The Maryland Zoo was a pleasant surprise. Reading some negative things about the zoo, I prepared myself. Although the zoo may not have an absolute outstanding exhibit, I found most of them to be very solid and the animals were so active that it was a treat to be there.
The Entrance: Although basic, you walk in looking at a cool otter statue, which prepares you for the many statues at the zoo. I've become a fan of finding unique statues at zoos now, and this one definitely had them. It was the style of the pieces, their bodies were never a smooth one layer. It's hard to explain, but each animal had layers on top of each other that created a cool texture to them. There were also beautiful flowers in bloom and a basic gift shop on your right hand side. The Black Tailed Prairie Dogs were the only animals at the entrance. However, I found their exhibit quite spacious and it was adorable to see all the babies popping out of the holes. You had a choice at this point to take the tram to the rest of the zoo or walk Plaza Pathway to view the old unused paddocks. We chose to take the tram, although I must admit the route for it is shorter than Plaza Pathway, so you almost feel bad you got on it for that short distance.
Tip on using the tram. When wanting to return to the entrance of the zoo, you will see a black scantion which creates you to stand in line to enter the tram. However the scantion does not go far enough back so people at the end of the line have open space to enter the back of the tram without following the line. Although this is a risk, we figured looking at the people in line, they had enough room in the front, and we had enough room in the back. However, the employees operating the tram, weren't happy with our choice, one minute after we sat down, they then told us we had to get up and follow the line. Although I admit we were in the wrong and this would be awful to do on a busy day, we got back in line and behold, we sat down in the same exact seats. So leason to be learned: stay in line!
Polar Bear Watch: Definitely a unique exhibit that makes it fun for all ages. When you first walk into the area, you see an exhibit for the Snowy Owl. The exhibit was average in space, but we all wondered why one lower corner had a bamboo covering over it. We couldn't find any openings in the fence, so I assumed it might have been for the privacy of the Snowy Owl. Maybe it doesn't like to get too close to visitors. This Snowy Owl definitely had personality and was very fun to watch. When you first see the Polar Bear exhibit, you see huge windows for underwater viewing. It would have been great to see the Polar Bears swim, as I find them so majestic in the water, but you can't have everything. Further down the path, you have huge windows looking into the first paddock for the Polar Bears. Dividing the two paddocks is a huge Arctic Tundra Buggy, which makes a well known exhibit. The first Polar Bear was by her door, looking like she wanted to go back in, and biting on the lock. The section by the door might have been blowing cool air on her. I can't be sure, but I believe this Polar Bear is the youngest female who came from Seneca Park Zoo. I missed the Polar Bear from Philadelphia Zoo who came from my home zoo of Seneca Park (Rochester, NY), so it was great to see another offspring. Next you walk below the Tundra Arctic Buggy and there's a mural of North America on one of the walls. The next Polar Bear paddock was more spacious and all offered them soft grass and a decent size pool to swim in. However, this pool area didn't have underground viewing. I believe the male Polar Bear was in this exhibit and he made me miss seeing these type of bears on a regular basis. At one point he ventured over right next to the Buggy, so I ran up the hill inside it to see him from above. As a treat on a warm summer day, the Arctic Tundra Buggy is air conditioned! So do take you time in this section and enjoy the views of each paddock. There were many seats to sit and watch the Polar Bears and informative posters as well. There was also the driver seats where kids or kids at heart could pretend to drive the Buggy.
Before entering the hill for the Buggy, there was a small enclosure for the Arctic Fox, hiding out in a log, and the Raven, taken out of its exhibit as a zookeeper had the bird perched on her arm for visitors to see as they got off the tram. There's also a huge Polar Bear statue lying on its back that is the same design as the Polar Bear in their main logo.
We stopped by Flocker's Field before entering African Journey and we saw Candy Crane. She is an African Crowned Crane who has definitely been imprinted on humans. Her trainers told us she has made a few TV appearances. She would stand on a red box (her known targeting color) and fly to her other keeper for food. It was beautiful to see her wings expand and she's a great ambassador for the zoo.
