Lion Cubs Move To Alpine

ALPINE, Calif. -- Three African lions recently moved into a new home in San Diego County -- not the San Diego Zoo, but the spacious backyard of a residence east of Alpine.

Bobbi Brinks took in cub sisters N.C. and R.C. and their brother, B.C., when she heard a Louisiana sanctuary needed to find a home for the 5-week-old lions, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Brinks and a friend traveled to Shreveport, La., last week to pick the cubs up and bring them to her animal sanctuary, which she calls Lions, Tigers and Bears, the newspaper reported.

Brinks said a lioness at the Louisiana sanctuary was impregnated accidentally because two males had faulty vasectomies. Louisiana law forbids the sanctuary from acquiring more animals, so another home had to be found, the newspaper reported.

Brinks has two tigers, a leopard, a bobcat, a serval and other animals at her sanctuary east of Alpine, so she agreed to take the lions, the Union-Tribune reported.

The cubs' names are temporary. Their initials stand for what they were wearing when Brinks picked them up -- B.C. for blue collar, R.C. for red collar and N.C. for no collar. She is holding a fundraiser June 9, and the highest bidder will get to name them, according to the Union-Tribune.

Brinks is hoping to raise $45,000 to construct a habitat for the three. Lions are social creatures, she said, and this trio will spend the rest of their lives together, the newspaper reported.