Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary

Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Locust Grove, Georgia. The organization provides long-term care for domestic animals, wildlife, and exotic animals that cannot safely return to ordinary private ownership or the wild. Its residents include animals rescued from unlicensed owners, surrendered by people unable or unwilling to continue providing proper care, and transferred from circuses, zoos, government agencies, or other situations in which their welfare was at risk. The sanctuary was founded in 1978 by Jama and Charles Hedgecoth on a small farm in Ellenwood, Georgia. In 1990, it relocated to a large property in Locust Grove, with the move supported in part by an anonymous benefactor. The site is described as covering approximately 121 to 122 acres and has developed into a permanent animal-care and visitor facility rather than a conventional pet shelter. In 1992, Noah's Ark also expanded into child welfare by establishing the Noah's Ark Children Care Home for foster children. That program is no longer operating, while the animal sanctuary remains the organization's central activity. The sanctuary contains 38 animal enclosures and houses more than 100 species, with total animal numbers reported at more than 170. Residents have included Bengal tigers, African lions, American black bears, porcupines, Sulcata tortoises, and silver foxes. The grounds include paved walking routes, a welcome center, gift shop, playground, picnic area, and memorial garden. Visitors generally explore the grounds through a self-guided experience, although guided tours are also available. Interpretive labels and animal information are provided around many enclosures. One of the sanctuary's best-known stories concerns BLT, a bear, lion, and tiger who arrived together in 2001 after being confiscated from a convicted drug dealer's Atlanta home. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources transferred the young animals to Noah's Ark while they were suffering from serious health problems. Although they were separated during initial treatment, their strong bond led the sanctuary to keep them together after recovery. The trio became the subject of a special exhibit known as the Clubhouse and served as a prominent example of the sanctuary's role in caring for animals affected by private exploitation and inadequate husbandry. The sanctuary's work combines rescue, veterinary treatment, permanent housing, public education, and memorialization. Its model is based on providing safe lifetime care when release, adoption, or transfer to an ordinary home is not appropriate. The deaths of BLT members Leo, Shere Khan, and eventually Baloo have become part of the institution's public history, with the animals remembered through statues, burial arrangements, and plans for a memorial. Because the available reference material does not identify current senior officers, fundraising figures, or a current official web address, those details remain unspecified.

Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary began in 1978 when Jama and Charles Hedgecoth established an animal-care operation on a small farm in Ellenwood, Georgia. Its original purpose was to provide refuge and care for animals that needed protection from unsuitable ownership or circumstances in which ordinary domestic placement was not possible. Over time, the organization developed from a small farm-based project into a large nonprofit sanctuary serving domestic animals, wildlife, and exotic species. A major institutional change occurred in 1990, when Noah's Ark moved to a property of approximately 121 or 122 acres in Locust Grove, Georgia. The relocation was made possible in part by financial assistance from an anonymous benefactor. The larger site enabled the organization to construct multiple enclosures, establish visitor facilities, and create a more durable setting for long-term animal care. The sanctuary is now associated with 38 enclosures and a collection exceeding 100 species, with reported total animal numbers above 170. In 1992, the organization broadened its scope by creating the Noah's Ark Children Care Home for foster children. This child-care component subsequently closed and is no longer part of the active operation. The animal sanctuary, however, continued as the organization's principal identity and service. Its work has centered on animals rescued from unlicensed owners, surrendered by individuals, transferred from circuses or zoos, or otherwise removed from conditions where proper care was unavailable. The sanctuary's public profile was significantly shaped by the arrival of BLT in 2001. The three young animals—a bear, a lion, and a tiger—were confiscated during a raid on an Atlanta home belonging to a convicted drug dealer. They were brought to Noah's Ark by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources with substantial health problems. Although caretakers separated them temporarily for treatment, the animals displayed a strong bond. After their recovery, the sanctuary maintained them together in a dedicated exhibit called the Clubhouse. Their unusual interspecies relationship became one of the most recognizable stories connected with Noah's Ark. The individual histories of the BLT animals also illustrate the sanctuary's rehabilitation mission. Baloo arrived with a harness that had become severely embedded as his body grew and required surgery for removal. Leo had previously been confined in a cage too small for his developing body and retained a scar from an abrasion on his nose. Shere Khan arrived malnourished but recovered and became known for his active, playful behavior. Leo died in 2016 after the discovery of extensive inoperable liver tumors, and Shere Khan died in December 2018 after a serious illness and failing bodily functions. Baloo, the final surviving member of the trio, died on May 6, 2025. The sanctuary planned to reunite the three animals in a memorial at the site. Today, Noah's Ark combines permanent animal care with public access and education. Visitors can walk along paved trails, view marked enclosures, and use information provided about individual residents. The site includes a welcome center, gift shop, playground, picnic area, and memorial garden, while guided tours supplement the usual self-guided experience. The available reference material does not establish a current executive roster, financial profile, or official website, so those details are not included here.

