Former Fresno Chaffee Zoo CEO Scott Barton speaks at a news conference in September 2020 for the groundbreaking of Kingdoms of Asia. File photo

A new project for Fresno Chaffee Zoo will be its current CEO’s last and a chance to significantly update the zoo’s interior.

What started as a way to renovate the tiger habitat transformed into Kingdoms of Asian — a celebration of Southeast Asian culture and its animals.

Zoo board members as well as city officials broke ground Thursday on the $38 million project. Over the next two years, the tiger, orangutan, rhino and Komodo dragon enclosures will be transformed in two phases through 2022. Zoo leadership will also bring back the playful sloth bears as part of the exhibit.

The project will also bring in a new aquatic habitat for a false gharial — a kind of crocodile found in Malaysia.

It is modeled after rainforests in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. Planners and architects worked with members of the Southeast Asian community to develop the project.

“Imagine walking through a forest trail in Southeast Asia modeled after Angkor Wat,” said CEO Scott Barton at the groundbreaking.

The first phase will include the renovations for the orangutan, rhino and Komodo dragon exhibits.

Following that, a new educational facility will teach guests not only about animals, but also threats to the region’s environment. A new dining area will feature Asian street food.

Included in the second opening phase will be the new tiger habitat.

A bridge will be built for the tigers so that zoo guests can see the big cats crossing overhead.

Before major demolition, a new route for visitors as well as fire access will be built to allow access during construction. There will be a period of time that the orangutans and the red one-horned rhino exhibits will be closed off during renovation.

This will be the first significant update to animal enclosures in the interior of the park since Sea Lion Cove began in 2012. A utility project updating sewer, water and electrical lines will make the undertaking easier, said Barton.

“Anybody that’s renovated an old house or commercial building knows that infrastructure is a big piece of that,” he said.

Kingdoms of Asia will be the last project for Scott Barton, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Barton has been in the position for 11 years.

He helped pass the second Measure Z sales tax, which provided much of the funding for the project, as well as oversaw Sea Lion Cove and African Adventure expansions.

Measure Z, which passed for the second time in 2014, will help fund the project along with private donations.