GULF SHORES, Ala. — God forbid that a major hurricane should hit our area again anytime soon, but should it happen, the relocation of the more than 300 exotic animals from the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo will not be necessary.

It happened in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan. As a matter of fact, over an eleven-month period in 2004 and 2005, the zoo was forced to evacuate three times. These evacuations, along with the major destruction of the zoo facilities, gained national exposure with a 14-episode series on the Animal Planet network entitled “The Little Zoo that Could.”

The show highlighted the efforts and dedication of the zoo workers, even to the point of taking the animals to the home of zoo director Pattie Hall, to protect them from the elements.

The show sparked a need and an immediate reaction from a local family who wanted to make sure this would never have to happen again.

“After our first episode on Animal Planet, local businessman Clyde Weir and his daughter Andrea Weir Franklin, were heartbroken,” Hall explained. “He told me that after living here for more than 50 years he thought he knew what everybody was up against with the hurricanes, but he said he had never considered the zoo.”

The very next day, Weir came to the zoo and offered to donate 25 acres of high ground several miles inland on which to build a new facility.

On Tuesday, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo revealed a new billboard along Highway 59 and County Road 6 announcing the opening of the new zoo, slated for 2011.

Phase one of the project, which is the construction of an evacuation site able to withstand category five winds, is almost complete and can be used for relocation of the animals, should the need arise before the zoo is completed.

In addition to announcing the new zoo facility, Dr. Josip Marcan was present, donating two rare color variations of the Bengal tiger to the zoo.

Dr. Marcan is a Croatian-American veterinarian and conservationist who established and operates the Marcan Tiger Preserve in the Florida panhandle. Marcan tours two sets of tigers during the circus season each year to educate the public about the plight of the tiger.

“We will now be the only zoo in the United States that has the four color variations of the Bengal tigers,” said Hall.

The white tiger donated to the zoo is one of only 30 known to exist in the entire world. Donated in honor of the Weir’s, they family will be responsible for naming the new cubs.

Plans for the new zoo facility include a reptile building, an aviary, monkey islands and a water tank that will be part of the tiger display that will allow viewing the tigers as they swim from underwater.

There will also be an area to host interns for the summer from the veterinarian programs of Tulane and Auburn University.

Herb Malone, President and CEO of the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau is excited about what the zoo has become and what it will continue to do for the area.

“The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo has been a tremendous attraction for us since its inception, and as it has grown and received more notoriety through the years, it has become a destination attraction itself,” Malone said. “Many people come to the beach and they will go out and enjoy other things, but now people are coming here specifically to visit our zoo.”

Malone said that the donation of land by the Weir family, and the Bengal tigers from Dr. Marcan are examples of how much this community supports and appreciates the zoo.