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Relocation of Moonridge Animal Park

Introduction  

"The Living Forest Wildlife Center" is a holding name used to describe the relocated Moonridge Animal Park.  The actual name of the new park remains to be determined.

The Moonridge Animal Park's 50 year lease expires February 2010. Several years ago, the land was sold to investors.

The purpose of this writing is to provide an overview of the proposed relocation of the Moonridge Animal Park (also marketed as Big Bear's Zoo), which has been proposed to be built on 25 acres of National Forest Service land located on the North shore of Big Bear Lake next door to the Big Bear Discovery Center. 

Big Bear Valley located in Southern California

Big Bear valley is located in the San Bernardino Mountains at an elevation of 6500 feet - alpine country.  The communities of Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City are nestled in the valley, surrounded by USDA Forest Service lands.  The permanent population is 16,000, and during weekends and holidays the number of people in the valley mushrooms to 100,000.  Big Bear Valley is within a maximum 3 hour drive of 25 million people living in the greater southern California area ranging from Los Angeles, Ventura and Kern counties to Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, and San Diego counties. This population is expected to expand to 32 million by the year 2020.

Moonridge Animal Park

The Moonridge Animal Park has been a wildlife rehabilitation center for injured, orphaned, and endangered alpine species since 1959.  The Moonridge Animal Park is the only alpine zoo in the United States that specializes in animals living in alpine and sub-alpine eco-systems.  Animals housed at the Moonridge Animal Park are primarily native to the San Bernardino Mountains or would normally live in an alpine setting, including several endangered species such as grizzly bears, timber wolves, fishers, and bald eagles.  The Moonridge Animal Park provides educational programs, both on-site and off-site, to the local and surrounding areas.

The transformation of the Moonridge Animal Park when it moves on to the North Shore

The relocation of the Moonridge Animal Park to the North Side of Big Bear Lake adjacent to Big Bear Discovery Center will have an expected annual visitation of 150,000 guests. The new animal park will be contained within an estimated 25 acres and designed as an ecologically green alpine zoological and botanical gardens park, using renewable resourses and alternative energy.

The new animal park's master plan calls for the design, construction, and management of high-quality facilities, consistent with public expectation in regards to natural habitat enclosures and state-of-the-art exhibit and interpretation of native species.

The new park will interpret the historical development of the Big Bear Valley by tracking changes in the alpine-wildlife populations in correspondence with historic human events.  The park's maximim holding capacity is estimated to handle 1,000 visitors at one time on the site.

The Primary Directive

The new park will keep true to its founding roots, wherein it will tend and care for injured wild animals and release them back into the wilderness. If after rehabiltation an animal is unreleaseable, then they will be given a "HOME FOR LIFE" in our park.  This primary role defines the animal park's purpose in attending to wild animals in need of assistance.  From this simple directive our new park evolves its' basic tenets -- one being build one upon the other -- wild animals, health care, zoological home, and human learning opportunities.

Animals 

The animals come for rehabilitation for one of three reasons:  (1) the animal has bonded to humans and will not survive in the alpine wilderness on its' own, (2) the animal comes from the alpine wildlife because of a recent injury, or (3) the animal has been confiscated as an illegal pet by the Califormia Fish and Game Department.

Health Care 

The primary goal is to help (heal) wild animals and return them to their wilderness.  If upon healing, the animal cannot be released, then it is provided a "HOME FOR LIFE" in the park.

Zoological Home 

The zoo evolves as a result of accumulating wild animals that cannot be returned to their native habitat. Therefore, the park will require habitats to allow the animals to live in a protected environment.

Learning Opportunities 

The zoo provides an excellent backdrop for exposing children as well as adults and teenagers to nature.   The park will inherently be educational for visitors.  A multitude of learning experiences can be provided using docent tours among people with varying chronicle ages and thematic orientations.

In particular, an extenuated effort will be placed upon children tours. We are a people whose minds are formed by learning through experiences and social interactions.  Young minds are indeed impressionable.  Children who have opportunities to directly experience wildlife habitats will grow in appreciation for wildlife and gain a healthy distinction between domestic and wild animals. This educational experience will include an emphasis on the importance and need of eco-systems for all types of life to co-exist.  First hand impressions are superior to vicarious learning experiences.  Therefore, it is imperative to organize ways for children to visit the park and to participate in tours that are educationally designed for age-appropriate groups.

Building for the 21st Century 

Since the Moonridge Animal Park is moving to a soon-to-be developed location, a fantastic opportunity exists for constructing the park with the best that technology can offer.  The metamorphism is in the direction of a first class educational zoological and botanical site supported with renewable energy resources within a living alpine eco-system.