immersive habitat that provides the best in animal care and public education to help connect people with nature.”
The penguins’ previous habitat at the zoo was Rock Island, a space filled with stone and shallow water that had little resemblance to South Africa, the penguins’ home country, Fowler says. Designers of the Penguin Coast kept this in mind when creating the new habitat, which is modeled to look like a South African fishing village and includes a 180,000-gallon pool so the penguins can swim in full circles. Visitors can pop into the adjacent Penguin Education Center to watch the animals swim and flip underwater and to learn more about this species.
The Maryland Zoo is also directly contributing to the survival of the African penguins, which have been classified as critically endangered by The International Union for Conservation of Nature. More than 1,000 African penguins have hatched at the zoo over the years and are often transferred to other zoos under the AZA Species Survival Plan Program. Moreover, The Maryland Zoo’ s bird curator Jen Kottyan oversees other accredited zoos around the country that have African penguin breeding programs.
HAVE YOU HEARD?
THE 745-ACRE DRUID HILL PARK, A VERDANT CITY RETREAT THAT IS THE HOME OF THE MARYLAND ZOO IN BALTIMORE, CONTAINS AN ABUNDANCE OF ACTIVITIES— AND THERE’ S MUCH MORE TO COME.
The city recently completed the Druid Lake project, a multi-year endeavor to prevent contamination in city drinking water by storing it underground in two massive tanks. This has left Druid Hill Lake, an open-air reservoir that once stored the drinking water, available for recreational use. The renovation project will transform the lake in the coming years into a hub for swimming, boating and kayaking, with a café, boathouse and amphitheater on site.
Until then, visitors can still take in the beauty of nature through these off-the-beaten-path activities in the park:
Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens
Founded in 1888, this second-oldest conservatory in the United States contains colorful blooms, cacti and more, displayed in its four spaces: The Palm House, known for its Victorian architecture, and the Mediterranean, Tropical and Desert greenhouses. Bench seating throughout offers a calming space to take a break. In the tropical area, children will delight at seeing a surprise at the end of the winding path: a small water feature with glittering fish and baby waterfalls.
Disc Golf
Practice throwing a frisbee into brightly colored wire buckets among trees and rolling hills at the park’ s three disc golf courses, which are called Legacy, Forest Drive and Hillway.
The Loop
Enjoy a jaunt around the serene Druid Hill Lake, the historic reservoir that is the site of the upcoming recreational renovation project, on this recently reopened walking path just a short drive from The Maryland Zoo.
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