SALISBURY, Md.- The Salisbury Zoo says it has big plans in its effort to become accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The zoo was stripped of its accreditation back in 2020 due to a lack of a full time veterinarian. The zoo’s new director Chuck Eicholz says it has created a 5 year plan to get its accreditation back.
"New exhibits coming up… we actually have a new eagle exhibit that will be opening hopefully in April. We have a coati exhibit which will hopefully end in the summer or fall time. We are working on a new Osla monkey building," said Eicholz.
Eicholz says one of the requirements the zoo is working on is increasing it’s Andean bear exhibit.
“One of the requirements that we are working on is our bear exhibit. Our bear exhibit was built in the 1970s and hasn't really changed much. So we are building, we are designing a brand new bear exhibit. It will be five times larger than what we currently have, taking over pretty much an eighth of the zoo.”
Eicholz says with each phase of development, the zoo will look to find ways to mitigate flooding. The zoo director said there will also be an emphasis on increasing visibility.
“There is going to be a lot more interaction with guests and the animals. Not necessarily like a petting zoo or anything like that but there will be some sort of interaction where you'll be able to get a better viewing of the animals,” said Eicholz.
Eicholz says the zoo will also be updating its wiring system; some parts of it have not been touched since 1954.
