Henri Gravel of New London, Pa., gets a good look at one of the miniature donkeys at the Plumpton Park zoo in Rising Sun, Md. He was visiting the reopened zoo with his parents Michaela McCormick and Francois Gravel.
Photo taken at 1/3000, f4.8 and 400 ISO at 112mm on a 70-300 lens.
One of the nicest, most family-friendly travel stops in the area has reopened with an eye on the future.
Plumpton Park Zoo, a non-profit zoo about three miles east of Rising Sun, Md., (and about 55 miles from York), plans its grand ceremonial reopening for the weekend of June 4, but it's open today. Last year, after a series of management changes and financial problems, the zoo was closed for much of the summer. While it was closed, the new management, under board president Cheryl Lacovara, shifted into gear to fix the 26 violations found by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
On some weekends, says Nick Lacovara (Cheryl's husband/attorney), 60 or 70 volunteers descended on the zoo to clean, dig, prune, build and tear down. Many had grown up visiting Plumpton Park and didn't want it to disappear. Businesses, like 84 Lumber, donated truckloads of wood for posts and new buildings. Workers found 800 feet of eight-foot high coated fence on Craig's List. Master Gardeners visited the zoo and planned and planted gardens and new bushes.
In recent years, the zoo population had exploded to 300 animals, including large herds of deer, goats and sheep. And 15 miniature donkeys. Many of the animals were given away, including some to Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo, near Thurmont, Md. Nick admits to fewer animals now, but points out the animal population has changed from farm to zoo. Plumpton Park will focus on exotics again.
You've got to enjoy a zoo that allows visitors to see the animals, instead of guessing that a tiger is hiding in the bushes 50 yards away. Sis, the Siberian tiger here, is within 'clucking' distance, a noise she has heard a million times before from people. She barely raises an ear. Louie, the black bear, performs for anyone who will watch. And Nicole, a cougar, lounges on her bed within 10 feet of her fans. Bruno, the Watusi bull, has horns as long as he is wide. At 2,400 pounds, he's very wide, and apparently very sleepy.
But Jimmie the giraffe is the star of the show. His play area is in the zoo's center and he's one of the elder statesmen at 16-years old. On my first visit here years ago, it was a thrill watching Jimmie reaching over the fence to lick my hand. Those days, however, are gone-- to protect the animals from eating 'stuff' offered by well-meaning fans.
Check the reptile house for Pumba, an 18-foot, 200-pound Burmese python.
A new giraffe house--and maybe a conference center-- are planned. The mill, built in 1734 is on the National Register, and plans to refurbish that are in the works.
But for now, the zoo is digging itself out of a financial hole, and cleaning up the zoo itself. It has a way to go-- much of the facility is beat-up and decrepit-- but the optimism in Nick's voice is good to hear.
For directions to the Plumpton Park Zoo, click
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The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $6 for ages 4-12.
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