NC Zoo will close its aging Aviary, saying the needed repairs are too costly to make
The N.C. Zoo will permanently close its R.J. Reynolds Forest Aviary, saying the aging building needs so many repairs the best solution is to tear it down.
The park, outside Asheboro, made the announcement on Thursday. It was also shared on the park’s Facebook page, which immediately drew dozens of responses from disappointed patrons saying this was their favorite exhibit.
“For 40 years, the Zoo’s Aviary offered a special place to connect with nature,” said North Carolina Zoo Director Pat Simmons. “The free-flying birds and tropical plants served as an oasis for many people — guests and staff alike. It was a heart-wrenching decision to close the Aviary; however, safety is our highest priority.”
The building opened in 1982, during the early development of the zoo. It’s a glass-domed habitat for 93 free-flying birds of 33 species, along with more than 2,000 plants of 450 species. The park said it is in the process of relocating the birds to other exhibits within the zoo or at other accredited zoos around the country. The aviary underwent a two-year, $850,000 overhaul that was completed in 2000.
The state said it has no immediate plans to replace the building.
The closure of the Aviary Habitat will not result in Zoo staff losing their jobs, but some may be reassigned. The announcement said the process has begun to remove the plants but it did not say where they would go.
Debbie Zombeck, the zoo’s curator of birds and a 29-year employee of the park, described in the announcement the experience of visiting the aviary, which has been one of the zoo’s most popular attractions.
“It is truly an immersive habitat, and guests often remarked that they felt as though they were really in a tropical forest. To hear the swoosh of a Victoria Crowned Pigeon as it flies by is magical,” Zombeck said. “To watch the birds’ natural behaviors as they forage for food, build nests and raise their young made the Aviary a must-see destination in the state.”
The Aviary has been closed since Jan. 24 to protect against the threat of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The virus is a highly contagious disease that can affect several species of birds.
None of the Zoo’s birds have tested positive for the virus.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 12:42 PM with the headline "NC Zoo will close its aging Aviary, saying the needed repairs are too costly to make."
