AWC’s ‘Wild About Chocolate’ fundraiser set to return Feb. 9

When you think of Valentine’s Day, heart shaped boxes of chocolate are typically the first thing that come to mind, followed by a cute, furry stuffed animal with a ribbon around its neck. This year, why not keep the chocolate, but opt to eat it in the company of a real animal? 

The Alabama Wildlife Center will be hosting its annual “Wild About Chocolate” event Feb. 9 at The Harbert Center in Birmingham. 

As the center’s biggest fundraising event of the year, there will be auctions, both live and silent, for everything from wildlife-themed artwork to getaways. Of course, there will be chocolate, but instead of a fluffy teddy bear, attendees get to visit with the center’s ambassador raptors.

The ambassador birds, including a number of hawk and owl species, are rescued birds that could not be returned to the wild and have been glove-trained to appear in public. The center’s most recent permanent resident is a juvenile bald eagle, which is still in the process of being glove-trained and can be viewed at the Alabama Wildlife Center’s facilities in Oak Mountain State Park.

The Alabama Wildlife Center is a nonprofit that rehabilitates around 2,000 wild birds, from hummingbirds to cranes and hawks, every year.

Tickets for the event are $75 in advance, $100 at the door and can be purchased on the Alabama Wildlife Center’s website, awrc.org, or by phone at 663-7930.