ASHEBORO N.C. (ACME NEWS) — The long-awaited Asia Continent at the North Carolina Zoo finally has an opening date.
The state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the zoo, announced Monday that the new 12.5-acre expansion will open to visitors March 1, 2027.
“The experience for North Carolina families is going to be even more magical with the new Asia habitat opening next spring,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement.
Asia is the zoo’s first new continent since North America opened in 1994. It will bring nearly 50 new species to the zoo, including Malayan tigers, white-cheeked gibbons, Komodo dragons, Chinese alligators, king cobras, Visayan warty pigs, Asian small-clawed otters, cinereous vultures and Chinese giant salamanders. The area will also have the zoo’s largest botanical garden, with more than 6,000 new plants, and a large indoor café overlooking the tiger habitat, with a gift shop next door.
The zoo said its animals come from other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, a national group that sets care standards for zoos.
“We can’t wait for guests to meet these enchanting residents, learn from them, and discover ways to protect their wild habitats and cousins,” said Dr. Mark Penning, the zoo’s director and CEO.
Construction began in August 2022, with the zoo expecting to open Asia in summer or fall 2026.
The project cost $75.5 million, up from an original estimate of $65 million, because of pandemic and inflation-related delays. The zoo said it was paid for with state funds and private donors. The state provided $46 million, approved by the General Assembly in November 2021. The N.C. Zoo Society, the zoo’s nonprofit fundraising partner, raised $29.5 million from about 2,700 donors, including a $2 million gift from the SECU Foundation.
Construction was finished by April 2026, but the zoo said it could not open Asia without hiring workers such as transportation, guest services and custodial staff, and the money for those jobs depended on the state budget.
The state went more than a year without a new budget. The General Assembly passed one, and Stein signed it July 7. The zoo had asked for 69 positions, but the budget approved only 54, along with $6.2 million in operating funds for Asia.
The zoo had once aimed to open Asia in June 2026, then moved its target to September. Until Monday, no new date had been announced.
“Asia marks an important milestone in the zoo’s 52-year history,” Penning said.
Visiting Asia will not cost extra as it is included in regular zoo admission, according to the zoo.
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