Aided by the status of the “world’s richest girl” during the twilight of the Gilded Age, Doris Duke lived a life of many passions and pursuits, including her love of animals. Over the years, her undertakings ranged wildly from competitive surfing to covering foreign news during the 1940s, to being a horticulturist and supporting wildlife refuges. Her main residence was a sprawling 2,700-acre New Jersey estate called Duke Farms, which contained Duke Gardens, once among the largest public indoor botanical displays in America. She shared that property with her family, visitors (including Paul Reubens after…
