The Island Giants Exhibit at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo opened on Wednesday, September 20. The new exhibit space includes natural habitatthemed spaces for the alligators and Komodo Dragons. In addition, it was dedicated in honor of Essex County Commissioner and Livingston resident Patricia Sebold, who has served on the Board of Commissioners for over 30 years and has been a member of the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund since it formed in 1998.
“The new exhibit enables us to provide more indoor and outdoor
dragons and create a more dynamic year-round experience for our visitors to see the animals. This is part of our ongoing initiative to continually enhance accommoda- (Continued from Page A-1) meet new animal care standards and provide our visitors unique learning opportunities,” county executive Joseph DiVincenzo said. “I want to make sure that the people who have given so much to Essex County are recognized for their contributions. Pat is deserving of this honor because of the solid representation she has given to the people of Essex County as a Commissioner and Advisory Board member. It’s fitting that we name an exhibit at Turtle Back after Pat because of her longtime support to the Zoo and our parks,” he added.
Sebold’s 30-year tenure on the Board of Commissioners makes her one of the longest serving Freeholders/ Commissioners. She also has served as the Commissioner’s representative on the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board since its creation in 1998.
“I have always been fond of Turtle Back Zoo. Look at what it has become today. I was overwhelmed when Joe said he was naming the exhibit after me at the groundbreaking and I am still overwhelmed today. I can’t thank you enough,” Sebold said. “My family came to this country committed to making a better society. I followed in their footsteps.”
“The zoo is here because of the County Executive and Pat. This is a well-deserved honor and we are happy you now have your own island,” Livingston Mayor Michael Vieira said, joking about the name of the exhibit.
“Pat Sebold has an extraordinary public service career that spans over three decades. She has always committedherself to the community and her constituents. And Pat always has stood up for preserving open space and supporting environmental issues,” NJ Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz said.
“Because of Pat’s efforts, Turtle Back Zoo was brought back from nothing. This is an honor that Pat has earned,” Commissioner president Wayne Richardson said, describing Sebold as being his mentor. “This exhibit is appropriately named Island Giants and in Pat’s honor because she is a giant in our county,” Commissioner Vice President Carlos Pomares said. Commissioner Tyshammie Cooper described Pat as being as tenacious and committed as the alligators and Komodo dragons in the exhibit. “Pat has been an unrecognized trailblazer because when she started her political career she often was the only woman in the room. Pat has been elected time and again not because she is a woman, but because of her effectiveness and leadership, ” C ommissioner Brendan Gill said.
A bronze plaque at the site begins with a quote by former First Lady Michelle Obama: “(A public servant’s work) shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves. We fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.” It continues with: “For almost half a century, Pat Sebold has been a positive force in people’s lives in Essex County, molding the minds of our future leaders as an English teacher at West Orange High School for over 30 years, participating in Livingston’s civic affairs since 1976 and volunteering her time with a number of community groups, boards and committees. With Essex County, Pat is one of the longest serving County Commissioners, joining the board in 1993 and continuing to serve today. She always has been a proponent of modernizing parks, enhancing recreation opportunities and preserving open space, and has been a member of the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board since it was created in 1998. When a previous county administration threatened to close Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, Pat and Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., then serving as Freeholder President, recognized its potential as an educational and recreational treasure and fought to keep it open. Naming the Island Giants Exhibit in her honor is a fitting tribute for her longtime commitment to Essex County. Thank you for Putting Essex County First.”
About the Exhibit
“The World of Water is the thematic area of the zoo that allows us to highlight some of the species and ecosystems most influenced by water. It provides a platform for us to discuss the importance of water conservation to our planet’s health and survival,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Jillian Fazio said. “The new habitats within Island Giants demonstrate our commitment to protecting these vulnerable coastal species around the world. Our mission is to connect our guests and awake them to the realities that threaten our planet. These new habitats will assist us in the mission,” she added.
Island Giants features two exhibit spaces that have both indoor and outdoor areas for animals. Turtle Back’s Komodo dragon, named Shu, has been relocated from his quarters inside the Reptile Center to one of the new outdoor exhibit areas. Next to Shu in the indoor exhibit area are Aldabra Tortoises. Peaches, Turtle Back’s alligator who was temporarily moved to the Bronx Zoo during construction, has returned and is occupying the other outdoor exhibit space. Next to Peaches in the second indoor space are tomistoma, a genus of crocodilians who are named Chevy, Checkers and Forrest.
The old alligator exhibit was opened in 2003 and needed to be updated to meet current standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The exhibit is designed to resemble a bayou-type shed with a weathered wood surface on the outside. The pool for the alligators has a split view so visitors can see the animals when they are underwater and when they are floating above the water level. The expanded exhibit also provides Turtle Back Zoo with enough space to host two alligators instead of the one it currently has.
The Komodo dragon was welcomed in 2012 at Turtle Back Zoo, which at the time was the only zoo in the Tri-State area to have the reptiles on display. The Komodo dragonhas been the marquee animal housed in the Reptile Building. The new exhibit has a southeast Asian theme; the building has a thatched roof and is landscaped with reeds. There also is a sandy area which is similar to the native habitat of the Komodo dragon. The expanded space allows Turtle Back Zoo to increase the number of Komodo dragons on exhibit from one to two.
Improved accommodations for both the alligator and Komodo dragon will enable Turtle Back Zoo to participate in the AZA’s Species Survival Program, which is a breeding program to strengthen the populations of endangered species.
Work started in November2022 and was completed in ten months.
