$1.2M 'Overhaul' Complete At Turtle Back Zoo's Otter Exhibit

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A $1.2 million overhaul of the otter exhibit at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo is complete, officials announced Thursday.

According to a statement from Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., the work was done because the otter exhibit needed updates due to aging infrastructure and new accreditation requirements from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

As such, the exhibit was “completely overhauled” within the existing footprint of the old exhibit. Glass walls were installed to improve viewing areas for the public, new landscaping was planted inside the exhibit, and a new water filtration system was installed for the otters.

French and Parrello engineers from Wall were awarded a professional services contract for $75,000 to design the new exhibit. AB Contracting from Wharton were awarded a publicly bid contract for $1,280,175 to perform the construction work.

The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project, which was funded through the county’s capital budget.

“This new exhibit is another opportunity to raise the notch a little higher at Turtle Back Zoo,” agreed Board of Commissioners Vice President Carlos Pomares, who was joined at a Thursday news conference by Commissioners Patricia Sebold and Len Luciano.

“I remember when the county executive partnered with Prudential to update the original otter exhibit,” Zoological Society of New Jersey Executive Director Adam Kerins said. “And now here we are again making sure the exhibit continues to meet high standards.”

“Otters love to play and swim, and opening this exhibit shows our visitors that learning about the environment and animals can be fun,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Jilian Fazio said.

NEW AT THE ZOO: A RECENT HISTORY

Since taking office in 2003, DiVincenzo has ushered in more than $100 million in upgrades to the Turtle Back Zoo.

According to Essex County officials, funding for those projects has been provided through New Jersey Green Acres grants, existing capital improvement bonds, and donations from the Zoological Society, Essex County Parks Foundation, corporations or private foundations.

Projects have included:

Flamingos – A $3.2 million flamingo exhibit made its debut in 2018. It has a pool, nesting island in the middle of the pool and an imitation waterfall, as well as a 1,000-square-foot indoor facility to hold the birds when they aren't on exhibit. (Learn more here)

Leopards – A $2.58 million "behind the scenes" renovation took place at the leopard exhibit in 2018. (Learn more here)

Penguins – A $6 million habitat for the zoo's penguin population includes a 4,200 square foot building with fabricated rock walls and a 30,000-gallon salt water pool to simulate the animals' natural habitat. (Learn more here)

Lions/Hyenas – In June 2017, the zoo opened the Ronald J. Mount Lion and Hyena Exhibit, a $3.6 million, half-acre habitat that includes a two-foot pool and exposed rock formation, a heated stone patio to attract the lions, three public viewing stations and a heated, one-story building that is "designed to resemble an old North African fortress." (Learn more here)

Giraffes – In 2016, the zoo opened its long-awaited, $7 million giraffe exhibit, which included four Masai giraffes, as well as eland, whistling ducks, ostrich and tortoises. (Learn more here)

Other recent projects have included updating the Turtle Back Junction Train Station, renovating the Food Pavilion and entrance, and installing fencing and other infrastructure.

Attendance at the county-run zoo reached 907,522 in 2017, and according to officials, the zoo has operated as a self-sustaining facility, with “revenue collected exceeding operating expenses.”

However, some Essex County residents and taxpayers have been vocal critics of the county’s ramped-up spending on the zoo.

When county officials floated the idea of build a new, $16 million bear exhibit in 2019, local nonprofits Our Green West Orange and the League of Humane Voters of New Jersey blasted the proposal and called for a freeze on future development at the Turtle Back. Activists and community members claimed that the exhibit would be a misuse of taxpayer dollars, and would contribute to a laundry list of zoo-related issues for nearby residents, such as traffic and noise.

• See related article: Taxpayers Can't Bear Idea Of $16M Bear Exhibit At Turtle Back Zoo

A year later, activists and critics put up another fight when they learned of the county’s intention to build an $8 million amphitheater at the zoo. Plans for the 500-seat "conservation pavilion" were eventually put “on hold” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• See related article: Turtle Back Zoo Amphitheater Project 'On Hold,' Official Says

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