African Journey: I enjoyed venturing down the board walk and seeing all the different animal exhibits. I might have not planned out the route too well as I backtracked on some to go back to a new section. However, this wasn't such a bad thing as I got to go back and see previous viewed exhibits, which always showed the animals more active the second time around! Now I have a question for people familiar with the zoo's history. When did this zoo have Hippos? Two guests asked at the employees at the tram station where the Hippos were at the zoo. The employee had to tell them the zoo no longer had Hippos, but White Rhinos instead. I was trying to look for paddocks in this section that might have had an empty watering hole where they might have lived. But now that I think about it, were they part of the African Watering Hole section?
When first entering on the board walk, on your right are small enclosures for vultures and another type of African bird. There was a huge exhibit for Sitatungas and Storks. Dense grass and a beautiful waterfall in the middle of this exhibit. You come to a fork in the road, and I chose the path on the right as their were more signs in that direction pointing to animals. There was a Tortoise Yard for Leopard Tortoises and a type of Spurred Tortoise. Seeing this exhibit the second time around was quite funny as we saw a small male dominating a larger female, with her head hiding in her shell. Both this tortoise and the male African Leopard were trying to be future fathers in honor of Father's Day! The African Aviary had many types of the birds, which unfortunately I can't remember. The Blue Bellied Rollers and African Spoonbills are the ones that come to mind. It was an average sized, netted naturalistic exhibit with pools for the waterfowl and perches for the birds to sit on. Looping around the aviary was a path looking into the African Watering Hole, which features White Rhinos, Common Zebras, and Ostriches. The White Rhinos were resting in the dusty section of the paddock, while the Zebras ventured more into the grassy area right next to the watering hole. Right next to this was a lush exhibit for Gazelles, Guinea Fowl, and a type of Stork. All these little animals could easily get lost in the thick grass, but it was nice to try to spot them and know they had some privacy.
Continuing on the path, to your right, are exhibits for the African Leopard and Cheetah. The African Leopard had a decent size exhibit with a great bit tree off to the left that they could climb. The back of the exhibit consisted of a rock wall with many levels for them to sleep on. The area had mostly grass except for a sandy box area that we joked about must have been their litter box. These cats were a lot more active the second time we went by their exhibit. The two Cheetah paddocks were simple and grassy, the last one having a thick patch of tall grass for one of the male Cheetah to hide and sleep behind. On the left was a big exhibit for the Warthog, who unfortunately was showing stereotypical signs of pacing, and a small exhibit next door for the Dik-Dik. Unfortunately we couldn't find this small creature among its exhibit.
The Giraffes had a long paddock to walk about in, which was misleading in how far back it went until you actually went around the exhibit. One end had a feeding station for people to feed them. At first, the Giraffes were reluctant to come over, but one eventually got the bravery to do so. I didn't choose to participate in the feeding, but it might be something I do in the future. The rest of the yard eventually eventually leads to their circular house with their cousin, the Okapi, next door. The Okapi exhibit was very basic and nothing spectacular, but I always love seeing these unique creatures. When you go into the Giraffe House, the center has a large fake tree in the middle that's begging for some type of animal to inhabit the space, if they tweaked the barriers around it. What's cool about this house is that you can peek into the windows to see the different spaces the Giraffes and Okapis can go. Another cool feature, which I didn't see myself, was the walls were just low enough for the Giraffes to stick their heads above and watch the humans below them. Perhaps we were the ones in the center of an exhibit! We all met a very nice docent in this area. Team Tapir and her discussed the Cleveland Zoo and my partner and I told her a little about the Buffalo Zoo. We also got on the subject of the Catoctin Zoo and how non AZA zoos aren't nearly as good as AZA accredited zoos. She told us they recently lost one of their Giraffes who went under anesthesia during a procedure and never recovered, just like the female Giraffe we lost at the Buffalo Zoo. They also lost one of their Okapis.
