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A staple of the North Carolina Zoo is permanently closing down after 40 years.
On Thursday (April 21), the North Carolina Zoo announced it was closing the Aviary, a longtime exhibit of the zoo that has been opened since the early 1980s, per WRAL. The Aviary has been closed since January 2022 due to the contagious bird flu spreading across the country, but zoo officials said the Aviary's permanent closure was not connected to the disease.
According to the news outlet, officials said their "difficult" decision to close the exhibit has more to do with the age of the domed building, which requires significant repairs and maintenance following years of high humidity and wet conditions.
"For 40 years, the Zoo's aviary offered a special place to connect with nature," said Pat Simmons, director of the North Carolina Zoo. "The free-flying birds and tropical plants served as an oasis for many people – guests and staff alike. It was a heart-wrenching decision to close the aviary; however, safety is our highest priority."
When the Aviary closes, the zoo will remove the building and either relocated its 93 birds to other parts of the zoo or move them to other facilities within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, per WRAL. Staff will also be reassigned to other areas of the zoo. It is unclear what the zoo plans to do with the 2,000 plants housed in the Aviary.