photo by: Shelley Hanson

Heavy equipment is used to move earth at the site of the future Lion Lodging and lion habitat at the Good Zoo at Oglebay Park Resort.

WHEELING — Visitors to Oglebay Park Resort likely have noticed a big change in the landscape recently at the Good Zoo.

It is earthwork underway to create the zoo’s future Lion Lodging project. The project will include a new lion habitat at the Good Zoo in addition to the new Gary E. West Prideland Villas above the habitat.

Visitors to the park can see the work happening with earth-moving equipment such as backhoes and bulldozers. The roadway beside the work site has concrete barriers up to keep motorists on the road and pedestrians off the site as well.

Good Zoo Director Joe Greathouse noted Friday that the project has just recently gotten underway. He said a groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for next week and more details about the project will be revealed then.

He also said details about the lions and where they come from will also be released at a later date.

The project is anticipated to be completed sometime in 2026. The lion habitat will have 20,000 square feet of space for the animals. Above the habitat three cottages will be constructed to give guests a bird’s eye view of the wild animals.

“Guests staying at the Base Camp Villas will be able to embark on a true safari tour, enjoy daily lion encounters, explore the zoo on night tours, and indulge in dining options and comfortable in-room amenities,” according to park information.

The Good Zoo will be the first Association of Zoos and Aquariums-credited zoo in the United States “to offer an up-close lion experience” in a natural setting. The zoo’s lion habitat will be one of the largest in the eastern U.S. and the only one in West Virginia.

In September, the city of Wheeling approved the $12 million Oglebay Park Revenue Bond Ordinance to fund construction of the lion habitat and villas, to renovate guest rooms at Wilson Lodge’s Lakeside Wing and to renovate the arrival area of the Good Zoo.