The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will charge humans $10 admission to attend its December ribbon-cutting ceremony in Calabasas.
The public celebration for the $114 million wildlife bridge is set for Dec. 2 at King Gillette Ranch, running from 11:30 a.m. To 3:30 p.m., with tickets now on sale through the event’s official channels. Admission costs $10 for anyone 13 and older and $5 for children 12 and under, according to the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign and the Wildlife Crossing Fund, which are presenting the event together.
Beth Pratt, President and CEO of the Wildlife Crossing Fund, has been a driving force behind the project for over a decade. “What a momentous time for all of us who have watched the crossing go from an impossible dream to an actual structure rising over the freeway that will ensure the future of mountain lions and all wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains,” she said in a statement. “Ribbon-cutting is going to be an emotional time for so many of our supporters around the globe, and for those who can’t attend our celebrations in person, we’ll be broadcasting it live.”
The massive span stretches 210 feet long and 174 feet wide, constructed from 26 million pounds of concrete and engineered to support up to four feet of soil and thousands of native plants. The crossing is designed to reconnect wildlife habitat fractured by roads and give mountain lions and other animals a safe route over one of Southern California’s busiest freeways, where 300,000 to 400,000 vehicles pass daily.
Originally expected to cost $92 million and be completed by 2025, the project’s price tag has climbed to $114 million due to inflation, labor shortages, construction complexity, and a near-record rainy season that saturated the site and delayed work. The completion date also slipped to 2026. The funding mix shifted over time, with private donations initially covering roughly 60 percent and public conservation funds making up the remainder, though critics have noted the public share appears to have grown as costs rose.
Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation played a pivotal role in accelerating the timeline. In 2016, the foundation issued a $1 million challenge grant to spur donations, and in 2021, Annenberg contributed a record-breaking $25 million challenge grant that moved construction up by three years to April 22, 2022. “There’s a reason I wanted to support this crossing and issue this challenge: We need to move beyond mere conservation, toward a kind of environmental rejuvenation,” Annenberg said. “Wildlife crossings are powerfully effective at doing just that — restoring ecosystems that have been fractured and disrupted.”
Pratt emphasized that the ribbon-cutting marks a beginning rather than an end. “Ribbon-cutting for me also represents a beginning, not an ending,” she added. “Our efforts for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing don’t end after construction is complete — continuing the landmark research and ongoing habitat restoration is key.”
The Dec. 2 celebration will include tributes to P-22, the famous mountain lion whose story helped galvanize efforts to protect Southern California’s urban wildlife. Attendees will also have the chance to cut their own virtual ribbon, according to event details posted online.
In the viral moment that helped spark the entire project, P-22 crossed both the 405 and 101 freeways before making Griffith Park his home, becoming a celebrated symbol of urban wildlife resilience. The National Wildlife Federation launched its #SaveLACougars campaign in 2014, inspired by his journey. His story helped draw attention and private donations to the crossing, which aims to prevent wildlife populations in the Santa Monica Mountains from becoming increasingly isolated. At least 25 mountain lions have been killed on Los Angeles freeways since 2002. P-22 was euthanized in December 2022 following health problems after being captured in a residential backyard, cementing his status as an A-lister who galvanized a movement.
The crossing enters its final construction phase with soil now being placed over the surface, and the structure is designed to seamlessly integrate into the mountains with vegetated sound walls to dampen light and noise for nocturnal animals. Landscape architect Robert Rock, who led the design, called it “an alluring challenge to future generations to pick up the mantle of design to bridge the gaps elsewhere in our world.”
The live broadcast of the ribbon-cutting will allow global supporters to participate remotely, with the physical event at King Gillette Ranch offering a rare chance for the public to mark the milestone before the crossing opens exclusively for wildlife passage.
The wildlife crossing is scheduled to open for animal use on Dec. 2.