xml:space="preserve">
Advertisement

Maryland Zoo to open bobcat exhibit in 2017
By Brittany Britto
Nov 21, 2016 at 4:36 PM
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is renovating space for a bobcat exhibit that will open in spring of 2017, and house Kilgore the bobcat (above). (Maryland Zoo in Baltimore / HANDOUT)

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has started to make room for one of its newest species — bobcats.

The zoo has begun renovating space in its Maryland Wilderness area, repurposing the exhibit that formerly housed red foxes and turning it into the new home for the nocturnal felines, according to a recent news release. It will be the first time the zoo has hosted bobcats since 2006.

"We are demolishing some of the high rock walls that previously surrounded the water feature and will create a lot of vertical space to give the bobcats room to climb and jump," zoo president and CEO Don Hutchinson said in a statement. "I think both the bobcats and our zoo visitors will love what we are building."

Advertisement
Several visitors to The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore react to the incident at the Cincinnati Zoo in which a child climbed into the gorilla enclosure forcing officials to shoot the endangered animal. (Barbara Haddock Taylor & Jessica Anderson, Baltimore Sun video)

The 770-square-foot exhibit, which will be adjacent to the otters and include a pool, is expected to open in the spring.

In the meantime, the zoo has been taking care of one young male bobcat named Kilgore behind the scenes.

Advertisement
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is celebrating its 140th anniversary with a Zoobilee gala this Friday. We dug through our archives to bring you a story of perhaps
By Christina Tkacik
Sep 21, 2016 at 8:47 PM

Named after Maryland's second-highest vertical waterfall  — Kilgore Falls in Rocks State Park — the bobcat was found by a fisherman in Oregon in June. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife took care of Kilgore before staff at the Oregon Zoo took him in at just 6 weeks old, weighing less than 2 pounds. In September, Kilgore was transferred to the Maryland Zoo, where he's grown to 10.5 pounds.

In addition to Kilgore, Maryland Zoo spokesperson Jane Ballentine said the zoo expects one more bobcat in the exhibit.

Advertisement
YOU'VE REACHED YOUR FREE ARTICLE LIMIT

Don't miss our 4th of July sale!
Save big on local news.

SALE ENDS SOON

Unlimited Digital Access

$1 FOR 12 WEEKS

CONTINUE TO CHECKOUT
No commitment, cancel anytime

See what's included

Access includes:
Go to homepage | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy