Winter at Maryland Zoo: Who stays in, who stays out
BALTIMORE, Md. (WHTM) – The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore just announced admission to the zoo will drop from $24 to $18 from December 1 until March 1. During the coldest months of the year, both animals and visitors just aren’t as active, and some animals must be kept inside for their health and safety.
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This means animals you’ll see on a given day will depend on weather conditions.
The Zoo’s press release included a link to a list of how the animals will be spending the winter.
There are a few surprises:
Say the word penguin and the first image that pops into your head is likely to be king and emperor penguins walking across the ice floes of Antarctica. But African penguins like those at the zoo prefer things a little warmer. They live along the southern tip of Africa – a little cool, but not Antarctica by a long shot. They might stay indoors during serious cold snaps, but do have access to the outdoor part of their habitat, with the big swimming pool.
The second Saturday in October is African Penguin Day! They need our help.
Nothing says “tropical climate” like a flock of flamingos. But while they usually stay south, they can come north, as they demonstrated earlier this year. They aren’t bothered by cold, and unless the weather gets really bad, they’re usually out all winter.
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Prairie dogs get to have it both ways. They have a large outdoor exhibit, but they also have burrows. If the weather gets too nasty, they can shelter in place. Most of the time, though, they’ll probably be topside.
Animals of the African Journey exhibit can be surprisingly resilient. While we think of them as hot weather animals, a lot of them can safely stay out any time temperatures get above 40 degrees. The African Lions are actually willing to get out in the snow!
Both giraffes and okapis, on the other hand, are a bit more cold-sensitive. They’ll likely spend most of their time indoors, but the doors to their building will stay open unless temperatures drop too low.
Elephants will probably go indoors if the temperature drops below 45 degrees.
Rhinoceroses (and Zebras) will probably go outdoors if the temperature rises above 40 degrees.
The leopard and Sulcata tortoises will spend the winter indoors, and will not be on display.
Otters will stay out all winter because hey, they’re otters.
To see the complete list of who will and will not be out enjoying the cold weather, click here.
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