County Officials Open New Eagle Exhibit at Turtleback Zoo – TAPinto.net

NEWARK, NJ – A new bald eagle exhibit recently opened at Essex County Turtleback Zoo.

The exhibit was officially opened on Wednesday as Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. welcomed Freedom, a four-year-old bald eagle, to the Turtle Back animal family. Freedom was rescued from a tree in Minnesota after becoming tangled in rope and branches, and will be joining female eagle Adak, who came to Turtle Back Zoo in 1997 from the Bergen County Zoo.

“We are pleased to open a new and improved Bald Eagle Exhibit in our Wild New Jersey area. This will enhance our visitors’ experience and provide them with a better viewing area to see the bald eagles,” DiVincenzo said. “Welcoming Freedom as the newest member of our animal family displays the important role that zoos have in conservation efforts and raising awareness about the dangers that threaten wildlife and the environment.”

Joining the county executive at the dedication were state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz and Essex County Board of County Commissioners President Wayne Richardson, Vice President Carlos Pomares, and Commissioners Brendan Gill and Len Luciano.

The exhibit was damaged during a storm in 2019. Since the exhibit was created as part of the Wild New Jersey area in 2007, animal care standards have evolved. To repair the exhibit and update its design to meet current requirements, the new eagle exhibit was created.

The tree in the center of the site provides the eagles with a place to perch and an accompanying structure provides indoor space to hold the birds if they ever need to be removed the exhibit area. Work started in August 2020 and took five months to complete.

“As the new Turtle Back Zoo Director, it is exciting to be opening a new exhibit and welcoming an animal with such a compelling story,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Jillian Fazio said. “Thank you to County Executive for giving me this opportunity and for his continued investment to make Turtle Back the family-friendly and educational resource it has become.”

The engineering firm of French and Parrello from Wall received a professional services contract for $81,500 to design the new exhibit and provide inspection services during construction.

ZN Construction from Saddle Brook was awarded a publicly bid contract for $1.27 million to perform the construction work. The project was funded with a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund.

Turtle Back Zoo is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens over 62 and children ages 2 to 12, and free for children under 2.

To promote social distancing, tickets must be purchased in advance at https://turtlebackzoo.com/admission-hours/. For more information, visit www.essexcountynj.org/turtlebackzoo or call 973-731-5800.