West Orange—After seven months of construction, Essex County’s Turtle Back Zoo opened the Ronald J. Mount Lion and Hyena Exhibit on Monday, June 12. The lion and hyena exhibit was added to Turtle Back Zoo’s “African Adventures” region, which already contains Masai Giraffes.

Contrary to the message of Disney’s “The Lion King,” lions and hyenas cooperate quite well in the wild, and they will continue to do so at the zoo. The new half-acre exhibit contains a two-foot pool, a rock formation and a heated stone patio where lions will bask in front of a viewing station.

Arrival of the lions and hyenas was timely, as they filled the void in the zoo that had been created when Hodari, one of Turtle Back’s giraffes, died during a medical procedure.

The exhibit cost $3.6 million to build, funded by Ian Mount (the exhibit was named in honor of his father) and the Essex County Improvement Authority.