Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — The Orange Beach Wildlife Center has opened a new state-of-the-art facility that marks a major step forward for animal care on the Alabama coast. What began with a single animal carrier in the late 1990s has grown into a city-supported wildlife program that has helped more than 8,000 animals in the past decade. Local, state, and federal officials gathered to celebrate the new building and the work it will support. The center is now seen as an important resource for both residents and tourists who encounter injured wildlife.

The ribbon-cutting event took place on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the new 10-acre site near the Orange Beach Sportsplex. More than 60 people attended the ceremony on a clear winter morning, including Mayor Tony Kennon and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Commissioner Chris Blankenship. Guests toured the grounds and saw firsthand how the new layout will help wildlife recover.

The facility is set on wooded land and includes an outdoor education classroom, an office, a triage room, surgery and treatment rooms, and other animal-care spaces. Surrounding areas feature flight enclosures, rehab rooms, and storage for equipment used in the city’s wildlife program. Officials said the expanded space will help staff respond to more cases and improve the quality of care.

The center is not open to the public daily, but people can still bring in injured or distressed wildlife. In the future, the outdoor classroom will host public events and educational programs to help the community learn more about local species and conservation. Leaders hope these efforts will build stronger connections between residents and the environment.

The project was funded with 1 million dollars in seed money from the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revitalization Act Council, known as the RESTORE Council. Additional support came from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, engineering firm Volkert, the Orange Beach City Council, and the city’s Coastal Resources staff. Officials described the project as a collaborative effort that brought many partners together.

Mayor Kennon said the facility reflects how the community chooses to treat its most vulnerable creatures. “The Orange Beach community is a loving, caring, empathetic community, and there's nothing worse than seeing an animal in distress,” he said. He added, “A true measure of a man or woman is how they treat the least amongst us. I think that's something that we try to live by.”

The ceremony also featured a lighthearted moment involving Crush, the center’s resident box turtle. Staff attached a ribbon to a piece of lettuce and invited Crush to “cut” it, but the stunt did not go exactly as planned. With a little help, the lettuce string finally came apart, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

Afterward, an official ribbon was cut by Mayor Kennon, with Commissioner Blankenship at his side, along with other local and state leaders and Coastal Resources staff. The act symbolized the start of a new chapter for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in the city. Supporters said they believe the facility will serve the Gulf Coast region for many years to come.​