Expansion of the Orange Beach Wildlife Rehab and Education Program

There has been a need to establish and maintain wildlife rehabilitation capabilities in coastal Alabama, which over the past couple of decades have had modest beginnings by several concerned individuals and groups in the local area. The tragedy of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and the immense number of injured wildlife from the oil spill highlighted the need for greater capacity to treat injured and sick animals in the Gulf region. 

To help address the gap in wildlife rehabilitation capacity in the central Gulf, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the City of Orange Beach have applied $1,192,255 in RESTORE Act Spill Impact Component funds and $621,260 from the City of Orange Beach to expand the Orange Beach Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. The construction and retrofit of the new facility was completed and operational in early 2025. This new facility has greatly enhanced the capabilities of the City of Orange Beach Wildlife Rehabilitation Program to increase the capacity to care for local birds and mammals as well as injured animals from other regions. The new facility includes an exam room, surgery room, wildlife shelter and recovery areas, construction of outdoor enclosures for mammals, birds and aquatic animals. The city has also provided improved dormitory space for visiting interns that support the operation of the facility. 

This project is another great example of a city, state and federal partnership that benefits the  conservation and education of the region’s natural resources that has originated from the 2010 oil spill that had devastating impacts to the region. As a result of this project, the Gulf Coast region’s preparedness and capacity to respond to incidents impacting wildlife has greatly improved.