FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Puglisi
April 4, 2012 973-621-2542
Lauren Shears
973-621-1590
ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO GIVES MEDIA
A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT RETICULATED PYTHON GETTING
ITS ANNUAL MEDICAL CHECKUP AT ESSEX COUNTY TURTLE BACK ZOO
West Orange, NJ – Just like the President of the United States, the 10-year-old reticulated python at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo receives an annual medical checkup. On Wednesday, April 4th, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. opened the doors of the Education Center at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo and invited the media to watch as Zoo staff measured and weighed the reptile during its annual physical.
“Turtle Back Zoo is a fascinating and exciting place where exotic animals from around the world are on view. While there isn’t enough room to include the public, allowing the media to witness the python’s annual physical is a rare opportunity to show what goes on behind the scenes at Turtle Back and to demonstrate the high standards of health care our animals receive,” DiVincenzo said.
“We are always looking for new ways to expand the zoo experience to educate the public about nature and conservation, and to raise awareness about the important role animals have in the world,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Dr. Jeremy Goodman said. “Seeing this routine medical visit and witnessing the power and grace that the reticulated python possesses will give people a better understanding and appreciation for the animals,” he added.
Pythons are indigenous to tropical regions near the equator in Asia, Africa and Australia. They were introduced to the United States, South America and Europe as pets. Reticulated pythons are among the longest in the world, with the record being 33 feet. The reticulated python came to Turtle Back Zoo in 2005 when the Education and Reptile Building opened. When it first arrived it was 14 feet long and 90 pounds and last year had grown to about 16 feet long and 130 pounds last year. This year, the python checked in 17 feet 5 inches and weighed 127 pounds. Goodman noted that the python’s weight loss was not a concern because it was at the end of its feeding cycle and had not eaten in several weeks. He also noted that the snake was in “good body condition” and was thriving in its environment in the Education and Reptile Building at Turtle Back Zoo.
Generally, pythons have a forked tongue that helps them detect their prey. They kill through constriction, which means they literally squeeze the life out of their prey causing asphyxiation, or suffocation. Pythons swallow the entire body of their prey, so the larger the prey the longer it takes to digest. This means the reptile may only eat four to five times a year. In the wild, pythons feed on lizards, caiman (small alligator-like animals), monkeys, antelope and farm animals.
Current hours for the Zoo are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for children and senior citizens, and free for children younger than 2 years. For more information, please call 973-731-5800 or visit www.essexcountynj.org.
Revitalizing Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
In September 2011, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo received its second consecutive five-year accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and is among only 221 facilities worldwide that are accredited. Earning accreditation is a clear indication that an institution is committed to the highest standards in animal care, ethics, conservation and education.
Currently under construction is a Sea Lion and Sting Ray Exhibit that includes an 82,000-gallon water tank for the sea lions to swim. The $5.7 million exhibit is being funding with grants from the New Jersey Green Acres Program, the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund, the Zoological Society of New Jersey, PNC Bank, Covanta Energy and philanthropist David Tepper from Short Hills. In addition, a $1 surcharge was added to Zoo admissions in 2011 to raise approximately $1.2 million over the next four years. It is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012 when the Zoo celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Since taking office in 2003, DiVincenzo has spearheaded over $70 million in upgrades to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, which have included developing the Treetop Adventure Course with 22 aerial obstacle features and two zip lines; the Carousel with 33 figures of endangered animals; building the Big Cat Country Exhibit with Jaguars and Cougars; Tam-ring Gibbons Reserve with 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, Alligator 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 Prudential Financial, Inc., Wells Fargo (Wachovia Bank), PNC Bank, PSE&G, Verizon, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Coca Cola, Capital One Bank, TD Bank, Aramark, Covanta Energy 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 20 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, miniature golf course, Treetop Adventure Course, three off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Iris Gardens. Turtle Back Zoo is located in Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation and was opened to the public in 1963.