Major construction complete, Asia eyes June 2026 opening

ASHEBORO — The NC Zoo expects to open the new Asia continent in June 2026. That was the word to the NC Zoo Council on Feb. 12 from Diane Villa, deputy director and chief communications officer.

She said major construction is complete and the zoo will have a marketing agency and create a new Asia logo. Asia will be on 12 acres across from the North America Prairie Habitat.

Asia will have eight animal habitats:

— Two for tigers.

— One for Komodo dragon / Chinese alligator.

— One for reptile / amphibian.

— One for otter / gibbon.

— One for vulture / crane.

— One for hornbill.

— One for warty pig.

Plans call for a 400-seat cafe with windows to the tiger habitat. The entrance, Villa said, “will be evocative of Asia.” The entrance bridge will lead from the old world to modern design. The entrance plaza, as well, will be where “old meets new.”

Visitors will be able to walk underneath a tiger crossing. Asia is designed to have trails for the animals to move around.

An interpretive storyline in Asia will be how animals play a vital role in nature and that, given a chance, nature will recover.

The Komodo dragons, expected to be a popular feature of Asia, will be the first zoo exhibit showing them underwater. 

Gibbons will be visible from the education day and sleepover camps. 

There will be a guest slide through the otter pool.

State Employees Credit Union (SECU) is sponsoring Exploration Center: Asia. The center will have an indoor Komodo and gibbon link to outdoor habitats, herps and amphibians, king cobra, giant salamander, crocodile monitor and vipers.

NC Zoo tops Newsweek poll

In other agenda items, Villa recalled that in a nationwide poll by Newsweek Magazine, the NC Zoo was voted America’s Best Zoo. She said USA Today is conducting a similar contest and urged everyone to vote early and often.

Villa noted that bestselling author and North Carolina resident Nicholas Sparks used Asheboro as the setting for his latest book, “Counting Miracles.” She said the NC Zoo is featured as well as a white deer. Ironically, the zoo now has two white deer within its confines.

Upcoming events

In upcoming events, Villa said a new KidZone Stream will open on March 14. The next day, March 15, the Africa Plaza and parking lot will open. On April 1, Canine Champions for Conservation will return and continue until the end of June. 

Barb Watson, director of Project Management, updated the council on current projects, including a Rocky Coast ozone generator, a Streamside HVAC and a desert HVAC. Projects have been completed at the red wolf exhibit, the elephant track replacement, the Desert dome, chimpanzee caging, the giraffe feeding deck, Streamside and Prairie barn. 

The future continents of Australia and Aviary/Amazon are currently being designed and are “moving along.” And, of course, completion of Asia is a priority.

Council chair Walker Moffitt welcomed Pamela Cashwell, the new secretary of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the zoo.

Moffitt recognized zoo volunteers who had turned in 39,000 hours of service. He also reiterated Villa’s comment that the zoo’s impact on the economy is $180 million, which, he said, is justification for the state’s support of the park.