As fire raged nearby, a tiny town’s zoo animals were driven to safety
Associated PressBIG BEAR, Calif. — With a major wildfire burning near his mountain town east of Los Angeles, Cowboy the barn owl was unaware of the danger and instead having the adventure of a lifetime. Perched in the front seat of a truck, Cowboy — along with nearly 50 other animals — was being evacuated Sept. 12 from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo in the face of the advancing Line Fire, which blazed through more than 60 square miles of the San Bernardino National Forest. “He just had the greatest time,” said Mike Barnes, Director of Animal Care and Health at the Living Desert Zoo and Garden in Palm Springs, where Cowboy was being taken. It was the second time that Big Bear Alpine Zoo animals were transported to the Living Desert during a wildfire. During the evacuation, Big Bear zoo curator Jessica Whiton transported two foxes who left behind a memorable scent in the back of her car, but it was mostly a stress-free experience for them, she said.
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As fire raged nearby, a tiny town's zoo animals were driven to safety
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A California zoo, an advancing wildfire and a delicate rescue operation
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