It’s Purr-ty Time at Preserve

The roar of a lion reverberating through a canyon in Acton is not an unusual thing. Rock music is. But this weekend, both will be heard as the Crash Test Dummies, Tesla (making its first concert appearance in a year), the Jeff Healey Band and Shadowfax perform at the Shambala wild animal preserve.

Shambala is the 80-acre sanctuary for big cats that actress Tippi Hedren founded in 1972. In 1983, Hedren created the Roar Foundation, a nonprofit organization to feed and care for the African lions, Siberian and Bengal tigers, cougars, leopards and even a couple of elephants that live there.

This is the first time such a fund-raiser has been held at Shambala. But even with money from Hedren’s acting jobs and the occasional tour groups she leads through the preserve, it’s getting tougher to provide the $250,000 the animals gobble up each year.

So, with the help of her daughter--actress Melanie Griffith, who will emcee the event--Hedren is preparing the animals for the biggest gathering ever to grace their secluded home. She doesn’t expect a stampede at the first sound of a guitar whine, because the music will carry down the canyon, she says, away from the animals. “The animals are getting used to the sound,” Hedren adds. “We’re playing soft rock every day, and building the decibel level so it won’t be a shock to them.”

Other bands scheduled to play include the Tubes, Marshall Coleman, Madaio and Craig Chaquico of Jefferson Starship. Concert-goers will also get to walk through the preserve. For “Artists for Shambala” tickets, $35, call Ticketmaster: (213) 480-3232. For directions, call (213) 650-4715.