Maryland Zoo Reopened! Part 2: Maryland Wilderness to Children's Farm

When you reach the end of the Buffalo Yard Road, the first option for a visit is the Maryland Wilderness.  The Maryland Wilderness leads you to the Children's Farm.  In my year of volunteering, I was often assigned to both the wilderness and the farm.  And in my most recent up-graded training, I was certified to interpret at both.  It is my intention to do this once the option becomes viable again.

THE MARYLAND WILDERNESS & CHILDREN'S FARM

What's closed: This is the most interactive and kid friendly part of the zoo.  The turtle statue, The bird Nests (both open and woven--all three a major photo ops), The Lily Pad jumping trail (in the Marsh Aviary), The North American Otter swim over corridor and Hellbender Exhibit, The Maryland Cave (Herpetarium & Bat Habitat), the Giant Tree Slide and Herpetarium, The Turtle Shell Deck (The models were removed, the deck was still open), The Maryland Meadow (Herpetarium), The Alpaca Barn, The Silo Slide, and The Goat Coral.

MARYLAND WILDERNESS

One of the hallmarks of the Maryland wilderness is a walk in the woods.  Besides the contrived exhibits, it is possible to see other native species.  Today, I watched Cardinals, Nuthatches and Wood Thrush, for example.  Speaking of birds, the Marsh Aviary was also open to visitors.

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

Canvasback Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 

Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

The Maryland Wilderness features three mammalian species.  The Seba Bats were off limits in the Maryland Cave (currently closed to the public), the North American River Otters were not out, so it was up the Bobcats, and they did not disappoint.

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Along the path more evidence of renovations.  The bench and memorial to Melanie J. Wentz was cleaned up, and the bench replaced.  The entrance to the newly renovated Giant Tree Herpetarium was closed and barricaded.  Further along the path, the Maryland Meadow, though closed to its underground exhibits, was open.  A careful eye could still spy an Eastern Box Turtle in the outside habitat of the exhibit.

Melanie was a member of the zoo staff who was killed in a tragic crime.

Beneath the giant tree slides is a subterranean herpetarium.  Closed for now.

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

THE CHILDREN FARM

At around 2:15 on the first day the zoo was open again, the farm was decidedly quiet.  The goats were already inside, as were the Alpaca.  The Kune Kune pigs were out, but sleeping, a Cotswold sheep stuck her head out to check me out, Lloyd and Harry were out (our Mediterranean Donkeys), and our Trumpeter Swans were all out, which was a joy to see our newly hatched trio.

Wilber (or Orville?) Kune Kune Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)