Lions, Tigers, and Bears is a non-profit organization located in Alpine, CA.
They rescue lions, tigers, bears, and other animals and provide them with a lifetime home, as well they are an education center for visitors to learn about these amazing animals. Kyle Whissel is joined by founder Bobbi Brink, who takes Kyle around the grounds, to learn more about these animals, their stories that got them here, and ways that you can help.
Lions Tigers & Bears Website: https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/
Animals at Lions Tigers & Bears: https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/our-animals
Visit Lions Tigers & Bears: https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/visit-us
Events at Lions Tigers & Bears: https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/event
Volunteer at Lions Tigers & Bears: https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/volunteer
Donate to Lions Tigers & Bears: DONATE NOW
Instagram: @lionstigers_andbears
Facebook: Lions Tigers & Bears
24402 Martin Way, Alpine, California 91901
Phone: 619.659.8078
501(c)(3) Federal Tax ID #33-0938499
Fax: 619.659.8841Email: members@lionstigersandbears.org
https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/
Video Transcript:
Are you an animal lover, or how about a really big animal lover? Today's a super special episode of Everything East County. We're going to check out Lions Tigers and Bears in alpine, let's get to it. East County, San Diego has a lot to offer, amazing food, a rich history, tons of community events and amazing people in organizations. I'm Kyle Whissel with Whissel Realty Group, and this is Everything East County. We're here at Lions Tigers and Bears. This is a place that's been on the top of my list for a long long time. So I'm excited to learn about it. Tell us a little about the park overall.
Right, so Lions Tigers and Bears here in San Diego County as an alpine and we rescue lions, tigers, bears, and other animals, provide a lifetime home. We're an education center, so you can come out and visit and learn. And we are the voice for the animals.
How long have you guys been around for?
I started Lions Tigers and Bears in 2002.
Okay, very cool.
This was a cow pasture. So one habitat at a time.
Okay, what inspired you to start it?
Well, I was in Texas in the early '90s and opening a restaurant, and when I was putting the equipment in my restaurant in the classifieds I kept seeing lions, tigers, leopards for sale and being the animal lover that I am, I answered the Ad and the lady had a mobile home on five acres, 30 big cats, all breeding and babies crawling all over the living room floor, and you could buy one and take one home. So of course I didn't buy one and take one home but I started volunteering and answering more Ads and just became disgusted, and interested, and then finally here we are.
There's so many amazing animals here. How many do you guys have total right now?
65 animals, 17 different species. Every single one is a rescue and everyone has their story.
Beautiful, and people can come up and visit, what you guys are open six days a week?
We're open Wednesday through Saturday by appointment. So you just get online and pick a time.
Okay, and then people can come up see the animals, learn?
Mm-hmm
Okay
The keepers or the volunteers will take you around to each individual animal and you'll get to learn what we do and why the animals here... Learn about that particular species, that particular animal, and if you want to get involved to help how you can.
The out here, we have six American black bears. They share this habitat. There's two boys and four girls. This is Maddie right here, she came from Ohio. She lived in a corn crib on a hay and corn farm for about 11 years.
Hay in the water
This is Meatball. He's the famous Glendale bear. And one thing about bears are super smart. They always say, "a fed bear is a dead bear." So if you ever see a bear in the wild please don't ever feed them it only takes one time for the bear to lose their life. They're so smart they continuously go back to the food source. So three strikes in California and they're out. So he was lucky he got to come here.
How much does Meatball weigh?
He weighs almost 700 pounds.
Wow.
But getting him up on the surgery table is a challenge. We have three bears, the two Himalayan bears and Cherry that were photo opportunity animals or we call them pit bears. So they're literally in cinder block pits so I'll show you a picture over here. The bears can't see out, but the public can look down in the pit and they keep them in breeding pairs. And then they pull the babies before the eyes are open, to put them up top with the public for photos.
So everybody can get their Instagram selfies.
Yeah... so I tell everybody don't ever do it. 'Cause there's not one legitimate place in our country that does the photo opportunities. So the animals are just discarded after they're too old to do the photos.
So where did these guys come from?
Louisiana, yeah, from a failing sanctuary, The State called us. And they literally had their cages like zip tied. And they didn't know how to shift, how I showed you how we shift. And they have babies being born and they were pulling them out with a rake, and they were charging like $1 or $2 and the State was flipping out. And so like, we were going to there and help them. And the next thing I know is she had these three hiding in her bathroom. Then the lion, so you'll just see them put their feet in it or like we'll throw food on the Island and they'll...
They'll just jump into out there.
On the spot. The tigers are continuously in and out of the water. They'll go put their feet in the water and then they'll do exactly what he's doing. They'll go on the... They like the cool grass in the shade. And then he'll sleep like 18 hours.
Wow.
Yeah, they sleep like 18 hours to 20 hours a day.
That's crazy.
It's just normal, just eat and digest and sleep.
How long does it take you guys to build an enclosure like this?
It depends, this one took us like eight months. 'Cause we do everything underground first, all the pipes and pool.
All right, so tell us about the big tigers.
So this is Nola. And she came from New Orleans. My friend Carney, who's an animal law attorney, actually called me about her. 'Cause US Fish and Wildlife had just compensated her from a rap star. She wasn't strong enough to make the trip here. So she went to the Audubon Zoo and they did an incredible job of getting her back to health 'cause she was covered in ringworm. They almost lost her twice, dehydration and probably just improper care and nutrition, these people take the animals and they don't know what they're doing. But they got her healthy enough. And not only healthy enough to come here but she did a 7,000 mile rescue with us. So we picked her up first and then we headed to Alabama and we worked all day getting some bears out of roadside zoo and some of these backyard, and then we went on to North Carolina with her and she rode with the baby bear, front. And then we moved two more bears and went to Colorado and made it home by Christmas Eve. So she did about 7,200 miles with us, yeah.
She's so pretty.
Yeah, but she's doing really well now
So being a white tiger she in-bred also?
Yes
Okay.
Most people don't know the way they get a white tiger in captivity is to inbreed.
Okay
So all of them you'll see, they have cross eyes, they have bone problems a lot. Sometimes you'll see pain, some of them die. There's some pretty sad things when breeding the white tigers but for a white tiger, Nola is very healthy.
All right guys, that may have been the coolest episode we have ever done of Everything East County, Lions Tigers and Bears here in alpine. They're doing amazing things for animals. If you find it in your heart, if you are an animal lover like I am, these guys can always use your donations. They're a 501 nonprofit would love to have you give a little bit and help them out. They're doing some amazing things, helping out animals from all across the world, which is truly truly amazing. So I hope you guys enjoyed watching this episode as much as I did filming this episode. I want to thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Everything East County
