Kingdoms of Asia exhibit at Fresno Chaffee Zoo set to open early 2023

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Chaffee Zoo is getting a new, exciting exhibit called Kingdoms of Asia.

Zoo officials are calling it an immersive exhibit for the entire family.

"What our guests can expect is to be immersed into the magic of these temple ruins in the rainforest of Southeast Asia," says Fresno Chaffee Zoo CEO Jon Dohlin.

Construction is underway -- right now, the three-acre project is fenced off for safety while crews work to erect what will be an area that focuses on animals and cultures that inhabit southeast Asia.

"There will be tigers, there will be sloth bears, there will be crocodiles, orangutans, komodo dragons, king cobras and more," Dohlin said.

Zoo officials say the project is in the location where the tigers, giraffes, and Asian elephants used to be.

In order to represent the Asian culture accurately, Dohlin says the zoo worked with cultural advisors in the Valley to help them design the exhibit.

Dohlin says the project was made possible through Measure Z.

"One of the things that Measure Z has allowed the Fresno Chaffee Zoo to become is a family-friendly center for meaningful fun," he said. "That is the center for conservation, it is a center for education and it is a center for animal welfare. All of these things allow us to actually accomplish conservation here and around the world, and that's a miraculous thing."

The exciting new exhibit is slated to open next February.

For more information about Kingdoms of Asia, visit their website.