Nearly four dozen animals are back home at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo one week after they were rushed to safety as the Line Fire drew closer to the lake. According to the zoo, animal curators worked with their counterparts at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens to safely transport 45 animals from Big Bear to Palm Desert on Sept.

About 45 animals from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo were transported to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert last week as smoke from the 39,232-acre wildfire affected air quality.

Dozens of animals that were evacuated from a wildlife rehabilitation center in Big Bear Lake due to one of California’s wildfires returned home Thursday morning. Last week, the animals were transported from Big Bear Alpine Zoo,