Beat the heat with some cool animal experiences

BALTIMORE, MD – Chill out with some mid-year holiday cheer at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore this Thursday, July 25. The Zoo offers a cool twist on animal enrichment and experiences with a Christmas in July theme.

See animal habitats decked with fresh-cut pine boughs from the BGE Browse Program and mounds of ice shavings donated from Mt. Pleasant Ice Arena. Watch polar bears, grizzly bears, North American river otters and the Arctic fox enjoy special ice treats.

“Pine trees provide many different enrichment opportunities. They can provide shade and perching for many of the birds. It can also provide olfactory and tactile enrichment for many of the animals. Keepers can hide a variety of foods in and on the pine trees so they can use natural behaviors to forage and find those food items,” said Julie Grove, Animal Embassy area manager at the Zoo.

Zoo mascots, Sven the African penguin and Rita the reticulated giraffe, will be available for photo ops. Themed enrichment will be offered throughout the day.