The Moonridge Animal Park is a zoo

Zoo

A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

 in Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake, California

Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, located northeast of the city of San Bernardino. The population was 5,019 at the 2010 census, down from 5,438 at the 2000 census...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States. It is located across the street from Bear Mountain Ski Resort.

History

The Moonridge Animal Park has been saving alpine wildlife since 1959. The Friends of the Moonridge Zoo was formed in 1989 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation whose purpose is to support the Moonridge Animal Park through: (1) Educating the public regarding treatment, protection, and conservation of wildlife; (2) Recruiting and coordinating park volunteers; and (3) Fundraising.

Animals

The Moonridge Animal Park provides wildlife rehabilitation and release. Those animals that cannot be released are given a "Home for Life" in the Park. The Moonridge Animal Park is the only zoological facility located in an alpine forest specializing in alpine species. Park residents include grizzly bear

Grizzly Bear

The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...

s, black bears

American black bear

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, mountain lions, snow leopard

Snow Leopard

The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...

, wolves, and eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

s, to name a few of the 160 animals representing 80 species.

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