Turtle Back Zoo’s $3.2M Flamingo Exhibit Taking Flight

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Flamingos will soon be flocking to Essex County’s Turtle Back Zoo, and work is underway on their future home in West Orange.

On Tuesday, the Turtle Back Zoo shared a social media peek at the under-construction exhibit (see below). Turtle Back Zoo staff wrote that they are “eagerly awaiting” the opening of the exhibit, which will include a flock of Caribbean flamingos.

In March, Essex County officials gave some details about the soon-to-come habitat, which will be located at the former site of the Penguin Coast exhibit. The penguins were relocated to the new African Penguin Exhibit in the African Adventure area of the zoo.

The new habitat will feature a pool, nesting island in the middle of the pool and an imitation waterfall. There will be a 1,000-square-foot indoor facility to hold the flamingos when they are not on exhibit. Shade structures will be provided in the viewing areas for visitors, county officials said.

The exhibit is scheduled to be completed “by the summer of 2018,” officials previously said.

Wall-based French and Parrello designed the flamingo exhibit as part of an existing contract. West Orange-based Drill Construction was awarded a publicly bid contract for $3,201,810. Funding is being provided with grants from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund and NJ Green Acres program, and an allocation from the Essex County capital budget, officials said.

"When we decided to relocate our penguins to the African Adventure section, we wanted to replace the exhibit with an animal that could captivate the attention of our visitors,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said at a March 28 groundbreaking ceremony for the flamingo exhibit.

“This was especially important because the area is across the pathway from the Savanna Café and those eating on the second-floor deck will be able to look into the exhibit space," DiVincenzo said. "With their unique appearance and colorful feathers, the flamingos are sure to become a favorite of our visitors.”

“Flamingos are a good addition to Turtle Back because we don't have many exhibits featuring birds and this will help diversify our animal family,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Michael Kerr said. "Our mission at Turtle Back includes promoting education about and understanding of animals. Because flamingos are found in many parts of the world, we will be able to highlight conservation efforts and cultures from different parts of the globe.”

Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

File Photo: Shutterstock / Egon Bomsch / imageBROKER