Plumpton Park Zoo

About Plumpton Park Zoo

Plumpton Park Zoo is a nonprofit zoo at 1416 Telegraph Road in Rising Sun, in Cecil County, Maryland. The zoo describes itself as a 501(c)(3) organization whose admissions and memberships fund animal care, rescue work and educational programs. It is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The zoo's website says it houses more than 200 animals, and Wikipedia gives over 180 exotic animals of 60 species, so counts vary by source and date. The zoo says about half of its animals are rescues from owners who could no longer care for them. The grounds sit along Maryland Route 273, part of the Mason and Dixon Scenic Byway according to Wikipedia, a short drive from Interstate 95 and Route 1.

The property also holds the Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The zoo's website describes a water-powered gristmill built by Jeremiah Brown Sr. in 1734 beside North East Creek.

History

The zoo's beginnings are tied to its founder, Edward C. Plumstead. WMAR reported that he began keeping animals in 1966, when he brought two white European fallow deer to his property, and that the zoo took its name from an old English poem about lords and ladies walking with fallow deer in Plumpton Park. Wikipedia says the zoo started on his family estate with deer and a few domestic animals.

Sources disagree on the opening year. Wikipedia gives 1985, while the Cecil Daily and WMAR both say 1986. Over the following years the collection grew to include exotic animals whose owners could no longer keep them. The Cecil Daily reported that the facility held as many as 300 animals at its peak, including a Siberian tiger, giraffes, monkeys, prairie dogs, peacocks and bison.

In August 2010 the original zoo closed. The zoo's website posted a message thanking supporters and saying closure was due to conditions beyond its control, and the Cecil Daily quoted the county's tourism coordinator saying Plumstead, then in his 80s, could no longer run it. The newspaper reported that he worked with Catoctin Wildlife Preserve in Thurmont, Maryland, to find homes for animals. WMAR reported that a new organization took over that same month, reopening and renovating the facility, and that Plumstead continued to volunteer.

Under the new organization, the zoo has operated continuously since 2010 and runs today as a nonprofit. On July 18, 2020, a fire broke out in its reptile house. CBS Baltimore reported that two snakes and four birds died, among them a ball python named Fluffy and a blue and gold macaw named Jule, both animal ambassadors in education programs. Keepers rescued eight other animals from the building, including an alligator, a pixie frog, a tarantula, tortoises and other snakes. The fire marshal's assessment, as reported, was that it started near one of the reptile fixtures. The zoo moved surviving animals to temporary enclosures and appealed for donations and volunteers.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's website lists its animals by category. Named mammals include reticulated giraffes, white lions, Bengal and Siberian tigers, a clouded leopard, cougars, European brown bears and American black bears, Arctic wolves, two-toed sloths, Grant's zebras, Bactrian and dromedary camels, alpacas, ringtail lemurs and siamang gibbons. Birds include Harris's hawks, barred owls, snowy owls, blue and gold macaws, red golden pheasants, Moluccan cockatoos and peafowl. Reptiles and amphibians include Aldabra giant tortoises, sulcata tortoises, red-tailed boas, ball pythons and red-footed tortoises, and the site's animal menu also lists koi.

The zoo lists several signature experiences. Giraffe feeding takes place at noon on weekdays and at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekends and in summer, according to the zoo's website. Visitors can also book sloth encounters. Gemstone and fossil panning and miniature golf are listed among the activities on the grounds.

Conservation and programs

Rescue is the zoo's main stated mission. Its website says about half of its animals came to it from owners unable to care for them, and that admission and membership income supports rescue and care. The zoo's website lists school field trips with guided tours, summer camps, birthday parties, group visits and internships.

The zoo holds seasonal and fundraising events, which its website names as Boo at the Zoo, Feast with the Beast, ZooLights, Safari Soiree and Brew at the Zoo. It also lists wedding venue services and annual memberships that include unlimited admission for a year.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, the zoo is open seven days a week and closes only on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The general season runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with last admission at 4 p.m. The summer season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last admission at 5 p.m.

Ticket categories on the zoo's website are adults (13 and older), children (2 to 12), seniors (60 and older), and children under 2, who are free. Advance tickets are not required but are recommended for busy weekends and holidays, and online booking is available through the zoo's ticketing page. Ticket prices are on the zoo's website. The website lists free parking, and payment at the box office by major cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. E-gift cards are available.

The zoo's phone number is 410-658-6850.