Big Bear Alpine Zoo

I’ll give this place 10 start if I can whenever I go down to Big Bear this place is a must I even buy things that I already have at home just to support the zoo the staff is so knowledgeable and so kind thank you staff

What a wonderful find! Tucked away next to Goldmine ski lifts sits this zoo filled with a variety of wild life. To name a few were speedy the tortoise, a pair of bald eagles, a golden eagle, Grizzlies, Bobcats, mountain lions, snow leopards, wolves, foxes, reptiles, and much, much more. The zoo takes in injured or displaced wildlife and rehabilitates them. The animals appeared healthy and well cared for. The staff is friendly and helpful. The enclosures are well designed to give the animals a comfortable space. While we were there many animals were out and about and active, allowing us a chance to see them up close. Speedy, the tortoise, seemed to race to greet us.
If you are in the area this is a must see for young and old. This is definitely a must see for kids, offering a good education and appreciation of wild life.

Wow, never thought I would find a zoo in Big Bear… we saw grizzlies, Bob cats, timber wolves, snow leopards, many different foxes, deer, bald and golden eagles, red tail hawks, coyotes, snakes and assorted big lizards… all in good health and well cared for. It was 85* so the animals weren’t moving around a lot
…understandable. Good place to check out if you come to Big Bear!

I loved this little rescue and rehab zoo! One of the best things is that they take wild animals for rehab and release if they are able to. Its a tiny bit small… but they should be moving to a new area which is larger soon (so ive heard). They have a great variety of beautiful animals, bald eagles, bears, cougars, fox, wolves, RACOONS (so cute), too many more to mention. They have heat lamps and hammocks for the animals. Their exhibits have a nice selection of natural fauna for the animals, this doubles as good enrichment. They do a bear feeding, which is fun for visitors… they are so cute eating oranges (really makes you think twice about leaving oranges for birds).

Great zoo/​sanctuary for the animals. A must see. My only suggestion is that the owner make it clear on their military discount and that dependents aren’t eligible. It was a little disappointing and embarrassing as a military wife.

I adore the Alpine Zoo. I can see how some people that don’t understand the purpose of this zoo may not appreciate how wonderful it is, since it’s not large, an hour visit gave us ample time to enjoy all of the displays. It doesn’t have incredibly rare animals you can not see elsewhere, and many of the ‘typical’ zoo animals are missing.
What makes this place special is that each and every animal is there for a reason, and their stories are amazing. From Hucklebeary the three-​legged bear to the snowleopard sisters that are each missing an eye… the animals on display at this zoo are all animals that either cannot be reintroduced to the wild. MANY of the animals at the Alpine Zoo are there because humans either hurt them (be it intentionally or otherwise) or reported them as nuisances after we started living in their natural habitat.
The $ 12 admission fee (for adults, children are cheaper) also goes toward the rehabilitation of animals not displayed at the zoo. These are animals that can eventually be reintroduced to the wild, so not only does visiting this zoo allow you to see some very cool animals but you can also leave feeling good about the experience as your money goes toward a good cause.
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is a place I know I will continue to visit every time I travel to Big Bear. If you are an animal lover and want to support a zoo that isn’t just about displaying animals for profits, this spot is a must!

Since Unilocal decided to delete my review because they said it’s not long enough I’m back again to let people know how horrible this place was.
Yes horrible!!! It’s expensive, small and did not have many animals at all. You can spend a whole 10 min here and that will be more than enough time. I don’t mind spending money for something worthwhile but this place was a complete waste of time! Go do something else maybe find a nice place to take the family for dinner/​lunch. You will get more out of it!
ARE YOU HAPPY NOW Unilocal? Is this review long enough? Unilocal=LAME!!!

We love big bear zoo! I am against zoos in general but this one is different. The animals are sick or have been injured in some way. They can not be released into the wild for whatever reason. The zoo is usually not that crowded so you can stroll around and take your time. It is very interesting to learn about the animals and the circumstances that brought them to the zoo. The staff is knowledgeable and really care about the animals. We will be back!

This «zoo» is more of an educational animal care facility. They take in a lot of injured and orphaned animals. Like a bear with three legs, a brush rabbit with no eyes, etc. It doesn’t give you the same depressed sad animal feeling like large commercial zoos.
The only con is it’s a tad more expensive than I would have guessed ($ 12), but it’s worth it to see grizzlies, bald eagles, mountain lions, and bobcats. It is great for kids, they have a schedule of animal presentations, lots of photo ops, and a nice gift store. It can get crowded though!
Definitely stop by the next time you’re in BB.

Very different zoo from what you usually see, because animals a actually active! Not like San Diego Zoo where you come see nobody or if you actually see an animal it is sleeping! Gives you more excitement then any regular zoo! Highly recommend this place! By the way it is a small zoo but it worth to come and see!

Great place that does great work rehabilitating animals back into the wild. We got an up close and personal experience and even spoke with Bob the Curator and Shane from the crew that makes thing work. It’s a must see if your in the area.

This is a fantastic little zoo for the price! It’s very family friendly and takes anywhere from 30 – 90 minutes to walk through. For how small it is, the variety of their animals is amazing– from snow leopards, to grizzly bears, to bald eagles. The enclosures are small, but very well kept and you can get closer to he animals than most zoos I’ve been too. It’s definitely worth the price if you’re looking for a family-​friendly activity!

