The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is San Bernardino County’s only zoo and also serves as a wildlife animal sanctuary, rehabilitation and education center.
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BBAZ opened in 1959 and has been saving animals since then. Most of the animals in our zoo are the ones that have been injured or impacted by humans and cannot be released back into the wild. Guests will enjoy our state of the art 5 acre facility which offers a close-up and personal experience with our animals. The brand new facility opened on November 5th, 2020.
11/28/2025
Meet Hootie, our resident Great Horned Owl — and one of the best ambassadors for why protecting Big Bear’s dark skies is so important.
Great Horned Owls rely on natural darkness to hunt, navigate, and communicate with one another. Their incredible night vision and silent flight are specially adapted for low-light environments. But when artificial light spills into natural areas, it can disrupt those instincts — making it harder for owls like Hootie’s wild counterparts to thrive.
By supporting the Care For Big Bear Dark Sky Initiative, we’re helping protect the nighttime environment that owls depend on.
How you can help Hootie’s wild neighbors:
Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights
Choose warm, downward-facing lighting
Keep lights away from forested or open natural areas.
Protecting dark skies helps protect the wildlife that call Big Bear home.
11/27/2025
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the zoo.
So much to be thankful for.
Hours 10-2 today
11/27/2025
Here at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, we care for many species that come alive after sunset — from owls and skunks to coyotes and ringtails. These animals rely on natural darkness for hunting, foraging, navigating, communicating, and even avoiding predators.
That’s why we’re proud to support the Care For Big Bear Dark Sky Initiative. Reducing light pollution doesn’t just make the stars brighter — it helps keep our wildlife wild.
Artificial light at night can disorient nocturnal animals, interrupt their feeding patterns, and disrupt essential behaviors. By keeping Big Bear’s night skies dark, we’re helping create safer, healthier habitats for wildlife both inside the zoo and throughout the valley.
How you can help protect wildlife on your next visit to Big Bear:
• Use only the outdoor light you need — and turn it off when you don’t
• Choose warm, downward-directed lights that don’t spill into natural areas
• Avoid shining bright lights toward open spaces or forested habitat
• Let the night stay natural — for the animals who depend on it
Together, we can protect Big Bear’s incredible wildlife from dusk to dawn.
11/26/2025
We’re proud to share that the Big Bear Alpine Zoo is applying to join the Care For Big Bear Green Business Program — a new community-wide effort dedicated to sustainable business practices, protecting our natural environment, and preserving the beauty of the mountains for generations to come.
As a local institution rooted in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation, the Zoo’s mission aligns naturally with the “Green Business” values: conserving resources, reducing waste, protecting habitat, and supporting a healthier ecosystem for people and animals.
By becoming a certified green business, the Zoo will join a growing network of Big Bear partners committed to:
-minimizing environmental impact through better energy and water use, and responsible waste management
-encouraging visitors and locals alike to follow the 7 principles of Leave No Trace — like packing out trash, staying on trails, respecting wildlife, and using durable surfaces for recreation.
-supporting a broader vision for “sustainable tourism” in Big Bear — because this valley belongs to all of us and our wildlife.
We’re excited about this step forward — and hopeful that it inspires even more local businesses, organizations, and individuals to join the Green Business movement. Together, we can help ensure Big Bear remains a clean, wild, and welcoming place for people and nature.
For the next 30 days, we'll be highlighting our sustainability efforts and why dark skies matter for local wildlife.
Want to join the effort? Look out for more info on how to volunteer, support local green partners, or adopt eco-friendly practices on your next visit.
11/25/2025
We'll be open on Thanksgiving from 10-2. We're closing a couple hours early so that staff can be with their families. We'll be back to our normal hours of 10-4 on Friday.
📸 Grizzly Bear Ayla providing that Wow Factor
Action shot with Snow Leopard Shanti. Visit daily from 10-4. And don't forget Wild Lights from 5-9.
11/19/2025
Mid-day Moment with Bobcat Shakespeare. Visit daily from 10-4.
Don't forget Wild Lights tonight from 5-9.
11/18/2025
As we head into our 3rd week of Wild Lights put on by Visit Big Bear, we continue to receive incredible feedback on the experience. Here are some pics from last week.
Wednesdays - Sundays 5-9pm
$20 admission
Kids 5 and under free
Free to members
Bundle up, it's getting cold.
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The Big Bear Alpine Zoo was started in 1959 as an Alpine wildlife center to rehabilitate and release injured wildlife. Most of the non-releasable animals here at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo are here because of human interference. As residents of the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, these animals take on the important role of ambassadors, helping us to connect our guests to wildlife. Our commitment to our ambassadors begins with our pledge to provide the best quality of life possible, enabling all of our animals with opportunities to thrive.
Currently located on 2.5 acres, guests will enjoy an up-close and personal experience with our animals. Additionally, we offer enrichment talks every day at 12, 1, 2, and 3 PM.
Big Bear Alpine Zoo rehabilitates injured, sick, or orphaned native wildlife and releases healthy animals back into their natural habitat. Our goal is to provide the best welfare possible with minimal human interaction. When we accept wildlife from the public, we will use those opportunities to promote conservation education and stewardship of wildlife, habitat, and our mountain ecosystem.
Each year the Big Bear Alpine Zoo receives well over a hundred animals that have been impacted in such a way that they cannot survive in the wild without intervention. Our primary goal is threefold: assess, treat, and release. Best practices in animal welfare and support from veterinary experts enable us to release 90% of wildlife that comes to us.
If an animal cannot be released into the wild, Big Bear Alpine Zoo provides a permanent residence, where they become ambassadors for our local wildlife. As rescued wildlife, our ambassadors help us to connect our guests to wildlife and promote the importance of conservation and stewardship.
The work that we do in wildlife rehabilitation and rescue is made possible through our valuable partnerships and community support.
New Zoo: Spring/Summer 2020!
Plans are underway to build a new facility with completion set at late Spring or early Summer of 2020. Construction the new facility began in August of 2017. The outside structures will be modern and designed for enriching the lives of our animals and for optimal guest experience. Although we have changed the design of the zoo, our heart will remain the same...still saving wildlife since 1959!
Designed for Maximum Animal Welfare
With choice and control over their environment, our animal ambassadors will benefit from naturalistic environments, allowing for better enrichment opportunities and the opportunities to express species-specific behaviors. Modern holding areas will provide greater opportunities for behavior husbandry training.
Designed for Maximum Guest Experience
Not only will our guests enjoy seeing our ambassadors in a new and larger facility, zoo guests will also share in the benefit of seeing animals in specially designed, enrichment-based exhibits.
