N.J.’s Turtle Back Zoo Will Get Lions, Hyenas: $3.6M Exhibit Planned

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A $3.6 million lion and hyena exhibit will soon be coming to Essex County’s Turtle Back Zoo, officials announced Wednesday.

The new exhibit will be part of a $5.9 million package of upcoming improvements and additions to the popular attraction in West Orange, which saw an all-time attendance high of 755,239 last year, according to county officials.

Officials said that the new lion and hyena display will be located in the African Adventure exhibits adjacent to the Giraffe House. The half-acre exhibit will be “heavily landscaped” and will have a two-foot pool and an exposed rock formation. The rear of the exhibit will have a heated one-story building that is “designed to resemble a North African fortress that has been returned to the wild.”

In addition, one of the three public viewing stations will have a heated stone patio to “attract the lions so they can be easily seen,” officials stated.

Wall-based French and Parrello received a $350,000 contract to design the exhibit. East Orange-based Shauger Property Services was awarded a publicly bid contract for $3,660,214 to perform the construction work. The exhibit is being funded with a donation from Ian Mount, Ronald Mount’s son, and support from the Pooled Government Loan Program from the Essex County Improvement Authority, officials said.

Construction started earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2017.

“We are very excited about bringing lions and hyenas to Turtle Back Zoo because they are the animals that people most identify with the African Savanna,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “In addition, a lion is the central figure on our county seal, so we are pleased about bringing the real-life version here.”

The exhibit is named after the late Ronald J. Mount, who was a major supporter of the zoo and a member of the Zoological Society of New Jersey and the Volunteer Docent organization.

“When I think of lions, I think about pride, and that reminds me of my father,” Ian Mount said during a ceremony on Wednesday. “The exhibit is going to be an amazing addition to Turtle Back Zoo.”

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NEW ZOO ADDITIONS

In addition to the new lion and hyena exhibit, several other improvements are slated to take place at the zoo, county officials stated.

Condor Exhibit: A new Condor Exhibit is being constructed next to the Penguin Coast Exhibit. It will take the place of an older exhibit that was damaged several years ago after a storm. Construction started earlier in October is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2017. French and Parrello received a $90,000 contract to design the exhibit. Zenith Construction Services from Orange was awarded a publicly bid contract for $1,038,777 to perform the construction work. The exhibit is being funded through the ECIA’s Pooled Government Loan Program.

Scottish Highland Cattle and Wolf Woods Exhibit: The viewing areas at the Scottish Highland Cattle and Wolf Woods exhibits are being improved to provide the public with better opportunities to see the animals. At the Scottish Highland Cattle Exhibit, a new covered viewing area for the public is being constructed. The improvements include creating a patio area for the public to gather in front of the exhibit. Instead of looking through a fence into the exhibit, glass walls will be erected. A lattice covering will provide shade over the viewing area. The upgrades are similar to the work done earlier in 2016 to enhance the viewing area at the Bison Exhibit. At the Wolf Woods, the windows in the viewing area are being enlarged. The improvements were designed by French and Parrello. Zenith Construction was awarded a publicly bid contract for $461,876 to perform the construction work.

Shade Structures: Shade structures are being installed over the Sea Lion Sound pool, the amphitheater and the children’s Dinosaur Playground. The shade structure over the Sea Lion exhibit will help regulate the water quality in the pool and, by keeping the water from direct sunlight, will help suppress the growth of algae in the water. The structure over the playground will keep the apparatus out of direct sunlight and prevent the climbing structures from getting too hot. The amphitheater structure will provide shade for people attending educational or entertainment programs. French and Parrello received a $48,000 contract to design the shade structures. Shauger Property Services was awarded a publicly bid contract for $281,550 to install the structures over the amphitheater and Sea Lion Sound; these are being funded with a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. Whirl Construction from Port Monmouth, N.J., received a publicly bid contract for $119,285 to install the structure over the playground; this is being funded through the Turtle Back Zoo Beautification Fund.

Installation of Fencing: New perimeter fencing is being installed at the Zoo. National Fence Systems from Avenel was awarded a publicly bid contract for $297,250 to install the fence. It is being funded through the ECIA’s Pooled Government Loan Program.

File Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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