With the anticipated construction moving forward at the Cape May County Zoo, officials have set the date to close the aviary permanently on May 1, according to a county news release.
Built in 1998, the aviary's tropical habitat has taken its toll on the building, and necessary maintenance and upgrades have become unsustainable, the release stated.
The building will be decommissioned, and new habitats will be built that will include new design and technology to make them safer for the animals and zoo staff.
"We have found new homes for the birds, and we are working on doing medical testing on each bird to clear it for travel,” Dr. Alexander Ernst, the zoo's associate veterinarian, said in the release. “I have found zoos from all over the country who will take our birds and they will be well-cared for in their new homes. We anticipate that May will be the month when most of the birds will be transferring out of our aviary.”
The zoo is one of the county's most visited attractions with 615,000 visitors in 2022. As part of the zoo's master plan, new exhibits, an expanded parking lot, and other infrastructure improvements will be implemented over the next five years, according to the release.
"It is our goal to stay ahead of the curve and continue to make improvements at the zoo to enhance the visitors' experience as well as ensuring safety for our guests and staff,” said County Commissioner Andrew Bulakowski, liaison to the Parks and Zoo. “The zoo will remain open during construction with some detours around the work areas. We are extremely proud of our county park system and our zoo and look forward to the planned improvements."
The Cape May County Parks and Zoo are open daily and free to the public. Park hours are 7 a.m. until dusk, and zoo hours are 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
