Whittell's bedroom on the upper floor of the Lodge. That's him in the photo, with one of his
less-exotic pets. His fondness for animals was reinforced by an after-high-school stint with
the Barnum & Bailey circus, embarked on to avoid having to go to college. He went on safari
to Africa with the adventurer Frank Buck to bring back new big-game animals for the circus.
When his parents finally talked him into leaving the circus, he satisfied himself by starting
to assemble a private zoo at the family estate in Woodside, CA.

The most famous member of the menagerie, and Whittell's favorite non-female companion, was
an African lion named Bill. Whittell's second ex-wife gave him the lion as a cub in 1929, and he
and Bill bonded instantly. They went everywhere together, including restaurants and nighclubs,
with remarkably few reports of unfortunate incidents. Bill loved going for rides in the car, and
would sit with his paws braced on the dashboard so he could get a better view of the scenery.