Elmwood Park Zoo is excited to announce it has received a $2 million donation from J. P. Mascaro & Sons Foundations for the design and construction of a brand new Amur tiger exhibit. It will be the first time in the zoo’s 95-year history that tigers will be a part of its collection. The exhibit is slated to open in 2022.

Amur (also known as Siberian) tigers are the largest cats in the world. It is a highly threatened species, but wild populations can still be found throughout the forests of eastern Russia, as well as some areas in China and possibly North Korea. The tigers will be joining the zoo’s collection of “big” cats on exhibit, which currently includes jaguars and cougars.

“J. P. Mascaro & Sons Foundations has provided a tremendous amount of support to the community for many, many years. It’s truly inspiring,” said Al Zone, Elmwood Park Zoo Executive Director and CEO. “They’ve also funded several of the zoo’s programs and services, which has benefited thousands of our guests and the people we meet in our community outreach. J. P. Mascaro & Sons Foundations has helped the zoo to grow and succeed, and their gift of a new tiger exhibit promises to take us to a whole new level.”

The J. P. Mascaro & Sons Foundations donation is being made in memory of Francesco A. Mascaro and Rosemarie Mascaro Venditti, both of whom are siblings of Mascaro company owners, Pat, Joseph, Michael and Louis Mascaro.

“The Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown is a quality operation that is enjoyed by local area residents. Our family has its roots in the Norristown area, and we are happy to be able to make the zoo’s new tiger exhibit a reality,” said Joseph P. Mascaro, Jr., the oldest of the Mascaro brothers. “My brother Frank always had a soft spot in his heart for the zoo, and no one loved animals more than my sister, Rosie. Our company is pleased to make this tiger exhibit donation to the zoo in their memory.”

Mascaro company President, Pat Mascaro, said, “Donations like this to the zoo in memory of my brother Frank and my sister, Rosie, and donations that our company is able to make to other deserving community programs, groups and organizations, are only possible because of the thousands of customers who do business with J. P. Mascaro & Sons, and because of our dedicated company employees who serve those customers. I want to give a special thank you to those customers and employees.”