Patrick is a liger - a mix between a lion and a tiger. Had his father been a tiger and mother a lion, he would have been a tigon.

Tippi Hedren, a cinema icon from days gone by (think Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"), is mad, but not for the same reasons her contemporaries seem to be. There's no made-for-TV movie she feels left out of, no co-star she feels slighted by. No, Tippi has more important things on her mind. She has a foundation to run, and that doesn't leave a lot of time for the drama of show business.

Tippi, a conservationist and activist, is president of the Roar Foundation, an organization that supports the Shambala Wildlife Sanctuary. The petite and still-stunning movie star, now in her seventies, battles daily for the rights of animals while struggling with a shoe-string budget, and when she's not managing the foundation, she's planning her next lobbying trip to Washington, D.C.

Think you could drift off to sleep listening to the roar of lions? If your answer is yes, maybe you should consider staying the night at the Shambala Preserve. Guests enjoy a private patio, meals and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Call 268-0380 for

Located on Soledad Canyon in Acton, Shambala is home to over 70 exotic animals, including lions, tigers, panthers, and even an elephant. On a warm day in May, I visited Shambala - a fascinating, beautiful place that I wish didn't exist. It's only because of humanity's disregard for Mother Nature that these magnificent animals must live (albeit well) surrounded by a chain-link fence. Simba, a young tiger, is here because a wealthy Santa Clarita gent thought that he'd make a perfect gift for his girlfriend. Sweet Leo the Lion has been at Shambala since he was 5 months old - seems his 5-year-old mistress in Missouri could no longer handle the rough play of a future killing-machine. He's now 14 and has lived his entire life in captivity. Garth, an elegant tiger, can call Florida home; he's the product of a reptile breeder that was looking to expand into the exotic black market.

Sadly, the animals mentioned above are the lucky ones. They've been saved from a life of gross mistreatment and neglect. It's the countless stories of torture, intentional dehydration and starvation that really get to Tippi and her staff. "The costs to keep Shambala up and running are like the national debt; still, we provide such a vital service to so many organizations, and we have such a love for the animals, we can't not help them," says Hedren. The facility, which functions on a bare-bones budget of nearly $1 million a year, works with referrals from Fish and Game, the Department of Agriculture, SPCA, and private citizens.

Not every Shambala animal is far from home. Sheena, a mountain lion, could just as easily be found in our local mountains, except for one thing: once introduced to and made dependant on humans, animals like Sheena can never be returned to the wild. T

While the sanctuary does have guests that have retired from zoos, circuses and other public venues, most are from private owners or unethical breeders. "I'll never understand what a parent is thinking when they purchase a wild animal for their child. I know of a 4 year old that was killed by her 'pet.' In 2003, I testified to Congress for our Captive Wild Life Safety Act. That same year, 15 people were killed by these animals. They are beautiful, but they are meant to be in the wild and worshiped from afar," says Hedren.

What You Can Do to Help

Encourage Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon to sponsor the Shambala Wild Animal Protection Act.

Encourage your child's school to tour Shambala. The cost is a low $5 per child ($15 per adult) and the money raised goes towards operating expenses. Children will learn to better respect wildlife, and of course will treasure lifelong memories of seeing these magnificent endangered species up close.

Book a safari, or a private party, for you and your friends. Adults can tour Shambala for $35. Bring your camera, lots of extra film, and get ready to be awestruck.

"Adopt" a member of the Shambala family, or make a donation directly to the foundation. You can do both online at www.shambala.org.

Purchase toys, greeting cards, jewelry and more from the Shambala boutique. All proceeds go directly to the organization. You can shop online at www.shambala.org or call 268-0380 for more information.