The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
File:Maryland zoo.jpg
39°19′24″N 76°38′58″W
Date opened	1876 (1876)
Location	Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
No. of animals	2,000+
Memberships	AZA
Website	www.marylandzoo.org

"The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore" — formerly known as "The Baltimore City Zoo" or the "Baltimore Zoo" — is located in Druid Hill Park in the northwestern area of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, (U.S.A.), with the postal address of 1876 Mansion House Drive. Currently home to over 2,000 animals, it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

History

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is generally considered to be the third oldest (or by some other circumstances, the second oldest) zoological park in the United States, having opened in 1876, sixteen years after the historic Park itself was purchased and opened to the city public. For a number of decades in the 20th Century it was operated and supervised by the Baltimore City Board of Park Commissioners, and organized in 1860 with the first major city park at Druid Hill and later the city Department of Parks and Recreation, through their subordinate Bureau of the Zoo. It was later assisted by the organization of a group of supportive friends, animal and wildlife lovers in the Baltimore City Zoological Society, which performed a saving function in the late 1960's when changing demographic and historical populations in the surrounding communities around Druid Hill Park resulted in increased crime and some harrasement incidents to the animal population, resulting in a few deaths and maimings, resulted in a protective fence erected around the Zoo campus, and entrance ticketing center and gates which previously had been open to the surrounding Park. In later decades a course of action between the City and the Society resulted in a semi-private and new independent operation arrangement with a separate board of trustees for the Zoo with increased private, state and suburban counties funding to supplement the restricting resources of the central City. This also resulted in a renaming of the old City Zoo as "The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore". For several decades from the 1950's to the 70's, the City Zoo was made famous locally through the media-savvy and through the new medium of television with programs and promotions of Dr. Arthur Watson, the long-time zoo director. In 1980, when the famous iconic "Harborplace" festival marketplace pavilions at the Inner Harbor by developer James Rouse, opened by downtown Baltimore's waterfront business district and its Patapsco River and Harbor, one of the stalls/stores was of stuffed and childrens' play fiber animals called "Dr. Watson's Zoo", owned and operated by the now retired Dr. Watson.

In 2004, the zoo was struck by financial problems and was forced to reduce its collection size temporarily by closing parts of the zoo. The original Main Valley was closed due to its age, being incapable of holding animals comfortably with their older style of iron-barred cages and stone walls, and in addition, the Reptile House which is located some distance away from the main zoo in an adjacent section of the Park was closed. The reptiles, as well as gibbons and snow leopards were sent on temporary loan to other zoos and aquariums.

By 2008, Baltimore's Maryland Zoo was featured in "America's Best Zoos 2008".

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has been always active in many conservation programs, notably the "Mountain Gorilla Veterinary program" and "Project Golden Frog"; it is the American zoo that has breeded the greatest number of African black footed penguins. It also helps rehabilitate local wildlife, especially birds of prey such as bald eagles.

Exhibits

African Journey

The largest area of the zoo, "The African Journey" displays a wide range of animals originating from the continent of Africa.

Such of these African exhibits include:

• Black-tailed prairie dog
• Cranes (black crowned and demoiselle), white stork, ground hornbill
• sitatunga
• African crested porcupine
• African Watering Hole: dama gazelle, Lesser kudu, saddle-billed stork, white rhinoceros, plains zebra, and ostrich
• spur-thighed tortoise, Sulcata tortoise, and Chameleon
• "African Aviary" exhibit: Blue-bellied roller, Hadada ibis, African spoonbill, Von der Decken's hornbill, Hamerkop, Red-crested pochard, Fulvous whistling duck, and Blue duiker
• African leopard
• cheetah
• warthog
• Kirk's dik-dik
• "Chimpanzee Forest" exhibit: chimpanzee, colobus monkey, rock hyrax, Red-tailed guenon, Coquerel's sifaka, and slender-snouted crocodile.
• red ruffed lemur and Ring-tailed lemur
• lion
• giraffe house & okapi
• "Rock Island" exhibit: African black-footed penguin, cormorant
• African elephant
• camel rides

Samson with one of his keepers

The Zoo in Baltimore features a feeding station where guests may interact with the Zoo's five Reticulated Giraffes by feeding them for a small fee.

Renovations on the Elephant exhibit facility began 2007. In March 2006, the Maryland Zoo announced it would be accepting three female African elephants from the Philadelphia Zoo in Pennsylvania as part of the expanded elephant exhibit, but construction was then delayed and later the elephant loan was canceled. However, two new elephants came to the Maryland Zoo from Arkansas in 2007. On March 19, 2008, "Felix", one of the Zoo's female elephants, gave birth to a 290-pound male calf, the first elephant born in the Baltimore Zoo's history. The baby is named "Samson" and is now viewable, weather permitting.

In the spring of 2010, the Zoo's warthogs had two male offspring, which were viewable beginning in May of that year.

The Zoo is currently undergoing construction for a new, state-of-the-art exhibit for its African penguin colony, which is planned to open in the Fall of 2014.

"Maryland Wilderness" featuring The Children's Zoo

Displaying animals found in Maryland, visitors can watch otters swim over their heads, jump across lily pads, explore a cave, or climb into giant bird nests.

• "The Bog": features the bog turtle, an endangered species.
• "Marsh Aviary and Lily Pads": surrounds a man-made stream featuring many species of ducks and other Maryland birds.
• "The Stream": includes river otters and red fox. You can visit a submerged archway, and watch as otters swim overhead.
• "The Cave": a beautifully sculpted life-size model of a cave, featuring more than a dozen small exhibits including snakes, bats, and newts.
• "Giant Tree and Slide": features many native reptiles and amphibians animals, mainly snakes. The slide is a fun way for kids to get back to the ground.
• "Meadow": has animals such as box turtles and American toads. Kids can poke their heads in large bubble-like windows coming out of the ground.
• "The Farmyard": features a variety of rare domestic breeds that can be touched; the highlight is a petting area of friendly African pygmy goats, Nigerian dwarf goats and Nubian goats called "Goat Corral". Other animals included in the section include Cotswold sheep, Sardinian donkey, barn owl, chicken, Trumpeter swan, Ossabaw Island hog, and Miniature Texas Longhorn.

The "Maryland Wilderness" featuring The Children's Zoo is dedicated to donator and supporter, Lyn P. Meyerhoff.

A small-model diesel train makes a one-mile circuit through parts of the Zoo, remembering the heritage of the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the city and state, decorated in the blue and gray colors on the locomotive and cars of the historic road, first railroad built in America. There has been a Zoo Train for many years, though the equipment and route has changed several times. The current train is pulled by a detailed scale replica of the "C. P. Huntington" locomotive, named for a railroading tycoon and magnate in California and Virginia in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

"Polar Bear Watch"

The "Polar Bear Watch" features polar bears named "Magnet" and "Anoki", as well as ravens and arctic foxes. Guests can view bears from underwater viewing areas, or from the windows of an actual massive Tundra Buggy, purchased from the Canadian company that creates these one of kind vehicles for viewing Polar Bears in their natural habitat.

"Magnet" won a contest put forth by "Microsoft's Zoo Tycoon" for best zoo animal. "Magnet" was available as a downloadable patch for the game and during the game, polar bears purchased via the "Magnet" icon would play with a red ball.

External links

• Official website