Actress Hedren promotes Isanti County wildcat refuge

By Jill Burcum
Star Tribune
 
Published August 27, 2004

ISANTI, MINN. -- The young, blonde Minnesota woman wore barn boots and jeans. The aging, still-glamorous movie star sported a dapper suit and dainty sandals from which perfectly polished toenails peeked.

But on Thursday, a shared passion for an exotic cause -- providing sanctuary for abandoned and abused captive wildcats -- quickly bridged differences between Tammy Quist of rural Isanti and Tippi Hedren, star of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film "The Birds."

Hedren, well known as a big-cat advocate, paid her first visit to Quist's Wildcat Sanctuary in southern Isanti County to promote it and praise Minnesota's recent efforts to stop the trade in exotic animals.

Within minutes of Hedren's arrival, she and Quist were exchanging knowing nods and tidbits about caring for tigers, cougars and other wildcats whose previous owners mistakenly thought could be pets.

"Those two, they're just kindred spirits," said Kelly Holmberg, a longtime Wildcat Sanctuary volunteer, as she nodded at the pair, who are acquainted but haven't spent much time face-to-face.

Hedren, whose actress daughter Melanie Griffith is married to Spanish film star Antonio Banderas, became a big-cat advocate even before the 32-year-old Quist was born.

After making movies in the late 1960s and early '70s featuring lions and other cats, Hedren was stunned at how little regulation existed to ensure the animals' well-being. She has run her own big-cat sanctuary, called the Shambala Preserve, in California for decades.

Minnesota roots

Minnesota connections also brought Hedren to Quist's sanctuary. Born in New Ulm, Minn., 69 years ago, the actress grew up in Edina and visits each year with classmates from the old Minneapolis West High School.

Despite the strappy sandals, Hedren didn't mind trekking through long, wet grass as she checked out Meme, a Bengal tiger, and Levi, a crippled cougar.

"You aren't wearing the right shoes for my sanctuary," kidded Quist as the petite Hedren stepped out of a sport-utility vehicle.

Hedren just grinned good-naturedly. "I'd forgotten that it rains here," said the actress, who lives on her desert sanctuary.

Hedren praised Quist's facility as she inspected it for the American Sanctuary Association. Both Hedren and Quist serve on the organization's board.

"She's just doing an amazing job," Hedren said, noting that the facility's 20 wildcats look contented and healthy.

Hedren also quickly lauded Minnesota legislators and those who enforce the law.

This year, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a bill making it illegal to own exotic animals -- including lions, tigers, bears and primates -- as pets after Jan. 1, 2005. People who already own such animals will have to register them with local animal-control authorities.

And last week, a federal grand jury in Minneapolis handed up a 55-count indictment against a couple from Racine, Minn., and seven out-of-state people, alleging illegal trafficking in wild and exotic animals, including tigers, grizzly bears and leopards.

"There are a lot of places yet that need to be closed down," Hedren said.

"The exotic animal trade brings in huge amounts of illegal money -- [ranking] right under illegal drugs," she said. "People aren't aware of it."

A visit to Hedren's facility helped inspire Quist to start the Wildcat Sanctuary, which is one of just a handful of accredited sanctuaries for big cats in the country. Quist's facility now gets more than 30 calls a month from Minnesotans wanting to surrender tigers, cougars and smaller animals like the African caracal, which resembles a mini-cheetah.

Quist is launching a major fundraising effort to build a bigger sanctuary. More information about it, and an October fundraiser called Jungle Boogie, are available on her Web site, www.wildcatsanctuary.org.

On Thursday, though, she was content to simply bond with the movie star in whose footsteps she's followed.

"It's great to have someone who's done this for so many years compliment us on our work," Quist said. "We've learned so much from her."

Jill Burcum is at jburcum@startribune.com.