Located in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland, the Maryland Zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals. The zoo was established in 1876 and is considered as United States? third oldest zoological park. When struck by a financial crisis in 2004, the zoo decided to close some of its parts. Two of the areas that were closed were the Main Valley and the Reptile house. The reason why they were shut down was that they can no longer hold animals comfortably. The gibbons, the snow leopards, and the reptiles that were kept in the Reptile house were loaned to other zoos after the incident. In 2008, the zoo was featured to be one of America?s Best Zoos, and today, it is home to the largest number of African black footed penguins.