Norristown, PA

Owner: Elmwood Park Zoo
Architect: PJA Architects

Elmwood Zoo’s latest NEW exhibit: “Majestic Predators: On the Trail of the Jaguar”. This exhibit is the new home to the Zoo‘s jaguars and new baby cubs Luna and Diego, as well as three jaguarundis and three ocelots. The four building structure will treat guests to indoor, climate controlled viewing areas and the animals will have a number of interactive features to encourage their natural behaviors & emulate their natural habitats. The exhibit space is also used for special events and weddings hosted by the Zoo.

The initial sitework included preparing the sloped 5,300 sq. ft. area with a 14 ft. retaining wall. Features include shotcrete rock work (faux landscape material), pre-cast plank roofs, a pump house to operate the water features & life support system, a training structure, visitor restrooms, and galvanized steel interior cages. Aviary netting encloses the exhibit.

Construction was complete and open to the public early 2017.