Bob Denver appeared in 98 episodes of Gilligan’s Island during the show’s three-season run in the 1960s, but that number was almost a lot smaller. In the Season 2 episode “Feed the Kitty,” a lion gets loose on the island and ends up forming a bond with Gilligan (Denver). For the part of the large wild cat in question, the producers opted to hire a real lion named Zamba. Interestingly enough, Zamba had previously worked with Denver in an episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis:
This time around, things didn’t go quite as smoothly. According to Gilligan’s Island creator Sherwood Schwartz, Denver had rehearsed a scene from “Feed the Kitty” with Zamba several times without incident. As scripted, Zamba was supposed to remain on the bed inside of a hut as Denver tiptoed out the door. However, when the cameras started rolling, Zamba suddenly had other ideas.
Bob Denver Came Within Inches of Being Mauled by a Lion on ‘Gilligan’s Island’
As Schwartz tells it, for the first take, Zamba leaped off the bed toward Denver as he made his way toward the exit. Thankfully for Denver, the bed Zamba was lying on wasn’t bolted to the floor, so when Zamba made his move, his back legs pushed up against the bed, making his jump less forceful and essentially saving Denver’s life. Due to the circumstances, the lion fell short of Denver by roughly two feet.
Zamba’s trainer jumped in immediately to prevent any further mishaps, but Denver was reportedly unfazed by the incident. Despite having come within inches of being crushed to death by a 400-pound lion, Denver told the crew, “Okay, one more time. And keep the bed loose, in case he jumps again.” The next attempt went as planned and was used in the final episode, which aired on March 3, 1966.
You can check out the completed sequence below.
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