Lions Tigers & Bears on Martin Way in Alpine is Southern California's only fully accredited exotic animal sanctuary for big cats and bears, operating as a state and federally licensed 501(c)(3) on 142 acres at the edge of the Cleveland National Forest. Founded in 2002 after rescuing tigers from a Texas backyard, the sanctuary maintains a strict no-breed, no-contact policy and houses more than 60 animals representing 19 species in species-specific habitats built across a former cattle ranch, with veterinary protocols coordinated alongside regional practitioners such as Country Pet Hospital on Alpine Blvd. Dual accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuary Association places the facility among a small number of U.S. sanctuaries meeting both organizations' standards for enclosure design, animal nutrition, and enrichment programming. Reservation-only guided visits operate Wednesday through Saturday, and overnight guests can book the White Oak luxury cabin for a private safari experience — with lodging visitors to the broader Alpine corridor also staying at Ayres Lodge Alpine on Tavern Road. The sanctuary's signature Wild in the Country fundraiser pairs live auctions and gourmet dining with animal encounters on the oak-canopied meadow at approximately 4,000 feet elevation, where the property borders Cleveland National Forest backcountry.