"With sadness for the present, but excitement for the future, we are announcing that the World of Birds aviary will be permanently closing its doors this spring," the popular facility said Friday, March 31, on Facebook.
As one of the oldest attractions at the zoo, "25 years of tropical conditions has taken its toll on the building, and necessary maintenance and repairs have become unsustainable," the zoo said.
The aviary was temporarily closed last year as a precaution against the bird flu outbreak in Cape May County.
The aviary building will eventually be removed, the zoo said.
But there's hope for a new bird exhibit in the future:
"We look forward to the future where we can bring new and upgraded avian habitats to our visitors. Please bear with us as the process of removing the World of Birds Aviary and the construction of new avian habitats will create some inconvenience and disruption in the very heart of the Zoo," the post read.
"We believe the new habitats will be well worth it!"
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