Before we even ventured to the other side of the Giraffe exhibit, we went to the right of the feeding station to see the Lion exhibit. I believe the same docent was at this station and she told us that the lions were on the other side of the hill which people weren't able to see. It was right where their doors were to go inside and I think there was some air conditioning in that section. The cool part about the back of the exhibit is you could the Giraffes behind the trees if they chose to walk by. So this can creature a predator/prey type of exhibit. Further down the path was Chimpanzee Forest. The indoor area is a long hallway with fake trees in the center and around the exhibits to create the atmosphere. I'm sure some may find the look fake and cheesy, but I appreciated the effort and I'm sure the time it was built, it was more of a spectacle. The Colobus Monkeys were in the first exhibit and they shared it with an African Crested Porcupine and a couple Rock Hyraxes. On the right was a huge, lush tank for Panamanian Golden Frogs. The Chimpanzees were outside today so we quickly walked past their exhibit and found the stars of the day! The Sifakas were amazing to watch. I saw them at the Philadelphia Zoo, but they were all up high and hardly moving. But this trio, consisting of a father, mother, and baby, were bouncing around all over the place. The baby would hop on a limb, be unsure of itself, and hop back on mom's back. They even hoped right next to the glass window looking out on us in curiosity. They were so active we could have spent hours watching them. At the end of this exhibit was a pool for the Slender Snouted Crocodile and a type of Turtle. Both of them were hiding in the back of their pool and blended in quite well with their surroundings. There was also a window where people could see them on their dirt bank.
Another highlight of the day was seeing the Chimpanzees in their outdoor exhibit. This is the first time I have ever seen these Apes in person, and although their may be a lot more wonderful exhibits out there for them, I really had no problems with this one. The cage was around a lush hillside where the Chimpanzees could run and frolic, doing somersalts in delight. There were also tires and fake trees for them to climb on. Such a lively troop and it was so interesting to see the dynamic and to try to spot their Patriarch.
Venturing back on the pathway that almost lead to the beginning of this section, we went back and watched the African Elephants and Black Footed Penguins. The Elephant exhibit wasn't that bad. I loved the platform where you could see both exhibits and look down on the Elephants. I also liked how you could also be on the lower level and be eye to eye with these big, magnificent creatures. I will admit they didn't have a lot of land, but both paddocks had huge pools for them to swim in. The adult females and baby Sampson took advantage of their exhibit and the vegetation around it. One of the females lifted her trunk above the barriers and was grabbing grass to snack on. Another female lifted her trunk way up high and got some leaves on a near by tree. And little Sampson had a blast putting his trunk and leg inside a tire on a chain. The only time I felt pity for these creatures was looking at the lone Bull in his paddock. His head was bobbing back and forth.
The African Black Footed Penguin exhibit may not have a great design, but it didn't matter to me. Even the shallow water or lack of underwater viewing didn't bother me. I have never seen any type of Penguins so active in my life. They came racing through the water. Some were zig zagging in different directions and so many of them would jump in and out of the water. What type of animal did they use to have on this Rock Island? I imagine a type of monkey. Near by was a algae filled pond with quite a few Bull Frogs.
