Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my! That's what you'll find at Noah's Ark Animal Habitat, located at 712 LGGriffin Road, Locust Grove, Georgia, about thirty miles south of Atlanta proper. In addition to providing a natural living environment for 1100 exotic and wild animals, this little known sanctuary is also a haven for some of Georgia's foster children. The mission of this 250-acre facility is to provide a home for abused, unwanted, and orphaned children and animals.

Originally established in 1978 on a 25-acre rented farm in Ellenwood, the habitat was founded by Jama Hedgecoth, who had had the vision for Noah's Ark since the age of 4. Hedgecoth, the daughter of evangelist parents, took in unwanted or wounded animals from a young age and nursed them back to health. At the age of 8, her vision expanded to include children after she traveled with her father to Mexico and visited an orphanage. Hugh Smith, the events and volunteer coordinator at Noah's Ark, explains that the current facilities on the acreage in Locust Grove were established in 1990. Noah's Ark works with the Department of Children's Services to provide temporary residence for up to 24 foster children at a time. Interacting and helping with the care of some of the animals is one way that the children can heal from past traumas, says Smith.

The exotic animals at the sanctuary usually arrive via the Department of Natural Resources, Smith explains. That's the way one of the habitat's three bears came in. "We have a North American black bear whose parents were killed by poachers," Smith says. A Himalayan bear, named Susie Q, arrived after being kept by a zoo in a pen that was far too small for her. Even though Susie Q resides in a more natural environment now, she remains traumatized by her years of confinement. "She still swings her head back and forth," Smith says. "That was how she survived being kept in that small pen all those years."

Some of the lions at Noah's Ark arrived after confiscation by police. "It's illegal in Georgia to own an exotic cat," Smith says. "But it's not in Alabama." Smith explains that owning an exotic cat is a status symbol for some gangs, and members will acquire a young cat in another state and bring it back to Georgia. In fact, Smith says, one of the habitat's lions was found living, as a full-grown adult, in an apartment in downtown Atlanta.

In addition to lions and bears, visitors taking the walking tour might see llamas, deer, exotic snakes, wolves, parrots, and an assortment of monkeys. The more sedate residents include potbellied pigs, rabbits, horses, cows, emus, goats, dogs, cats, and buffalo. Noah's Ark is currently building a dog and cat adoption center in an effort to help Henry county animal control reduce the kill-rate of healthy pets. The adoption center is currently under construction and will officially open September 1.

Admission to the habitat is free, although a contribution is requested since the facility operates on a donation- only basis. Smith says it takes about $700 per day to feed the animals.

Noah's Ark will be hosting a "Treats No Tricks" day on Halloween, where children can walk through the facility and receive candy. For more information, visit www.Noahs-Ark.org , or call 770-957-0888.

Kelly L. Stone lives in Lawrenceville. Contact her at www.kellylstone.com.