Bronx, United States – The Bronx Zoo held a ribbon cutting on July 10 to celebrate the opening of the reimagined World of Darkness exhibit, set to welcome visitors starting Saturday, July 12.

Closed since 2009, the historic exhibit returns with 25 nocturnal species across 21 immersive habitats, all inside a 13,000-square-foot space designed to mimic the natural darkness where these animals thrive.

The new exhibit combines innovative lighting, soundscapes, and interactive elements to reveal how animals survive without light. Species on display include Egyptian fruit bats, pygmy slow lorises, naked mole rats, and blind cave fish.

Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo, said: “The new World of Darkness offers visitors an extraordinary opportunity to step into the hidden world of nocturnal animals.”

Visitors entering the exhibit are welcomed with glowing graphics and subtle sounds. Inside, night monkeys move through the shadows, bats fly overhead, and aye-ayes search for food using their iconic fingers.

Lighting mimics dusk and dawn, and acoustic panels shaped like forest canopies recreate a true nocturnal experience.

Accessibility features include bilingual signage in English and Spanish, tactile displays, and child-level lightboxes. A section called “Conservation Spotlights” highlights global efforts to protect these rarely seen species and their habitats.

Unusual animals like fat-tailed lemurs, cloud rats, and Guatemalan beaded lizards are also featured, showcasing unique adaptations such as thermal sensing and echolocation.

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