Maryland Wilderness (Children's Zoo): The idea of this section is quite unique and I loved how they embodied Maryland nature. There may have been a lack of animals in sections, as I read before of previous animals here, but I honestly didn't mind walking in this areas admiring the plants around me. The first section, the Bog, was pretty much that as I didn't see any animals here. The Marsh Aviary seemed fun for kids are they could climb into a typical nest, or an unusual Oriole nest. There were also huge lily pads for kids to jump on, and although there was a sign insisting on the desired age range for this design, I couldn't resist hopping down the path! The spaces in between the netted area were big enough for local state birds to come fly into and be a part of this exhibit. I remember seeing a Vulture, different types of Ducks, and a vocal Goose who claiming its territory by the entrance. The Stream probably had the best set of exhibits. Seeing the first viewing area of the Otter exhibit, it was quite beautiful. A land area full of logs, a long stream for them to swim, and a waterfall at the far end. The Otters were enticed with food to stay on their land area. They had some cheerios stuck to their log with peanut butter. The underwater tunnel is something I knew I would enjoy just seeing pictures of it. I would have loved to seen the Otters around me, but I knew they were preoccupied. This small one ended tunnel works best when there isn't a big crowd in it. Eventually they are supposed to get Hellbenders in the exhibit as well. Next door was a big pool area for a Snapping Turtle and land area for a Fox, who must have had a good hiding spot or off exhibit. Next came the cave which hand a slopping path that lead you to different areas. Exhibits for Reptiles, Bats, and statues of Bats and Prehistoric bones. Supposedly, this area was supposed to have a skunk, but I did not see it. Beyond this was a bridge leading to a tree trunk to climb up and reach the top where children and bold adults could go down the slide. There was also a section for people to climb into spinning Turtle shells and pretend to be them. Then we came to the Meadow with the unusual viewing bubbles inside the Eastern Box Turtle exhibit. I admit I actually spotted the Turtles when I returned to the front of their exhibit instead of seeing them in the bubbles. The area also had a mostly unused grassy paddock that had some hives on one side with a bunch of honey bees. The farmyard consisted of Cows, Sheep, Donkeys, etc. We were all entranced by the little Cows with the stout legs. At the end of this section, there was a train station that leads you into the back of the African Journey section.
Could this zoo be more? Of course, but it doesn't mean you can't have a great time visiting it. If you're out of state, should you make a special trip to see it? I would suggest it if you're from a state near by or are passing through. And you could also go to the National Aquarium or Zoo in the same time period. I thought Polar Bear Watch was unique, African Journey had a great variety of animals, and Maryland Wilderness had its charm. Whatever lacked in exhibitry for me was always trumped by the wonderful, active animals! I definitely want to visit this zoo again.
The Entrance: Although basic, you walk in looking at a cool otter statue, which prepares you for the many statues at the zoo. I've become a fan of finding unique statues at zoos now, and this one definitely had them. It was the style of the pieces, their bodies were never a smooth one layer. It's hard to explain, but each animal had layers on top of each other that created a cool texture to them. There were also beautiful flowers in bloom and a basic gift shop on your right hand side. The Black Tailed Prairie Dogs were the only animals at the entrance. However, I found their exhibit quite spacious and it was adorable to see all the babies popping out of the holes. You had a choice at this point to take the tram to the rest of the zoo or walk Plaza Pathway to view the old unused paddocks. We chose to take the tram, although I must admit the route for it is shorter than Plaza Pathway, so you almost feel bad you got on it for that short distance.
Tip on using the tram. When wanting to return to the entrance of the zoo, you will see a black scantion which creates you to stand in line to enter the tram. However the scantion does not go far enough back so people at the end of the line have open space to enter the back of the tram without following the line. Although this is a risk, we figured looking at the people in line, they had enough room in the front, and we had enough room in the back. However, the employees operating the tram, weren't happy with our choice, one minute after we sat down, they then told us we had to get up and follow the line. Although I admit we were in the wrong and this would be awful to do on a busy day, we got back in line and behold, we sat down in the same exact seats. So leason to be learned: stay in line!