I had a blast at this zoo today. Took us about 90 minutes to see everything. I liked that there were different animals than other zoos I’ve been to. Snow leopards, wolves, foxes, bald eagles, bob cats, bears and many more. The animals are easy to see with the visitor viewing right up front within almost arms reach. This zoo is more like a rehab center for animals who have been injured and cannot be released back to the wild or were saved from euthanasia. $ 12 admission was worth it knowing that it’s going to such a good cause. The only downside is that the parking is limited to street parking in front. There’s about 20 designated zoo spaces.
I’ll be back during my next big bear visit and I wish the zoo the best of luck during their upcoming expansion.

What a great place! We spent several hours walking around. The staff are all very friendly and approachable. They are doing great things here, we got lucky and saw almost every animal! The new location should help too, look forward to it.

Love this little zoo! So many animals and they all seems happy. It was really cool to watch them feed the wolves. They went into the cage and didn’t even separate them first. All the animals there get released back into the wild if they are able to survive in the wild. We saw so many zoo keepers there and they were all caring for the animals and helping guests. Some of them even stopped to tell us some stories. We were worried about going in the snow and some areas were closed off due to trees falling, but other than that the pathways were clear and safe to walk on. The staff is so friendly. I recommend going during the week, so yo can find parking, because it is limited. They give you a pass, so you don’t get towed. Will go back there again in the summer. The snow owl and leopards were worth the trip alone.

I love that this started out as a rehabilitation center for wounded animals. Though it remains a rehabilitation center, it doubles as a zoo to educate people. A large percentage of the animals are re-​released into their natural habitat.
They also house animals unable to live in the wild. A beautiful bald eagle, for example, lost one of its wings to a bow and arrow. Others began as pets and never learned how to fend for themselves. Our favorite, Pooh the black bear, was a 3 strikes bear. Some animals caught in rural areas are tagged and re-​released. After the third strike, they have a short window of time to find a rescue for them or they must be euthanized. Pooh was found breaking in to a Sacramento honey place, hence the name.
Please take a moment to stop in and enjoy some of the beautiful animals.

I’ve visited a lot of zoos, but this by far the best one I have ever been to!
Just a warning… it’s not very stroller friendly if there is snow. But it’s manageable. They have a special gate they open for strollers so you don’t have to use the stairs but the hills within the zoo are steep.
The wolves were my favorite!!! The mountain lions were amazing too and we caught them just in time for a feeding! The kids got a kick out of that!
You can get really close views of the cages, unlike any zoo I have been to. They have bald eagles, foxes, snow leopards, bears, etc!
I recommend this zoo to anyone who goes to Big Bear! The pics and videos speak for themselves. It truly is amazing!

Awesome little zoo in the snow. It’s great because we got to see the animals that we can’t normally see in a regular zoo due to the habitat limitations. We saw bears, wolfs, fox, Eagle, pelican, mountain lion, tiger, pig,… My favorite was definitely the fox & the tiger. They were so good looking. I loved that the zoo is small, we were able to get very close to the animals. The staff were super friendly & nice. You would think in such a cold temperature, they would be cranky & angry but they were all amazing & friendly. The zoo itself is very clean & well maintained & just very unique & different that any other zoo we have been to. The parking was easy on the street but we were there right at 10 AM when they open the zoo. I would suggest going in early for that reason. It was $ 12 for adults & children under the age of 3 get in for free. It was a great activity for the kids to keep them occupied & interested while it was short & sweet.
I highly recommend everyone checking this zoo.

We decided it’d be a fun trip to come up to Big Bear with friends and family. We went with the alpine zoo since our group was mostly looking for something fun to do in the snow but a bit more laid back than snowboarding or skiing.
Parking is tough if you come during peak times. You will either have to park on the side of the road or try to get a spot in the parking lot which is for those going on the slopes. When we went we were fortunate to get a spot in the parking lot after searching and asking around for awhile.
Once you get inside the zoo though it’s pretty awesome being a smaller zoo since all of the animals are right there in your face. You’ll see bears, mountain lions, birds, wolves, foxes, and more. My favorite was the fox! Totally worth a visit if you are in the area.

The Big Bear Alpine Zoo at Moonridge is across from Bear Mountain Ski Resort. It’s open daily and down aways a bit on a dirt road.
Admission is $ 12 per person (for adults) and they offer military discounts!
The whole layout of the place is a little bit pieced together, and that’s because it was! This place was never meant for the public, just a rehabilitation center for injured wildlife so they could eventually return back to the wild! The end of their 50 year lease has just ended so they will be relocating to a 10 ACRE piece of land by the summer of 2017.
They house an array of animals here that you can read about when you purchase the $ 2 booklet at the front desk. They have racoons, bald eagles, grizzly bears, black bears, ravens, crows, bobcats, timberwolves, snowy owls, barn owls, screecher owls, a rosy boa, kestrels and much more!
I loved every part of this place except for the reptile hut. That place stinks like no other! I couldn’t go in there for more than a minute. Maybe the rooms need more ventilation or something? I have a bearded dragon at home (used to have two) and their cage never smelled so horrendous and nose-​clinching like this room did.
I watched the animal presentation at noon the day I was there. I was expecting something kind of cool but it was just a tortoise Sulcata Tortoise, named «Speedy», who ate lettuce and then proceeded to wander away from the crowd. Someone donated them to the rehab center after realizing they live up to 150 years old!
This was a nice time killer and family-​friendly activity everyone enjoyed. I had never seen a bald eagle or the size of a grizzly bear in person before but now I can say that I have. If I am ever unfortunate enough to meet one, I probably don’t have a chance of running faster than the 10 ft. long beast!