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Posts Tagged ‘Bears’

BBAZ-homeSpringtime is a wonderful time to visit the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. The weather is warming up under sparkling blue skies and the animals are emerging from their winter dens. Every day at noon, visitors can get up close and personal with one of the animals at the zoo. The keeper will bring out the animal of the day and share its history and fun facts.

Here is a look at some of the animals at our wonderful zoo:

arctic foxAurora, the Arctic Fox came to the zoo in April of 2012 when she was between one and three years of age. She was on the rooftop of a house in Beverly Hills for three days before Animal Control captured her and sent her to a rehabilitator. Since arctic foxes are considered to be a restricted species by Fish and Game and cannot be released in California she was sent to us. She is still a little shy and usually can be seen out in her exhibit in the morning and evening.

Hucklebeary, our three-legged Black Bear came to us after he was hit by a car and his leg was so severely damaged it had to be amputated. He was very young at the time and we weren’t sure he was going to survive, but he is doing great and has adapted very well to only Black-bear-Huckleberry-1-300x225having three legs. Huckleberry is a big fan of cookies.

Another of the Black Bears,Pooh came to us in 2012 when he was probably about 5 years old. He is the darkest black bear we have and he came to us from Fish and Wildlife. He had destroyed $8000 worth of bee hives and eaten the honey so he could not be left out in the wild since he seemed to have no fear of humans. He has a wonderful temperament and is settling in nicely to his new home. In addition to honey, Pooh loves marshmallows.

The Big Bear Alpine Zoo even has Timber Wolves!

Wakiza and Nova – they are sisters and who came to us in 2000. They, along with our male wolf Navarre, came to us from a facility that bred for the movie industry. If the pups were not used for movies, a permanent home would have to be found for them or they would have to be euthanized.

Wolf-300x225Navarre – our adult male came in 2002 from the movie industry. At first the girls pushed Navarre around a bit, but when he reached adulthood, he took his place as the alpha wolf. All three of them get along very well.

 

RS Vacations has several homes that are located close to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. Come on up to Big Bear and get to know our family of animals in a unique and personal setting. Book your Big Bear Cabin today and come see what all the howling, growling and hooting is about!

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Book with RS Vacations today to take advantage of this great deal!

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Grizzly BearLions and Tigers and Bears….Oh my!  Okay, well maybe not tigers, and the lions are a smaller variety, but we’ve got bears! Black Bears and Grizzly Bears. There are also Bald Eagles, Bobcats, Wolves, Owls, Bison and many, many more. Did you know that Big Bear has a zoo? The Big Bear Alpine Zoo to be exact. It is filled with animals (many of them rescued) that are native to this area and even a few that are not; but every critter has a story and the wonderful folks at the zoo are happy to share them with you.

In addition to just meandering around the zoo at your own pace, the zoo offers daily programs that enhance the experience. Each day you can take the feeding tour – follow along as one of the zoo keepers feeds the animals and shares interesting information about each one. A great way to learn about wildlife! There is also an animal presentation each day (weather permitting) where an animal is brought out onto the grass and you can have an up-close and personal look and learn all about the featured furry or feathered (or fanged!) friend.

Each Saturday night in October and the first two Saturday nights in November, the Big Bear Alpine Zoo hosts a Flashlight Safari. This is a tour of the zoo’s nocturnal animals – critters that are active only at night. Bundle up, bring a flashlight and enjoy!

One of the most anticipated events of the year is coming up – this Saturday night, in fact. BOO in the Zoo!  Bring your children (and yourself) dressed in costumes to this special afternoon of Tricks ‘n Treats – Visit The Graveyard, Pumkin Patch, Electric Dungeon of Doom, Witches Brew, Scarecrow Land, Witches Lair, and Goblins throughout the zoo. Enjoy seeing the zoo animals receive their Halloween treats! Win a prize for best costume in several categories. Fun for all!!

More information on all of these programs and events, hours, prices, as well as detailed information about the animals can be found at the zoo’s website: moonridgezoo.org

By the way, several of our homes here at RS Vacations are within walking distance to the zoo, including this week’s Spotlight Property, Bear Peek Inn – which is right across the street! Join us in Beautiful Big Bear Lake and enjoy all that the forest has to offer!

 

 

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Did you know that Big Bear was once inhabited by thousands of grizzly bears? In fact, that is how this area got its name. In 1845, Benjamin Davis Wilson, while tracking the bandit Joaquin, named this area Bear Valley because it was “alive with bears”. He claims to have killed 22 bears himself. The grizzlies were eventually hunted to extinction in this area with the last sighting being in 1906.
The black bears that currently call Big Bear home were introduced to the area in 1933. Sixteen bears were brought down from Yosemite National Park and introduced into the San Bernardino Mountains where they have thrived. Although there is a large bear population here, sightings are fairly uncommon in most areas.

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