Big Bear Alpine Zoo, Wildlife rehabilitation center in Big Bear Lake, California
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Big Bear Lake, California, across from Bear Mountain Ski Resort. It holds 160 animals of 80 species, including grizzly bears, black bears, cougars, wolves and eagles, and is one of two alpine zoos in the United States.
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo began in 1959 as a rehabilitation facility for injured and orphaned alpine wildlife rather than as a zoo. It is owned and operated by the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, a special district of San Bernardino County. The Friends of the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, a nonprofit supporting education, volunteers and fundraising, formed in 1989. Construction of a new site began in 2016, and the zoo opened there at 747 Clubview Drive on November 5, 2020.
The zoo uses QR codes near exhibits to share the personal stories of rescued animals with visitors. These details help you connect with the individual journeys of the creatures you see.
The zoo is at 747 Clubview Drive in Big Bear Lake, across the street from Bear Mountain Ski Resort. It opened at this site on November 5, 2020, after construction began in 2016. The facility is owned and operated by the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District.
This is one of only two alpine zoos in the United States and works closely with local wildlife areas. A striking feature is that about 90 percent of animals treated here are successfully released back into their natural habitats.
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