Polar Bear Watch: Definitely a unique exhibit that makes it fun for all ages. When you first walk into the area, you see an exhibit for the Snowy Owl. The exhibit was average in space, but we all wondered why one lower corner had a bamboo covering over it. We couldn't find any openings in the fence, so I assumed it might have been for the privacy of the Snowy Owl. Maybe it doesn't like to get too close to visitors. This Snowy Owl definitely had personality and was very fun to watch. When you first see the Polar Bear exhibit, you see huge windows for underwater viewing. It would have been great to see the Polar Bears swim, as I find them so majestic in the water, but you can't have everything. Further down the path, you have huge windows looking into the first paddock for the Polar Bears. Dividing the two paddocks is a huge Arctic Tundra Buggy, which makes a well known exhibit. The first Polar Bear was by her door, looking like she wanted to go back in, and biting on the lock. The section by the door might have been blowing cool air on her. I can't be sure, but I believe this Polar Bear is the youngest female who came from Seneca Park Zoo. I missed the Polar Bear from Philadelphia Zoo who came from my home zoo of Seneca Park (Rochester, NY), so it was great to see another offspring. Next you walk below the Tundra Arctic Buggy and there's a mural of North America on one of the walls. The next Polar Bear paddock was more spacious and all offered them soft grass and a decent size pool to swim in. However, this pool area didn't have underground viewing. I believe the male Polar Bear was in this exhibit and he made me miss seeing these type of bears on a regular basis. At one point he ventured over right next to the Buggy, so I ran up the hill inside it to see him from above. As a treat on a warm summer day, the Arctic Tundra Buggy is air conditioned! So do take you time in this section and enjoy the views of each paddock. There were many seats to sit and watch the Polar Bears and informative posters as well. There was also the driver seats where kids or kids at heart could pretend to drive the Buggy.
Before entering the hill for the Buggy, there was a small enclosure for the Arctic Fox, hiding out in a log, and the Raven, taken out of its exhibit as a zookeeper had the bird perched on her arm for visitors to see as they got off the tram. There's also a huge Polar Bear statue lying on its back that is the same design as the Polar Bear in their main logo.
We stopped by Flocker's Field before entering African Journey and we saw Candy Crane. She is an African Crowned Crane who has definitely been imprinted on humans. Her trainers told us she has made a few TV appearances. She would stand on a red box (her known targeting color) and fly to her other keeper for food. It was beautiful to see her wings expand and she's a great ambassador for the zoo.
African Journey: I enjoyed venturing down the board walk and seeing all the different animal exhibits. I might have not planned out the route too well as I backtracked on some to go back to a new section. However, this wasn't such a bad thing as I got to go back and see previous viewed exhibits, which always showed the animals more active the second time around! Now I have a question for people familiar with the zoo's history. When did this zoo have Hippos? Two guests asked at the employees at the tram station where the Hippos were at the zoo. The employee had to tell them the zoo no longer had Hippos, but White Rhinos instead. I was trying to look for paddocks in this section that might have had an empty watering hole where they might have lived. But now that I think about it, were they part of the African Watering Hole section?
When first entering on the board walk, on your right are small enclosures for vultures and another type of African bird. There was a huge exhibit for Sitatungas and Storks. Dense grass and a beautiful waterfall in the middle of this exhibit. You come to a fork in the road, and I chose the path on the right as their were more signs in that direction pointing to animals. There was a Tortoise Yard for Leopard Tortoises and a type of Spurred Tortoise. Seeing this exhibit the second time around was quite funny as we saw a small male dominating a larger female, with her head hiding in her shell. Both this tortoise and the male African Leopard were trying to be future fathers in honor of Father's Day! The African Aviary had many types of the birds, which unfortunately I can't remember. The Blue Bellied Rollers and African Spoonbills are the ones that come to mind. It was an average sized, netted naturalistic exhibit with pools for the waterfowl and perches for the birds to sit on. Looping around the aviary was a path looking into the African Watering Hole, which features White Rhinos, Common Zebras, and Ostriches. The White Rhinos were resting in the dusty section of the paddock, while the Zebras ventured more into the grassy area right next to the watering hole. Right next to this was a lush exhibit for Gazelles, Guinea Fowl, and a type of Stork. All these little animals could easily get lost in the thick grass, but it was nice to try to spot them and know they had some privacy.
Continuing on the path, to your right, are exhibits for the African Leopard and Cheetah. The African Leopard had a decent size exhibit with a great bit tree off to the left that they could climb. The back of the exhibit consisted of a rock wall with many levels for them to sleep on. The area had mostly grass except for a sandy box area that we joked about must have been their litter box. These cats were a lot more active the second time we went by their exhibit. The two Cheetah paddocks were simple and grassy, the last one having a thick patch of tall grass for one of the male Cheetah to hide and sleep behind. On the left was a big exhibit for the Warthog, who unfortunately was showing stereotypical signs of pacing, and a small exhibit next door for the Dik-Dik. Unfortunately we couldn't find this small creature among its exhibit.
The Giraffes had a long paddock to walk about in, which was misleading in how far back it went until you actually went around the exhibit. One end had a feeding station for people to feed them. At first, the Giraffes were reluctant to come over, but one eventually got the bravery to do so. I didn't choose to participate in the feeding, but it might be something I do in the future. The rest of the yard eventually eventually leads to their circular house with their cousin, the Okapi, next door. The Okapi exhibit was very basic and nothing spectacular, but I always love seeing these unique creatures. When you go into the Giraffe House, the center has a large fake tree in the middle that's begging for some type of animal to inhabit the space, if they tweaked the barriers around it. What's cool about this house is that you can peek into the windows to see the different spaces the Giraffes and Okapis can go. Another cool feature, which I didn't see myself, was the walls were just low enough for the Giraffes to stick their heads above and watch the humans below them. Perhaps we were the ones in the center of an exhibit! We all met a very nice docent in this area. Team Tapir and her discussed the Cleveland Zoo and my partner and I told her a little about the Buffalo Zoo. We also got on the subject of the Catoctin Zoo and how non AZA zoos aren't nearly as good as AZA accredited zoos. She told us they recently lost one of their Giraffes who went under anesthesia during a procedure and never recovered, just like the female Giraffe we lost at the Buffalo Zoo. They also lost one of their Okapis.
Before we even ventured to the other side of the Giraffe exhibit, we went to the right of the feeding station to see the Lion exhibit. I believe the same docent was at this station and she told us that the lions were on the other side of the hill which people weren't able to see. It was right where their doors were to go inside and I think there was some air conditioning in that section. The cool part about the back of the exhibit is you could the Giraffes behind the trees if they chose to walk by. So this can creature a predator/prey type of exhibit. Further down the path was Chimpanzee Forest. The indoor area is a long hallway with fake trees in the center and around the exhibits to create the atmosphere. I'm sure some may find the look fake and cheesy, but I appreciated the effort and I'm sure the time it was built, it was more of a spectacle. The Colobus Monkeys were in the first exhibit and they shared it with an African Crested Porcupine and a couple Rock Hyraxes. On the right was a huge, lush tank for Panamanian Golden Frogs. The Chimpanzees were outside today so we quickly walked past their exhibit and found the stars of the day! The Sifakas were amazing to watch. I saw them at the Philadelphia Zoo, but they were all up high and hardly moving. But this trio, consisting of a father, mother, and baby, were bouncing around all over the place. The baby would hop on a limb, be unsure of itself, and hop back on mom's back. They even hoped right next to the glass window looking out on us in curiosity. They were so active we could have spent hours watching them. At the end of this exhibit was a pool for the Slender Snouted Crocodile and a type of Turtle. Both of them were hiding in the back of their pool and blended in quite well with their surroundings. There was also a window where people could see them on their dirt bank.
Another highlight of the day was seeing the Chimpanzees in their outdoor exhibit. This is the first time I have ever seen these Apes in person, and although their may be a lot more wonderful exhibits out there for them, I really had no problems with this one. The cage was around a lush hillside where the Chimpanzees could run and frolic, doing somersalts in delight. There were also tires and fake trees for them to climb on. Such a lively troop and it was so interesting to see the dynamic and to try to spot their Patriarch.
