The Texas Sea Life Center is expanding its ability to care for injured wildlife in the Coastal Bend with a new hospital following two years of construction.
The center celebrated the opening of the new facility Tuesday evening, marking a major step forward in its efforts to treat more injured animals.
Dr. Tim Tristan, the center’s director and veterinarian, said the expansion includes a new hospital, a food preparation facility and two additional 12-foot-diameter pools to house sea turtles.
“Everything you see from that fence line to that fence line is new,” Tristan said.
The Texas Sea Life Center treats a variety of wildlife, including sea turtles, shorebirds and raptors. It is one of three facilities in the Coastal Bend that take in injured wildlife, alongside the Texas State Aquarium and The ARK in Port Aransas.
Tristan said the facilities complement one another, and the additional space will allow the center to accept more sea turtles in the region.
“Each one of us helps complement each other, and this allows us to take in more turtles in this area,” Tristan said. “And so it’s our little portion that we can do to help our local wildlife.”
The center has been operating for 12 years and is entirely volunteer-run. Its work is funded through community donations and revenue from guided tours and admissions.
Tristan said the center’s growth reflects a need for more wildlife rehabilitation resources in the Coastal Bend.
“We’ve been here quietly for 12 years and we’re slowly growing, and that shows that there is a need here in the Coastal Bend for more than what we can even do at our facilities,” Tristan said. “So the more support you give us, the more we can do.”
With the new hospital, the center hopes to expand its capacity to care for injured wildlife and provide additional support for animals throughout the region.
Community members who encounter injured wildlife can contact the Texas Sea Life Center for assistance.
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