarzan The Ape Man alongside Richard Harris and Bo Derek, and The Greatest Show on Earth. There were countless more featuring episodes of much-beloved, cult classic shows such as Star Trek, Mork and Mindy, Cowboy in Africa, I Dream of Jeannie, Batman, The Addams Family, and Lassie. Any Which Way But Loose, The Lion, Indian Fighter, Journey to the Center of the Earth, River of No Return, Battle Star Galactica, Illustrated Man, Everything Ducky, and so many more. Ralph also had the opportunity to do various stunts including portraying an African warrior and wrestling, Zamba, his lion for the movie The Lion. His career behind the scenes began early on, working as an associate producer on King Dinosaur, Zebra in the Kitchen, a producer on Daktari, and producer and second unit director of cult-classic Savage Harvest, producer of Mr. Smith, co-producer on Ron Howard's pilot Thrills and Chills.

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He founded the AGA (Animal Guild of America), was the CEO and owner of Enchanted Village, a leisure time park in Buena Park, Calif. as well as the CEO and owner of Little Africa in Solvang, CA. He was also director and designer of the animal performances at Marine World Africa U.S.A. 

In 1990 Ralph published his first book The Beauty of the Beasts: Tales of Hollywood’s Wild Animal Stars. The book tells of his experiences working with many different animals including C.J. an orangutan and Gentle Ben a black bear.  He has gone on to write several other successful books including Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived which narrates his eighteen-year relationship with Zamba. A critic in Kirkus Reviews states that Ralph "beautifully expresses a simple philosophy so many have trouble following: respect for all living creatures, given and returned".  Ralph's 1998 book Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived became an overnight success, the movie option having been bought and retained by Kevin Costner.  

Ralph went on to lecture all around the states and taught at the Learning Tree University in San Fernando where he won the award for Excellence. After leaving Hollywood Ralph moved to Kenya, East Africa where he went on to host private luxury safaris that showcased the beauty and wonder of a country he loves and considers an adopted home. Ralph currently lives in California where he continues to write and is working alongside his daughter Tana, who grew up with the animals Ralph loved so much and was also raised with an affection training mindset.