New wellness center opens at the zoo

WEST ORANGE — Visitors to the Turtle Back Zoo will get a chance to view treatment labs and nursery rooms in the facility’s newly opened Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center.

“As new exhibits have been added and our animal collection has become more diverse, a larger hospital has become a necessity,” said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. “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 a unique look at our commitment to treating our animals.”

The 10,000-square-foot building provides updated and expanded accommodations for the care of Turtle Back Zoo’s animals and enables the zoo to meet changing animal care requirements from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the USDA, according to a press release from the county.

“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 chief executive officer of RWJBarnabas Health, for whom the building is named.

The 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.

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, the release said.

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 release said.

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.

“This is a wonderful resource not only for the zoo, but for the community,” said Mark Manigan, current president and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health.
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.

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.

“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,” said Veterinarian Dr. Kailey Anderson said.

  Turtle Back Zoo