North Carolina Zoo announces March 2027 opening for new Asia expansion

ASHEBORO, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Zoo will open its new Asia expansion to the public on March 1, 2027, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced.

The 12.5-acre Asia region will be the zoo’s first major development in more than 30 years. The zoo’s last major development was the North America Continent section, which opened in 1994.

The expansion will bring nearly 50 new species to the zoo, including critically endangered Malayan tigers, Visayan warty pigs, white-cheeked gibbons and Chinese alligators.

The Asia region also will feature species including Komodo dragons, demoiselle cranes, blue-crowned laughingthrush, king cobras, four-eyed turtles and crocodile monitors.

Zoo officials say the expansion will include new habitat designs, technology and the zoo’s largest botanical garden, with more than 6,000 new plants.

The North Carolina Zoo is the world’s largest natural habitat zoo, according to DNCR, and attracts more than 1 million visitors each year.

Zoo Director and CEO Dr. Mark Penning said the Asia expansion will provide visitors with opportunities to learn about the animals and ways to protect their natural habitats.

The Asia expansion is scheduled to open March 1, 2027.