A DESIGN OF THE GIRAFFE BARN | COURTESY PITTSBURGH ZOO & AQUARIUM

The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has received what it calls a “transformative” $10 million gift — the largest in the zoo’s 127-year history.

The gift, from donors who wish to remain anonymous, will help jump-start the first phase of a 20-year master plan that Zoo President and CEO Dr. Jeremy Goodman announced last year.

Goodman said the gift “emphasizes the community support that we have and the love that the community has for the zoo. I just want to emphasize that this is really about building the zoo of the future.” It also will help bolster ongoing fundraising for the improvements.

Specifically, the donation will go toward a new $10 million giraffe barn that will more than quadruple the inside space for giraffes and allow for the launch of a breeding program for the first time. The barn will include a catwalk overlooking their areas for year-round viewing; guests will also be able to feed the giraffes from the catwalk. The current enclosure cannot accommodate viewing by guests during the winter.

The larger space also will extend the animals’ time outside and allow the zoo to acquire more giraffes, kicking off the breeding program. After Sox, a 17-year-old female Masai giraffe, died in January, the zoo has only one giraffe named Lewis. Goodman said the new giraffe barn would be able to accommodate one adult male, two adult females and two baby giraffes if the breeding program is successful.

Also planned in the first phase is Expedition Indonesia — a new $32.5 million Malaysian area at the highest point of the zoo property. It will become the home of the Bornean orangutans, providing the great apes with a full acre under a netted enclosure where they can swing and move. They will mix with siamangs (the largest of the gibbon monkeys) and Malaysian tapirs; the tapirs would be new to the zoo. The area also will include waterfalls, pools and space for off-season viewing.

BORNEAN ORANGUTAN AT THE PITTSBURGH ZOO | PHOTO BY PAUL A. SELVAGGIO

The orangutans currently live in a rocky cave in the zoo’s Tropical Forest for their entire lives. When Goodman announced the 20-year plan in October 2024, he said, “We can do better. We can do a lot better, and we’re really excited to do this project.”

The idea for the Expedition Indonesia is to be immersive and to make guests feel like they’re going on an expedition through Indonesia, he said.

Construction on the barn and design for Expedition Indonesia are expected to begin later this year. He said he hopes the giraffe barn will be completed by the middle of 2026.

Already underway in the first phase is construction on a new $5.5 million admissions and ticketing plaza to replace the 30-year-old space. It will be more guest-friendly (with restrooms) and ADA compliant. This has been fully funded by the Hillman Foundation.

The 20-year plan calls for a total re-creation and reinvention of the 77-acre zoo in Highland Park. Among other early initiatives are expanding the zoo’s education center and possibly adding a licensed preschool — something other zoos are incorporating into their designs.

The plan’s second phase calls for replacing the current Tropical Rainforest with an African Rainforest featuring expanded gorilla habitats and other additions. The third phase will focus on the African Lowlands, adding a new warthog exhibit and moving the meerkats there (they’re currently in Kid’s Kingdom). There will also be an African Savanna overlook, a new Australian Walkabout and a Pennsylvania Wilds area to educate guests about native wildlife.