Friends of the Big Bear Alpine Zoo

The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is a small but truly unique zoo that specializes in rehabilitating and releasing injured wild life and providing a "forever" home for those animals that cannot survive on their own in the wild. The animals here at our zoo are here because of some type of human intervention - they had been shot, hit by cars, found orphaned, are "three strike" animals, or were being kept as illegal pets until their owners could no longer care for them. We house and care for about 150 animals, representing 80 different species.  We are one of only 2 alpine zoos in the country. We have one of only 2 grizzly bear families in the USA. The grizzlies were scheduled to be euthanized 20 years ago, but were saved by donations from people like yourself. They have thrived in our care for more than 20 years. Approximately 90% of the animals that come to us are nursed back to health and released back into the wild, where they came from.

The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is  raising funds to purchase portable veterinary radiology equipment.  Radiology is a proven beneficial diagnostic tool, and a vital part of zoo animal care. X-ray can assist in making, or conforming a diagnosis. A mobile unit can be moved to where it is needed, a slide placed behind the area of concern, an an image taken. The portable x-ray will allow diagnostic images to be taken on site, which will help alleviate stress for animals needing this kind of evaluation. They will not need to be transported to a local clinic for the x-ray. 

The Friends of the Big Bear Alpine Zoo are committed to funding the purchase of a veterinary  radiology machine, the exact model is yet to be determined, but will be appropriate for the needs of our zoo.