The Gentle Jungle

The Gentle Jungle by Helfer, Toni Ringo. Mass Market Paperback edition. ISBN: 9780590319713.

The compelling, true story of Ralph and Toni Helfer and their life among Hollywoods favorite animal celebrities, including Gentle Ben, Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion, Judy the Chimp, the noble Stallion Fury, and Modoc the Elephant. The Helfers owned and operated the famous Africa U.S.A. on the outskirts of Los Angeles. In the early 1960s they pioneered a revolutionary method of working with exotic animals called "Affection Training." The Helfers Wild Animal Behavioral Study Center (est. 1964) was the only school of its kind where people came from all over the world to attend classes with hands-on animal training experience.