Secluded Ranch of Hollywood Animal Trainer Hubert G. Wells Comes to Market for the First Time in More Than 50 Years

The rustic, creek-side home and long-time training facility of legendary Hollywood animal handler Hubert G. Wells, a real-life Dr. Doolittle if there ever was one, has come for sale for the first time in more than 50 years, after his passing earlier this year at 88. Tucked into a semi-remote canyon behind the fancy-pants Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, the secluded 9.5-acre spread is available at $1.1 million.

A master falconer whose early work in Tinseltown included the original “Doctor Doolittle” film (1967), Wells trained wolves for “Never Cry Wolf” (1983), served as the chief animal trainer on the Oscar-winning film “Out of Africa” (1985), and appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” For the 1984 film “Sheena,” he took a menagerie of five lions, four chimpanzees, three leopards, four white horses, a dozen flamingos, a couple of macaws, an elephant and a rhino all the way to Kenya. Among his dozens of other credits are “Living Free” (1972) and “Babe: Pig in the City” (1998).

About a decade after he came to the United States from his native Hungary and around the time he started Animal Actors of Hollywood in 1969, Wells acquired the secluded property where he lived amongst and trained lions, elephants, chimpanzees and myriad other exotic animals. A ten-minute drive beyond the county-maintained access road, the property is hidden amid a natural wonderland with just a few other homes.

The driveway makes a scenic pass over the creek and, perhaps not so surprisingly, two stone lions flank the river-stone path to the front door of the ranch’s modest residence. In need of TLC, the U-shaped home has a large living room with a rock fireplace and a utilitarian eat-in kitchen within its 1,800 square feet. There are two bedrooms, one of them emblazoned with theatrical red and gold flocked brocade wallpaper, and a couple of bathrooms, one with a huge, jetted tub. Fellow animal trainer Dorree Sitterly, who served as a body double for Meryl Streep on “Out of Africa” and for some time lived on the Wells property, told The Hollywood Reporter upon Wells’ death that they raised lion cubs in laundry room!

The property also includes a detached two-car garage, several storage buildings and numerous animal enclosures, mews and exercise yards, all in need of deferred maintenance. Also in need of deferred maintenance are the septic system and well. What cannot be improved upon, however, is the rugged beauty of the surrounding mountains.

The property is represented by Megan Mathews of Sotheby’s International Realty, Westlake Village Brokerage.