Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Lions Tigers and Bears with Two Powerful Love Stories

Lions Tigers and Bears in Alpine has built its mission around rescue and companionship, and some of the bonds formed at the sanctuary are as moving as any love story you’ll hear. This Valentine’s Day, the sanctuary is highlighting two relationships that show how resilience and connection can emerge from the worst circumstances.

If you’re looking for something meaningful to do this year, spending time with these animals and hearing their stories might be exactly what the holiday needs.

Teddy and Baloo: Brothers Through Everything

Teddy and Baloo were born at Cherokee Bear Zoo, a facility known as The Pits, where they spent their earliest days in concrete cells with nothing but a view of the sky above them.

Before their eyes were even open, they were used for public petting, then passed through auctions, zoos, and private ownership without ever finding stability. The only constant in their lives was each other.

In 2014, Lions Tigers and Bears gave them a permanent home where they could finally just be bears. Now they roam freely, play, climb, and still meet at their picnic table for lunch together every single day.

Moka and Nola: Trust After Trauma

Moka, a Bengal tiger, was confiscated at the US-Mexico border after being illegally trafficked. Nola, a white tiger cub, was rescued from severe neglect near New Orleans when she was just five months old, suffering from malnutrition and parasites.

Both had lost everything familiar to them by the time they arrived at the sanctuary. What they found instead was each other. Nearly ten years later, Moka and Nola swim, wrestle, and play together daily. Their friendship has become one of the sanctuary’s most powerful examples of how love and trust can rebuild after loss.

Visit the Sanctuary This Valentine’s Day

Lions Tigers and Bears is open Tuesday through Saturday, and couples can book a guided visit where volunteer guides walk you through each animal’s rescue story.

If you want to get more hands-on, you can add a Feed the Wild One pass, which gives you access to an exclusive keeper area where you can help feed one of the rescued animals.

For something truly unique, book a romantic stay at White Oak, a property on the sanctuary grounds that lets you spend the night alongside the animals.