New At The Zoo: Australian Outback, Wellness Center At Turtle Back

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Two new additions recently made their debut at the Turtle Back Zoo in Essex County.

The Turtle Back Zoo opened a new animal wellness center on April 8 and reopened its Outback Adventure exhibit on April 10. Here are some details about each.

OUTBACK ADVENTURE

The zoo’s Outback Adventure exhibit recently underwent a “comprehensive makeover” to improve pedestrian circulation. A shade structure for the wallabies also was added.

According to county officials, the improvements included creating a wider boardwalk to connect the Outback Adventure with the adjacent Aviary, Essex Farm and Prehistoric Playground.

“The original walking areas were narrow and having visitors walk through the exhibit from both directions was difficult, especially when families had strollers or wheelchairs,” officials said. “The new boardwalk is wide enough for double strollers being pushed in opposite directions to pass by each other while enhancing access to the playground, farm area and aviary.”

French and Parrello engineers from Wall received a professional services contract for $144,000 to design the new boardwalk. AB Contracting from Wharton was awarded a publicly-bid contract for $1,345,974 to perform the construction work.

The improvements were funded with grants from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund and the American Rescue Plan.

Work started in October 2024 and was completed in six months.

ANIMAL WELLNESS CENTER

The zoo opened its new Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center earlier this month.

According to county officials, the 10,000-square-foot building provides updated and expanded accommodations for the care of Turtle Back Zoo’s animal family and enables the zoo to meet changing animal care requirements from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the USDA. It also is designed to enable guests to view treatment, lab and nursery rooms so they get a better understanding of the care that animals at Turtle Back receive.

Some additional details include:

EDUCATION – The center provides guests with the opportunity to view the treatment, lab and nursery spaces. Cameras in the treatment and surgical suite allow guests to witness animal procedures and surgeries up close from the viewing platforms as well as in an adjoining atrium and conference room. The atrium is open to guests year-round and includes an animal display area that highlights the five domains model of animal welfare to serve as an educational space for guests to learn about the holistic way TBZ staff cares for animals. A conference room adjacent to the atrium creates both educational and VIP special event space.

LOCATION – The building is located along the perimeter of the Zoo grounds and is near Northfield Avenue. This will enable staff to utilize the established service road to access the building, which will minimize the impact for guests when animals enter the zoo or are brought to the center. The wellness building replaces the Wolf Woods Exhibit, which is being closed because the three wolves at TBZ passed away after experiencing age-related health issues.

According to county officials:

“A professional services contract for $445,000 was awarded to Comito Associates from Newark to design the facility. A publicly bid contract for $17,045,000 was awarded to Dobco Inc. from Wayne to perform the construction. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project so delays were avoided. Funding was provided with a $7.5 million grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs, $5 million from the American Rescue Plan and $4.1 million from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. Of the money from the Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund, $500,000 is being provided in 2023 and then the remaining $3.6 million will be provided over the next three years. Groundbreaking for the project was in October 2023.”

The original hospital was opened in 2005 and was named for Ostrowsky in 2022. It was decided Ostrowsky’s name would be transferred to the new Wellness Center. The original building will be maintained as an animal care center and quarantine space when new animals arrive at the zoo, officials said.

“As new exhibits have been added and our animal collection has become more diverse, a larger hospital has become a necessity,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“The new facility will provide us with additional space and modern accommodations to provide the highest level of care to our animal family and to offer our visitors with a unique look at our commitment to treating our animals,” DiVincenzo added.

The Turtle Back Zoo is located at 560 Northfield Avenue in West Orange.

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