What is the Maryland Zoo doing?

The Zoo will be closed reopen to the public on June 27th with modified ticketing and operations. Read the full guidelines here.

Some ticketed programs including Yoga at the Zoo, Breakfast with the Animals and other events are being rescheduled. For questions about specific events, contact events@marylandzoo.org.

Click here to read the full press release regarding the extended closure.

Please check this page, our Facebook or subscribe to Zoo emails for future updates.

Animal Care:

At The Maryland Zoo, we are #AllForAnimals – they are at the heart of everything we do. We want to assure you that our animals are healthy, and we will continue to provide them with dedicated care.

On April 5, 2020, it was reported that a tiger at the Bronx Zoo had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans). This is the first instance of a zoo animal being infected with COVID-19.

The USDA has issued a statement regarding this situation, which includes some questions and answers regarding the infected big cat in New York and domestic cats that you can read here.

We continue to update our staff protocols to take extra precautions to ensure that our animals stay healthy. These precautions have been in place for several weeks in our primate areas due to potential susceptibility to the virus, and are now being expanded to areas where we care for the big cats in African Journey, as well as the bobcats and otters in Maryland Wilderness. This will be expanded to other species as more information becomes available indicating that need. This includes:

  • Enhancing our personal protective equipment (PPE) use and disinfection protocols
  • Limiting staff access to behind the scenes areas housing potentially susceptible species
  • Screening of staff for symptoms.

We will remain in touch with our veterinary networks to stay up-to-date on any developments and make changes as necessary to protect both the animals and the staff who are providing their daily care.