Venturing back on the pathway that almost lead to the beginning of this section, we went back and watched the African Elephants and Black Footed Penguins. The Elephant exhibit wasn't that bad. I loved the platform where you could see both exhibits and look down on the Elephants. I also liked how you could also be on the lower level and be eye to eye with these big, magnificent creatures. I will admit they didn't have a lot of land, but both paddocks had huge pools for them to swim in. The adult females and baby Sampson took advantage of their exhibit and the vegetation around it. One of the females lifted her trunk above the barriers and was grabbing grass to snack on. Another female lifted her trunk way up high and got some leaves on a near by tree. And little Sampson had a blast putting his trunk and leg inside a tire on a chain. The only time I felt pity for these creatures was looking at the lone Bull in his paddock. His head was bobbing back and forth.
The African Black Footed Penguin exhibit may not have a great design, but it didn't matter to me. Even the shallow water or lack of underwater viewing didn't bother me. I have never seen any type of Penguins so active in my life. They came racing through the water. Some were zig zagging in different directions and so many of them would jump in and out of the water. What type of animal did they use to have on this Rock Island? I imagine a type of monkey. Near by was a algae filled pond with quite a few Bull Frogs.
Maryland Wilderness (Children's Zoo): The idea of this section is quite unique and I loved how they embodied Maryland nature. There may have been a lack of animals in sections, as I read before of previous animals here, but I honestly didn't mind walking in this areas admiring the plants around me. The first section, the Bog, was pretty much that as I didn't see any animals here. The Marsh Aviary seemed fun for kids are they could climb into a typical nest, or an unusual Oriole nest. There were also huge lily pads for kids to jump on, and although there was a sign insisting on the desired age range for this design, I couldn't resist hopping down the path! The spaces in between the netted area were big enough for local state birds to come fly into and be a part of this exhibit. I remember seeing a Vulture, different types of Ducks, and a vocal Goose who claiming its territory by the entrance. The Stream probably had the best set of exhibits. Seeing the first viewing area of the Otter exhibit, it was quite beautiful. A land area full of logs, a long stream for them to swim, and a waterfall at the far end. The Otters were enticed with food to stay on their land area. They had some cheerios stuck to their log with peanut butter. The underwater tunnel is something I knew I would enjoy just seeing pictures of it. I would have loved to seen the Otters around me, but I knew they were preoccupied. This small one ended tunnel works best when there isn't a big crowd in it. Eventually they are supposed to get Hellbenders in the exhibit as well. Next door was a big pool area for a Snapping Turtle and land area for a Fox, who must have had a good hiding spot or off exhibit. Next came the cave which hand a slopping path that lead you to different areas. Exhibits for Reptiles, Bats, and statues of Bats and Prehistoric bones. Supposedly, this area was supposed to have a skunk, but I did not see it. Beyond this was a bridge leading to a tree trunk to climb up and reach the top where children and bold adults could go down the slide. There was also a section for people to climb into spinning Turtle shells and pretend to be them. Then we came to the Meadow with the unusual viewing bubbles inside the Eastern Box Turtle exhibit. I admit I actually spotted the Turtles when I returned to the front of their exhibit instead of seeing them in the bubbles. The area also had a mostly unused grassy paddock that had some hives on one side with a bunch of honey bees. The farmyard consisted of Cows, Sheep, Donkeys, etc. We were all entranced by the little Cows with the stout legs. At the end of this section, there was a train station that leads you into the back of the African Journey section.
Could this zoo be more? Of course, but it doesn't mean you can't have a great time visiting it. If you're out of state, should you make a special trip to see it? I would suggest it if you're from a state near by or are passing through. And you could also go to the National Aquarium or Zoo in the same time period. I thought Polar Bear Watch was unique, African Journey had a great variety of animals, and Maryland Wilderness had its charm. Whatever lacked in exhibitry for me was always trumped by the wonderful, active animals! I definitely want to visit this zoo again.
n a side note I do not think location helps this zoo at all as it was surrounded by one of the worst neighborhood's we have ever seen a zoo situated in.I think Baldur had mentioned this to us once,man was he right.But once inside the confines of the zoo it really is nice place to visit.
. Is the current elephant exhibit the proposed expansion from years ago? Or has that yet to occur?