• 2025

  Baloo dies

  [1]Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org

  Baloo, the final surviving BLT animal, died on May 6 and was designated for memorialization with his former companions.

• 2018

  Shere Khan dies

  [1]Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org

  Shere Khan died on December 18 after a serious illness and failing bodily functions.

• 2016

  Leo dies

  [1]Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org

  Leo was euthanized after surgery revealed extensive inoperable liver tumors.

• 2001

  BLT trio transferred to the sanctuary

  [1]Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org

  A bear, lion, and tiger confiscated from an Atlanta home were transferred to Noah's Ark and later housed together as the BLT trio.

• 1992

  Children care home established

  [1]Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org

  Noah's Ark expanded into foster-child care by opening the Noah's Ark Children Care Home, a program that later ceased operation.

• 1990

  Relocation to Locust Grove

  [1]Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org

  The organization moved to a large Locust Grove property of approximately 121 to 122 acres, with partial financial support from an anonymous benefactor.

• 1978

  Sanctuary founded in Ellenwood

  [1]Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org

  Jama and Charles Hedgecoth established Noah's Ark on a small farm in Ellenwood, Georgia.

A permanent-care animal sanctuary focused on rescue, rehabilitation, public education, and lifetime housing for animals that cannot be safely returned to the wild or placed in ordinary homes.

• Animal welfare service · 1978

  Animal rescue and rehabilitation

  Noah's Ark accepts or receives animals from unsuitable ownership, surrender situations, government confiscations, circuses, zoos, and other sources. Care includes intake, recovery, veterinary treatment, behavioral management, and placement in an appropriate long-term enclosure when release or ordinary adoption is not suitable.

• Animal welfare service · 1978

  Permanent sanctuary care

  The sanctuary provides lifetime housing for a varied population of domestic, wild, and exotic animals. Its enclosures and grounds are designed to support animals that require specialized care and cannot safely return to the wild or live as conventional household pets.

• Educational visitor service

  Public tours and education

  Visitors can explore the grounds through self-guided walks along paved trails, read identification and educational material at many enclosures, and arrange guided tours. The visitor site also includes a welcome center, playground, picnic area, gift shop, and memorial garden.

• 2001

  Keep the BLT animals together after rehabilitationOther

  Background

  The confiscated bear, lion, and tiger initially required separation for medical treatment but demonstrated a notable social bond.

  Action taken

  After recovery, the sanctuary housed the three animals together in the Clubhouse exhibit.

  Aftermath

  BLT became a signature exhibit and one of the sanctuary's most widely recognized animal stories.

  Source

• 1990

  Move to a larger sanctuary propertyStrategy

  Background

  The original Ellenwood farm limited the scale of the organization's animal-care operation.

  Action taken

  Noah's Ark relocated to a property of approximately 121 to 122 acres in Locust Grove, Georgia.

  Aftermath

  The move provided the space for a larger collection of enclosures, long-term animal care, and public visitor facilities.

  Source

1. 1Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuaryen.wikipedia.org