Most people know Tippi Hedren as the blonde in The Birds. But fewer people may know what has occupied most of her life since the 70s – big cat conservation. And it all started with the creation of the movie Roar. On a trip to Africa, Hedren and her husband Noel Marshall saw a house abandoned and taken over by a pride of lions. They decided to make a movie about it, but no animal trainers would introduce so many trained lions to each other – so Hedren and Marshall decided to raise their own. Their preserve grew to contain over 150 lions, tigers, panthers, cheetahs and more, and the movie they made, starring themselves and their children, including Melanie Griffith, took over 5 years and $17 million to make, and was never released in the US until now. The story is fake but the lions bowling people over and chasing them around the house and into rivers are all real. Over 70 people in the cast and crew suffered injuries in the making. It is an unforgettable experience to watch (let alone to film). These days, Hedren doesn’t advocate raising and living with giant cats, and watching Roar, you will understand why.