Essex County will spend nearly $9 million to build a new hoof stock barn at Turtle Back Zoo, clearing the way for zebras and additional bongos to join giraffes in the zoo’s popular African Adventure exhibit.
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo announced the project Thursday, continuing a two-decade expansion that has transformed a once-struggling county zoo into one of New Jersey’s most popular attractions — and made Turtle Back a jewel in his long political career.
“Our African Adventure with our lions, giraffes, penguins and hyenas is one of our most popular exhibits,” DiVincenzo said. “The addition of zebras and more bongos will increase the diversity in the Savanna-themed exhibit and create an even more dynamic display to capture the attention of our visitors.”
Construction began in July and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2027.
The barn will provide indoor space for zebras and bongos and allow Turtle Back Zoo to meet animal-care requirements established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Both species will be exhibited alongside the zoo’s giraffes.
The project will also allow Turtle Back to participate in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums species survival plan aimed at rebuilding the bongo population.
Turtle Back Zoo Director Jilian Fazio said only about 100 bongos remain in the world, including two at the West Orange zoo.
“Our African Adventure Exhibit is our largest mixed species exhibit, and we are excited to make that even more diversified,” Fazio said. “This will be an opportunity for our visitors to reconnect with nature while we continue to protect and conserve wildlife from around the world.”
Bongos are large forest antelopes native to sub-Saharan Africa. The third-largest antelope species has reddish-brown coats, white-yellow stripes, and long, slightly spiraled horns.
Zebras inhabit eastern and southern Africa and are found in savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, shrublands and mountainous areas.
The county awarded Tsivicos Enterprises of Neptune a publicly bid $7.9 million contract to construct the barn. French and Parrello of Wall received a $671,250 design contract, while Legacy Construction Management of Wall was awarded $316,110 to monitor construction.
The combined contracts total nearly $8.9 million. Funding comes from the state Green Acres program and the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund.
Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz praised DiVincenzo’s record of moving projects from concept to completion.
“When we secure funding in Trenton for projects like this, people know that Essex already has a shovel in the ground, that a building will be constructed and there is a purpose for the project,” Ruiz stated. “We are creating another learning opportunity so that education is embedded in every visit.”
County Commissioner President Carlos Pomares called the barn “a new chapter” in the zoo’s history.
Turtle Back Zoo has emerged as one of DiVincenzo’s most visible accomplishments since he became county executive in 2003. The zoo had been on the verge of closure under a previous administration, but DiVincenzo made its revitalization a central piece of his governing agenda.
Essex County has invested more than $100 million in improvements during his tenure, adding African Adventure, Amazing Asia, Big Cat Country, a sea turtle recovery facility, an animal hospital, a carousel, a train station and exhibits featuring giraffes, lions, hyenas, penguins, red pandas, clouded leopards, jaguars, cougars, kangaroos and other animals.
The county also upgraded the zoo’s entrance, fencing, infrastructure, food pavilion and educational facilities.
Attendance reached an all-time high of 979,056 in 2023, and county officials say revenue now exceeds operating expenses, making the zoo self-sustaining. Turtle Back is accredited by both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and American Humane. New Jersey Monthly has named it the state’s best zoo four times.
The zoo’s success is a jewel in DiVincenzo’s political career and a tangible symbol of the county government he has dominated for nearly a quarter-century.
DiVincenzo, one of New Jersey’s most powerful Democratic officials, is a shoo-in for re-election this fall to a seventh four-year term against Republican Maritza Matthews.
His longevity and political strength have allowed him to pursue projects over decades, with Turtle Back evolving from a modest local attraction into a regional destination under his watch.
Turtle Back Zoo opened in 1963 in South Mountain Reservation, part of the nation’s oldest county park system. The Essex County Park System was established in 1895 and now encompasses more than 6,000 acres, including 23 parks, five reservations, three public golf courses, an environmental center, skating rinks, and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.
The zoo is open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM.