One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
How to celebrate the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing’s December grand opening
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
With the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing opening to the animal world in about 100 days, officials are announcing ways for humans to also mark the milestone.
There will be a community festival at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on Dec. 2, as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony at the crossing that will be broadcast live to the public.
According to officials, the wildlife crossing will be the largest of its kind in the world, reconnecting habitat for Southern California mountain lions, bobcats, deer, bats, birds and other animals — big and small.
Here’s what you need to know.
-
Officials announced Wednesday that the crossing is slated open to SoCal’s wildlife on Dec. 2. -
About 5,000 more plants will be installed this fall, officials say, blanketing what will become a nearly 1-acre wildlife habitat. -
It marks another major milestone for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the bridge being built over the busy 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills.
About the grand opening events
The festival at King Gillette Ranch will include exhibits, music and special guests, according to organizers. The ribbon cutting will be played live on a large screen with visitors invited to cut their own ribbon through a virtual display.
Ticket donations are required to get in and will go toward the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign.
- When: 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Dec. 2
- Tickets: $5 for children 12 and under, $10 for everyone else
- You can buy them here
- Schools and other groups may be eligible for discount pricing or scholarships. You can learn more by emailing: lgill@wildlifecrossingfund.org
A rendering of what the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will look like once construction is complete.
(
National Wildlife Federation and Living Habitats
)
Officials with the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing announced that SoCal animals will be able to traverse the crossing as of Dec. 2, 2026.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
Project partners, including members of its plant nursery team, posing for a picture with installed native plants on the wildlife crossing.
(
Makenna Cramer
/
LAist
)
A stuffed mountain lion plush in front of where the first native plants were placed.
(
Makenna Cramer
/
LAist
)
Beth Pratt (right), leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, placing a native plant with a member of the nursery team.
(
Makenna Cramer
/
LAist
)
The native plants that are installed on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing include dozens of distinct species sourced from within a five-mile radius of the structure in the Santa Monica Mountains.
(
Courtesy of the #SaveLACougars campaign
)
The view from near the top of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in March 2025.
(
Makenna Cramer
/
LAist
)
Sponsored message
There will be a private reception and fundraising event after the ribbon cutting for donors and sponsors. The event will support the National Wildlife Federation and the Wildlife Crossing Fund.
- When: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2
- Where: Agoura Hills
- How it works: There are different gift levels inspired by animals, such as the “Monarch Butterfly” starting at $10,000, which will get two guests into the reception and a group tour of the crossing.
- You can learn more here
Details on how to tune in to the ribbon cutting ceremony online have not been shared yet.
Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said the crossing is a profound testament to what’s possible when people refuse to accept the fragmentation of the natural world.
“When we cut this ribbon, we will not just celebrate a single bridge — we will be celebrating a global movement to restore wildlife connectivity,” he said in a statement.
You can keep an eye on the crossing's progress through three livestream cameras here.
Listen to our podcast
Listen
50:06
Lions, Coyotes, & Bears: Part 1 - The Mountain Lion Celebrity
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
