Behind The Scenes at Big Bear Alpine Zoo with Summer McElroy

22 Oct

In episode 5 of The Social Flyer we visit Big Bear Alpine Zoo in California where Summer McElroy takes us behind the scenes and tells us all about how Big Bear Alpine Zoo is no ordinary zoo, it is in fact a rehabilitation facility offering injured, orphaned and imprinted wild animals a safe haven temporarily while they heal or permanently as they are unable to survive on their own.

What is the mission of the zoo, and how long has it been operating for

Our mission is to connect people to wildlife. We have been rescuing and taking in local wildlife since 1959 and I have been working at the zoo for almost 20 years as the lead zookeeper.

How many different animals does the zoo have?

We usually have between 50 -70 different species that will fluctuate depending on what has come into rehab that particular year. On average, we have 100 - 150 animals in our collection in addition to the animals that pass through our rehabilitation centre annually.

What is something people misunderstand about the animals that you wish they wouldn’t?

The main topic of misunderstanding is why these animals are with us, we are a rescue facility. All the animals that come to Big Bear Alpine Zoo are in need of some sort of assistance. When an animal arrives, it is assessed at our animal hospital. The animals that survive and recover from injuries are promptly re-released back to the wild where they belong. Only the few that are deemed unreleasable stay with us at the zoo. We then provide an alternative place for them to live out their lifespan. This small percentage then become ambassadors to educate the public about these species and how we can all better co-exist in a shared environment.

We use the money raised in ticket sales and donations to provide medical care/rehabilitation for the animals.

Tell us about your bears?

We have eight bears. Three Grizzly bears and five Black bears, all unable to be returned to the wild for various reasons.

You fed the bears blueberries, what is a bear’s favorite snack?

Most of the bears love berries and insects.

One of your bears, Huckleberry had 3 legs - what is his story

Huckleberry is our 3 legged bear. He was hit by a car when he was a baby and developed gangrene in his forelimb. In order to stop the spread of this infection his forelimb had to be amputated. We have a lot of local wildlife on the mountain. It is important to drive at a safe speed in these types of areas in the case that something darts out in front of you. If you do hit something please stop and call local authorities to help so the animal can get potentially lifesaving assistance immediately.

The only animals kept in the zoo cannot be rehabilitated into the wild, tell us why these animals rely on the zoo?

If an animal cannot be returned to the wild, it then needs an alternative place to live out its lifespan to avoid euthanasia. This is the only reason the zoo maintains a collection of animals. The animals that become permanent residents of the zoo then depend on our loving animal care staff to provide food, ongoing medical care, enriching activities/habitats and a daily quality of life as close to their natural environments as possible.

My favourite part of any day is when you can make a genuine difference in an animal's daily quality of life.

What is the story of your one-eyed snow leopards?

Asha and Shanti are twin sisters, both born with a genetic flaw in their right eye that caused it to be underdeveloped. When they were a year old, their eye was removed to prevent further infection. They were at that point, pulled from the Species Survival Program to prevent passing on this flaw into the breeding bloodline. Snow Leopards are highly endangered and only brought to this country to be bread to increase population and avoid permanent extinction. Our Alpine climate is more suited for this high-elevation species.

What would you say is the biggest threat to the animals?

The biggest threat to wildlife is habitat loss and negative human/wildlife conflicts.

How did the pandemic affect the zoo?

The loss of ticket sales impacted our revenue and animal care budget. We use the money raised to pay for very expensive medical procedures for all and ongoing care for those that cannot be returned to the wild. It was a very difficult time for us all.

Who is the cheekiest animal in the zoo?

One of our most energetic and amusing animals currently is Siren, our newest coyote. She is now a year old and full of energy. She loves to run and play. A very misunderstood species.

You spend your week rehabilitating animals and working long hours at the zoo. What do you do to relax?

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, music, art and gardening with a cold beer in my downtime.

What is the most memorable experience you have had in the zoo?

The most memorable experience is always when you see an animal come in struggling and watch it recover and be re-released back into its natural environment. There is nothing more rewarding. My favourite part of any day is when you can make a genuine difference in an animal's daily quality of life.

Which one of the animals do you have the best bond with?

I have an amazing bond with our raccoons, wolves, coyote - Siren and Michael J Fox, our resident grey fox and many others. We are all so lucky to be able to do what we do and spend many years creating trust/bonds with the animals that stay with us. We do not bond with animals that are being returned to the wild as they need to have an inherent fear of people in order to successfully survive in the wild.