In the 1970′s, actress and model Tippi Hedren (mother of actress Melanie Griffith) created the Shambala Preserve after producing the film Roar. The preserve rescued exotic big cats living in captivity that had been abused or were in need of help, one of which the family created a close bond with. Neil the lion lived with the family in their home, and played an active role in the day to day activities of the preserve.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia syn. Uncia uncia) is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because as of 2003, the size of the global population was estimated at 4,080-6,590 adults, of which fewer than 2,500 individuals may reproduce in the wild.

Disabled dogs outfitted with wheelchairs walk at an animal rescue center on July 12, 2008 in Chengdu of Sichuan Province, China. The center has adopted over 100 stray dogs and cats from quake-struck areas. Those who were hurt or disabled are outfitted with a cart to help support they're body and make them mobile. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

A reveller reacts during a water fight at Songkran Festival celebrations in Bangkok April 13, 2016. The three-day Songkran Festival starts on 13-15 April annually and is celebrated with splashing water and putting powder on each others faces as a symbolic sign of cleansing and washing away the sins from the old year. (Photo by Jorge Silva/Reuters)

Afghan children play on the remains of a Soviet-era armored personnel carrier on the outskirts of Jalalabad on February 15, 2016. Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan on February 15, 1989, after ten years of fighting against Mujahidin militiamen. (Photo by Noorullah Shirzada/AFP Photo)

A picture taken on August 7, 2017 shows a Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) at the NABU center (Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union), a German organization that aims at reintroducing the panther and fighting against poaching, near the Issyk Kul lake, in the outskirts of Semenovka village, some 330 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP Photo)

In this November 20, 2017 photo, Indian kushti wrestlers fight in the ring, during their daily training at an akhada, a kind of wrestling hostel at Sabzi Mandi, in New Delhi, India. Like many traditions in rapidly modernizing India, kushti wrestling faces the threat of being left behind. But for many poor families, the ancient sport provides a glimmer of hope. (Photo by Dar Yasin/AP Photo)

People take part in a snowball fight in front of the Colosseum covered by snow during a snowfall in Rome, Italy, 26 February 2018. Media reports on 26 February state that extreme cold weather is forecast to hit many parts of Europe with temperatures plummeting to a possible ten year low. (Photo by Angelo Carconi/EPA/EFE)