EN: The Story of Audrey's Hepburn unusual pet,
the baby deer Pippin (aka "Ip")
the baby deer Pippin (aka "Ip")
Everybody knows that Audrey Hepburn was a graceful and beautiful British actress and model, who, after becoming one of the most successful film actresses in the world went on to a well regarded career as an international diplomat for Unicef.
But did you know that Audrey Hepburn had a pet fawn named Pippin? Around the internet are some pictures of Audrey and the little deer, and bellow you will read about the special bond between them and how did the actress manage to tame her deer to the point that the critter was docile enough to lie on the couch with her.
Audrey meets Pippin
In 1958, Audrey was shooting Green Mansions, directed by her (then) husband, Mel Ferrer. In the film, Audrey plays Rima, a girl living in the Venezuelan jungle. This girl is really connected with nature and a fawn follows her everywhere. Well, in real life, the fawn was called Pippin and the trainer suggested that Audrey take the animal home with her to get to know each other. The actress nicknamed the baby fawn "Ip" and started taking care of her.
For example, she mixed pabulum and milk and fed her with a baby bottle. Soon, the 3-foot-high pet was following her everywhere.
The story in the media
The reporters of the time, covering the shooting of Green Mansions, noticed the bond between the famous actress and the little animal. Harrison Carrol wrote for the newspaper The Day:
"When I talked to her [Audrey] on the set, she was petting the fawn that will work with her in the film. It's a cute little thing. It lay contentedly in her arms, kept nuzzling her neck and trying to lick her cheek". (Sep 15, 1958)
