26 <strong>July</strong>/<strong>August</strong>, <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Inland</strong> <strong>Entertainment</strong> <strong>Review</strong>
American Kestrel ZOO TIME! Big Bear Alpine Zoo Strives Towards New Heights High in the mountain region of Big Bear Lake, a gaze of raccoons (that’s what you call a group of raccoons) is scurrying across branches foraging for food items while other members of the gaze are busy at a nearby water source involved in their dunking ritual, rinsing their food through the water. What at first appears to be both food and hand washing is actually the technique used by raccoons to heighten their sense of touch, giving them precise information on what they are about to consume. Not far away, a male black bear tilts his head up and with a rapid succession of airflow through his nostrils, determines that a tasty food source is close by. His sense of smell, 100 times more powerful than that of a human’s, picks up a scent of an edible possibility. With massive arm and shoulder strength to accompany the incredible sense of smell, the 400-pound omnivore moves massive logs in an effort to find each morsel of hidden edible treasure. Known for their expertise as an ambush predator, two mountain lions blend in with their surrounding mountain flora, hiding between bark and branch. Above the ground, the brown, black, and grey hues of their fur makes them almost invisible allowing them to scan the activity on the ground beneath them. A perfect match for the surrounding bark of forest trees, their stealth-like behavior makes them almost undetectable. California has some of the most diverse wildlife in North America. But you don’t have to camp out in the wilderness just to catch a glimpse of some of our state’s amazing animals. In fact, the animals described above are actually animals at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. Founded in 1959, the Big Bear Alpine Zoo is the only Alpine Zoo of its kind in the United States. Situated at almost 7,000 feet above sea level, the Big Bear Alpine Zoo serves as a rehabilitation facility for both mountain and nearby communities. With a nearly 80% success rate, animals are nursed back to health or weaned onto solid foods and then released back into the wild. If an animal is too injured or if it has lost its fear of humans, it cannot be released and has a home for life at Big Bear Alpine Zoo. “Our goal at the zoo is to connect our guests to wildlife, to demonstrate both the uniqueness of our animals and their habitat in the wild,” says Curator Bob Cisneros. “As for our animals, we focus on their natural behaviors, providing them with opportunities to thrive. I think this combination of connecting guests to wildlife and meeting the welfare needs of our animals makes us very successful at what we do.” If you are planning a trip to Big Bear, get your wild on! A visit to the zoo is the best way to see representatives of our mountain ecosystem. Located on 2.5 acres, Big Bear Alpine Zoo brings the wild to you, housing over 100 animals, mostly native species. The zoo is open daily from 10am through 5pm and is located at 43285 Goldmine Drive in Big Bear Lake, right across the street from Bear Mountain Ski and Board Resort. Each day at noon there is an animal presentation done by one of their keepers and three animal enrichment talks at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm. If you want to know more about the facility and the animals in their care, check out the website at www. bigbearzoo.org or like them on their facebook page. IER California has some of the most diverse wildlife in North America. But you don’t have to camp out in the wilderness just to catch a glimpse of some of our state’s amazing animals. BIG BEAR ALPINE ZOO ADMISSION Adults 10-59 $12.00 Children 3-9 $9.00 Seniors 60 and over $9.00 Children 2 and under Free <strong>July</strong>/<strong>August</strong>, <strong>2016</strong> <strong>Inland</strong> <strong>Entertainment</strong> <strong>Review</strong> 27
Change language