Big Bear Animal Park

My Grandma Loretta, my mom's mom, used to have a cabin in the Moonridge area of Big Bear, close to the Big Bear Animal Park. We went to this zoo many times when I was little, but I don't remember it.

I have to say that it's much cooler than I thought it would be. It's small, but it's one of only 2 Alpine zoos in the country, meaning that they're located over 5,000 ft. elevation. This means they can have some pretty special animals: Bald eagles, a snow leopard, grizzlies. I thought there would be a pen with a few goats in it.

The crowds were sparse so we got these grizzlies all to ourselves. The honored us by biting each other's faces for most of the time.
The largest one won the rights to the swimming hole.

This beautiful Snow Leopard named Ivan is indigenous to the Himalayas, but the climate in Big Bear suits him. He has a cancerous sore on his lip and isn't expected to survive for much longer, so it's a privilege to see him. I wish I had more pictures! My Aunt Veronica treated Jarod and myself to this trip to the zoo and it was really fun. I want to go there and just plant myself and spend the whole day. Unlike a lot of small, horrible city zoos that lock the animals in cement enclosures, the forest surroundings and cool temps bring the animals out and about. No bear butts in the far corner.