ASHEBORO, N.C. (ACME NEWS)— The SECU Foundation donated $2 million to the North Carolina Zoo’s Asia expansion on May 17, 2023.
The gift was presented at a private event at the zoo’s renovated baboon habitat to the Zoo Society’s capital fundraising campaign. The money will fund education and outreach programs through the SECU Visitor View Pavilion and Classroom in Asia, described as the centerpiece of the new 10-acre complex.
“The Pavilion and Classroom will offer a formal venue for interactive learning and a glass observation wall overlooking an indoor primate habitat. It will also provide a closer look at Komodo dragons, gibbons, giant salamanders, king cobras and other animal species,” according to a joint statement from the Zoo Society and the SECU Foundation.
Asia, the North Carolina Zoo’s first new continent since North America in 1994, broke ground Aug. 17, 2022, after the state budget allocated $46 million to the project. The Zoo Society’s capital fundraising campaign has raised approximately $28 million in donations, bringing the estimated total for Asia to around $74 million.
The SECU Foundation funded the donation through a $1 fee charged to members.
“Bringing the world’s continents to the North Carolina Zoo has always been our goal, and this generous gift brings us closer to our mission and celebrates the uniqueness of the animals and culture of Asia,” North Carolina Zoo Director and CEO Pat Simmons said.
The Asia expansion is expected to open in 2026. More information is available at nczoo.org/visit/asia.
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