RJ Bigham walks along his property just west of Tuscaloosa, recalling one of his strongest memories.

When he was a child, RJ once managed to catch a sparrow, and he kept it in a small cage. Soon after, his aunt came to visit his house. When RJ showed his aunt what he had caught, she told him “It’s a wild bird, they don’t need to be in a cage.”

Though RJ was born an animal lover, that confrontation was a defining moment for the way he considered animal welfare. The cage was well beyond the bird’s natural environment, and going forward, RJ sought to give animals the best life possible.

RJ and his wife Jessica Bigham are the founders of That Turtle Place, a turtle and tortoise sanctuary nestled about 40 miles from the Mississippi state line in Coker, Alabama. Spanning roughly two acres, the sanctuary was hand-built by the couple and is home to over 100 turtles and tortoises.

Visitors can also meet traditional farm animals like chickens, pigs, and a turkey, alongside some eye-catching residents: two parrots, several pigeons, two peacocks, and an emu.

What began as RJ’s personal habitat for his animals turned into a major passion project – a petting zoo. RJ and Jessica opened the zoo in 2021 after friends and family expressed a desire to pay to visit the space. The zoo, then known as Bigham Farms, quickly attracted animal enthusiasts and school groups. With RJ and Jessica as the only staff, the unscheduled inspections turned the experience into a challenging juggling act.

The shift to animal sanctuary came in 2022 when a group of people came to the farm with an African spurred tortoise, also known as a sulcata tortoise, named Lego. Lego’s back legs were weak, and his shell was punctured, indicating he had been attacked by a dog.

“They came in and they were like, ‘Hey, you want this tortoise?’ And I’m like, ‘I guess we can see if we can get them feeling better.’” RJ recalled.

RJ attended to Lego’s wounds daily, and after a year of consistent care, Lego was healthy and double the weight he was when he arrived.

“He’ll never be as big and beautiful as our other sulcatas, but you know, he’ll have a story,” RJ said. “We’ll be able to explain it to people – this is what happens when you don’t take care of an animal for the first three, four years of its life.”

Shortly after Lego’s arrival, a woman reached out to RJ, asking if he could help her sick tortoise. When she arrived, the woman asked how he thought the tortoise was doing. “It’s one of the worst I’ve ever seen,” RJ said to her. “I don’t think he’s gonna make it. Like, he’s squishy.”

To save the tortoise, the woman helped pay for medical costs while RJ kept him at his property. Several months later, the tortoise, named “Jello” for his soft physique, was healthy. Both Lego and Jello still reside at the facility.

Since Lego and Jello’s arrival, RJ and Jessica have taken in dozens of turtles and tortoises from people who are unable to take care of them. The couple crafted several exhibits and ponds for the animals to live the healthiest lives possible.

“Most of our turtles and tortoises come here with some form of a medical issue, whether it’s shell rot, whether it’s metabolic bone disease, which is pretty common, especially with the big tortoises,” RJ said. “The good thing about reptiles, turtles and tortoises is time usually heals all of their issues… It’s just time and proper environment.”

Now, RJ’s mission is to educate the public about responsible pet ownership. “I hope [That Turtle Place is] a place where people can come and get ideas about if they have an animal – ideas how they can care for it better, give animals a better life.” RJ said.