09 Apr ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO OPENS NEW BARRY H. OSTROWSKY ANIMAL WELLNESS CENTER IN ESSEX COUNTY TURTLE BACK ZOO New Facility Enhances Animal Care and Enables Zoo Guests to View Treatment, Lab and Nursery Rooms
Published on April 9, 2025
West Orange, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. officially opened the new Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo on Tuesday, April 8th. 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 high level of care animals at Turtle Back receive.
“As new exhibits have been added and our animal collection has become more diverse, a larger hospital has become a necessity. 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 said.
“I continue to admire Joe and how he is continually putting the people of Essex County First. What has been done here is incredible because families today have so little time to recreate and educate, and they can do both at Turtle Back Zoo. Thank you for this incredible honor,” said Barry Ostrowsky, retired President and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health, for whom the building is named.
“Long before it was accepted, Barry connected our residents’ social existence with their health care. And what Joe has accomplished here is amazing. This is wonderful resource not only for the zoo, but for the community,” said Mark Manigan, current President and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health.
“This is another tangible creation that makes Turtle Back Zoo a unique destination where children can learn while enjoying witnessing the animals. And to name it after Barry Ostrowsky is appropriate because he understood that the health of a community required a corporate commitment to care,” Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz said.
“This new Wellness Center will help us tremendously with our care for our animals, but it also is a signal to our visitors of our commitment to the health of our animals and promoting conservation. The space is designed for animal care but also provides a front row seat to our visitors to see the treatments our animals receive,” Turtle Back Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Kailey Anderson said.
“There is no place more special than Turtle Back Zoo. This new building is a wonderful addition and will help us tremendous with the care we provide to our animals,” said Commissioner President Carlos Pomares, who was joined by Commissioners Brendan Gill and Len Luciano.
The new Essex County Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center has separate wings for the treatment of hospitalized and quarantined animals to allow for increased biosecurity within the animal population at Turtle Back.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Turtle Back Zoo is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for senior citizens over 62 and children ages 2 to 12, and free for children under 2. For more information, visit www.essexcountynj.org/turtlebackzoo or call 973-731-5800.
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo has roared back to life from the verge of closure by a previous administration. An all-time attendance record of 979,056 was set in 2023 and the zoo has operated as a self-sustaining facility with revenue collected exceeding operating expenses. In addition, Turtle Back is accredited by American Humane and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a clear indication that an institution is committed to the highest standards in animal care, ethics, conservation and education. It also has been named the Best Zoo in New Jersey by NJ Monthly magazine four times and received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.com three times.
Revitalizing Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
Currently under construction are the new visitor pathways to the Outback Adventure and the repurposing of the Sea Lion Sound.
Since taking office in 2003, DiVincenzo has spearheaded over $100 million in upgrades to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, which have included creating a new Island Giants Exhibit featuring alligators and Komodo dragons, Amazing Asia exhibit featuring Red Pandas and Clouded Leopards, updating the Turtle Back Junction Train Station to enhance public access; developing the African Adventure with four Masai giraffes, lions and hyenas, and South African Penguins; the Drill Family Flamingo Exhibit; Leopard Exhibit; a new Educational Building; the Carousel with 33 figures of endangered animals; the Sea Lion Sound Exhibit with sea lions, sharks and sting rays; the Big Cat Country Exhibit with jaguars and cougars; Tam-ring Gibbons Reserve with white cheeked gibbons apes, Reeves muntjac and white naped cranes; Australian Exhibit that features kangaroos, wallabies, emus and over 500 birds in the Aviary; Reptile and Education Center, open air dining pavilion and playground, Penguin Exhibit, Otter Exhibit, Wolf Exhibit, North American Animal Exhibit, Black Bear Exhibit, Animal Hospital, Essex Farm Petting Zoo and South American Animal Exhibit; renovating the Food Pavilion for year-round use and making upgrades to the entrance as well as fencing and infrastructure to meet AZA requirements. Funding has been provided through Green Acres grants, existing capital improvement bonds, or donations from the Zoological Society, Essex County Parks Foundation, corporations or private foundations. Corporations that have provided support include Investors Bank, Prudential Financial, Inc., PNC Bank, PSE&G, Verizon, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Coca Cola, Capital One Bank, TD Bank, Aramark, Covanta Energy, Matrix Development Group, the family of Ronald Mount and OxyMagic carpet cleaning.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, two miniature golf courses, six off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. Turtle Back Zoo is located in Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation and was opened to the public in 1963.