Sunday, August 31, 2014

Ready To Visit Maryland Zoo's Penguin Coast?


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By Joanna Campbell
 
Penguin Coast is set to open September 27th at the Maryland Zoo and I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes hard-hat tour…

RELATED: See the FULL Photo Gallery here

Penguin Coast will feature a 360-degree swimming area around a specially built facility designed with the animals and keepers in mind. The penguin building, modeled after a makeshift fishing and mining camp, will have better air circulation and a bigger kitchen then the current Rock Island facility, as well as a bathroom, showers, and lockers for keepers. There will also be a state-of-the-art safety system in place with fire alarms, security, and animal escape alarms.

Photo by JoPhoto by Jo

A super cool new feature will be the option to pay for behind the scene tours with the zoo’s ambassador penguins – with on site education and meet & greets (once the penguins have settled in to their new homes.)

The plan to move the penguins from Rock Island to a new home has been years in the making, but the actual construction started in July 2013. The 11-million-dollar project makes use of the old Hippo House, which has been vacant since 1999.

Photo by Jo
The Maryland Zoo has the one of the top penguin programs in the world, and their new home on Penguin Coast will showcase our little tuxedo-ed feathered friends in a fun and accessible way for fans of all ages!

For more: http://www.marylandzoo.org/animals-conservation/new-african-penguin-exhibit/

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