Trivia

Comedienne Carol Burnett grew up in the same apartment building where Ralph's family came to live when they first moved to California and was his best friend.

When Ralph and Carol Burnett were kids they would play Tarzan and Jane. But Carol could always do the Tarzan yell better than Ralph.

Owned and trained a Raccoon named Bandit that Marilyn Monroe got very attached to while filming the movie River of No Return (1954).

Creator of "Marine World/Africa U.S.A." in Redwood City, California; which in 1972 relocated to Vallejo. This later became Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Has authored several compassionate books about animals: "Mosey", "Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived", "Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived" and "The Beauty of the Beasts: Tales of Hollywood's Animal Stars".

Is a renowned animal trainer and Hollywood animal behaviorist.

Lives in Kenya, East Africa where he leads safari tours' with the company he founded called "Eden International Safaris and Treks.".

His Bengal Tigers were used in Esso and Exxon Oil Company commercials.

His Cougar was used in the Mercury Cougar automobile commercials.

Had a giraffe named Twigga he saddle-broke to ride. Who was ridden by Rex Harrison in the movie Doctor Dolittle (1967).

His animals have won twenty-two "PATSY Awards".

Became good friends with Mae West and her sister Beverly Arden by taking off their hands a chimpanzee they called Coffee.

Met Mabel Stark, the most famous female tiger tamer ever. When Ralph volunteered at Jungleland U.S.A., a private zoo, animal training facility, and animal theme park in Thousand Oaks, California.

He did over 2300 animal related performances from stage, movie and television appearances.

Dear friends with Betty White and provided many of his exotic animals for her television show The Pet Set (1971).

Is an avid equestrian.

Helped raise funds for a variety of charitable organizations, many of them involved children, like the March of Dimes, Red Cross, and many more.

Many Hollywood celebrities like Elvis Presley, William Holden, Debra Paget, John Agar, John Russell, Sabu, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Betty White, Allen Ludden, William Shatner, Bo Derek, John Derek, Sonny Bono, Cher and Ralph's childhood friend Carol Burnett not only made weekend visits to Africa U.S.A. Exotic Animal Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California but were regular visitor who came to play with the animals and pitch in with the chores.

Debra Paget donated her Chimpanzee named Lord Murphy as well as a mischievous Golden Gibbon she named Haji Baba that she also owned.

Created Affection Training.

Provided many of the animals for Walt Disney movies.

His Africa U.S.A. Ranch at 8237 Soledad Canyon in Acton, California became the world's largest exotic animal rental company.

First met Toni Helfer when she came to Ralph's "Nature's Haven" Ranch in Van Nuys, California bring two orphan bear cubs she saved while camping with her father Scotty and her sister Stevie in the Sequoia National Park.

Partnered in "Lion Country Safari" a drive-through Zoo at 8800 Moulton Parkway in Laguna Hills, California.

Had a German Shepard named Prince.

Has developed and filmed three television series: Daktari (1966), Gentle Ben (1967) and Cowboy in Africa (1967).

Married Toni Helfer when he came back from Nairobi, Kenya after filming the movie The Lion (1962).

Took in hundreds of orphaned Exotic Animals donated to Ralph's Africa U.S.A. Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California by people who brought them in from all over the World that got to large for their owners' to handle. Soon it came to the point they couldn't take in anymore but many were still left at the gate.

Partner and chairman in theme park called the "Enchanted Village," at 6122 Knott Ave., in Buena Park, California which was built on the site of the defunct Japanese Village and Deer Park amusement attraction.

Ralph helped a troubled youth by taking him into his "Nature's Haven: Wild Animal Rentals" in Van Nuys, California and gave him a job taking care of the animals to help straighten him out.

Survived a lion attack when he got his first job in Hollywood doubled for an actor doing a movie for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer because prior to the take the animal trainer kept enraging his lion he called Rex.

Owned the Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull: Clyde.

When Elvis Presley made his weekend visits to the Africa U.S.A. Exotic Animal Ranch in Soledad Canyon, California, his favorite animal was a Chimpanzee named Coffee that once belonged Mae West and her sister Beverly Arden.

Became friends with Marilyn Monroe while they were working together in the movie River of No Return (1954).

One of his other chimpanzees' Evie (short for Evolution), played the robot dog Muffit in the TV Series Battlestar Galactica (1978).

Judy the Chimpanzee played "Debbie the Bloop", Penny Robinson's alien pet in the TV Series Lost in Space (1965).

Jerry Lewis got Ralph barred from working at Paramount Pictures for six months until he was finished his movie The Ladies Man (1961) when he got in his face and yelled at him. Because Ralph found out that Jerry had gun in his pocket for protection when he did the scene with his lion Zamba.

Owned a Jaguar he named Raunchy.

Was the only other person who could ride his wife's Toni Helfer, stallion King.

Proposed to Toni Helfer by mail while he was in Kenya filming the movie The Lion (1962).

Was once allergic to cats.

William Shatner had hoped to wrestle Ralph's Tiger in Shore Leave (1966), but was convinced it would not be a wise decision.

Together Ralph and his wife Toni Helfer nursed back to health a black stallion they thought was the legendary Highland Dale who was the horse from the Television Series Fury (1955) but he was really was one of the doubles for the stallion.

Before Ralph bought his ranch he had a Pet Store called "Nature's Haven." at 151 North Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California where Iron Eyes Cody made an appearance for it's opening.

When Carol Burnett made her weekend visits to Africa U.S.A. she and Ralph would ride double on his Indian Elephant Modoc.

Shirley Temple was bitten on the finger by a baby alligator that belonged to Ralph.

When Ralph and Toni Helfer were on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands where they were filming The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) they met John Wayne who came to set to visit Burt Lancaster. While they were there two of their black Leopards bred and gave birth on location.

Owned a Eagle he named Torak.

His wife Toni Helfer named their truck "Old Bessie".

His Asian elephants were the Banthas mounts of the Tusken Raiders in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) dressed in a costume of fur and fake horns. Filming the scene proved difficult because the elephant was not accustomed to the extreme heat of Death Valley, and kept removing the costume.