New At The Zoo

You may see a lot of new faces—and places—when The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore opens its doors seven days a week starting March 1.

Over
the winter, the zoo gained a boatload of new animals, through births
and acquisitions—including adorable lion cubs Luke, Leia, and Zuri; a
baby black-and-white colobus monkey named Gonzo; and two 1-year-old
reticulated giraffes Anuli and Juma, pictured.

“We are
very happy to have them join the herd,” says Carey Ricciardone, mammal
collection and conservation manager. “The two young females have been
acclimating nicely to the Giraffe House and are very cooperative with
the keepers.”

Additionally, in the spring, the zoo is reopening
its Marsh Aviary and African Aviary, both of which sustained extensive
damage in the 2010 blizzards.

Another long-term build is the new
$10.4-million African Penguin Exhibit, which debuts in the fall and will
double the number of birds and include underwater-viewing features and a
wave pool.

The viewers will be able to see the penguins from
every angle possible,” says Don Hutchinson, the zoo’s president/CEO. “We
think this new exhibit will redefine the zoo.”