Officials from both the county and the zoo confirmed that this rumor was false.
Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. stated that the social media message that claimed animals had left Essex County Turtle Back Zoo was untrue. Turtle Back is an accredited facility which takes animal welfare very seriously. Our animal care team kept all animals safe inside and staff were on the grounds to monitor the situation. This was done in advance of Hurricane Ida. No power was lost and all animals and areas were safe and secure.
The animal care team expressed their gratitude to the community for their concern about the welfare of the animals and staff after the storm.
Residents were reminded by the Township of West Orange not to believe all they read. They also thanked the staff at the Zoo for their hard work in making sure that all animals are safe and secure.
The photos below show a screenshot of a notification that residents received regarding the rumored incident.
