Salisbury Zoo facts for kids
Salisbury Zoo logo
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Sign entering the Salisbury Zoo
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| Date opened | 1954 |
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| Location | Salisbury, Maryland, United States |
| Land area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Coordinates | 38°21′40″N 75°34′58″W / 38.3610°N 75.5828°W |
| No. of animals | 100+ |
| Annual visitors | 300,000+ |
The Salisbury Zoo is a cool place to visit in Salisbury, Maryland. It's a 12-acre zoo located in the city park on the Delmarva Peninsula. What's really great is that admission to the Salisbury Zoo is completely free!
The zoo is home to over 100 animals. Many of these animals come from North, South America, and Australia. You can see amazing creatures like wallabys, American alligators, and colorful flamingos. They also have playful North American river otters, sneaky ocelots, and unique Patagonian cavies. Don't miss the red wolves, sleepy two-toed sloths, and powerful jaguars. You might even spot llamas, turtles, and bright macaws. The zoo also cares for rescued raptors and owls, plus a special spectacled or Andean bear.
Discover the Salisbury Zoo's History
The Salisbury Zoo first opened its doors in 1954. Back then, it started with a few animals on display in the city park. Over time, the zoo grew and got better. In the 1970s, big improvements were made. This led to the natural-looking homes you see today for animals from North, Central, and South America.
The zoo is managed by a group of nine people. They are chosen by the mayor of Salisbury. The zoo gets its funding from the City of Salisbury and a helpful non-profit group called the Delmarva Zoological Society. This support helps the zoo take great care of its animals.
Recently, the zoo finished a big project. They raised $3 million to build new facilities. These include a modern animal health clinic and a new Environmental Center. They also added an exciting new exhibit for Australian animals.
Remembering the Oldest Spectacled Bears
The Salisbury Zoo has been home to some very special animals. One of them was a spectacled or Andean bear named Poopsie. She was known as the oldest captive-born spectacled bear in the world in 2011. Poopsie was born in December 1973. She came to the Salisbury Zoo when she was just 7 months old, in July 1974.
Poopsie had two groups of cubs in 1980 and 1981. She lived longer than all of her cubs. Spectacled bears usually live to be about 25 to 28 years old. Poopsie turned 37 in December 2010! Sadly, she passed away peacefully in November 2011. This was due to old age and health problems like arthritis.
Another important Andean bear at the zoo was Gritto. He was the oldest known Andean bear to have cubs successfully. Gritto was born in January 1991. He became a father to a cub named Alba in January 2015. Gritto passed away in October 2015 due to health issues.
