Salisbury, MD - The Salisbury Zoo closed early on Thursday, November 30, 2023, due to one of their bison, breaking part of the fencing of the exhibit.  

Zoo officials say the bison was playing with the fencing and once she broke the fence, she ate some bamboo, which was located right outside of the interior fence line. 

Though she left her exhibit area, she remained contained by the second barrier fence line surrounding the exhibit. The Zoo was evacuated, and nobody was injured as a result of this incident. 

Salisbury Zoo Staff followed all of the Salisbury Zoo's animal escape protocols and were able to get the bison to walk back into the exhibit calmly. 

The Zoo's two bison are trained to respond to a recall device. Both bison responded to the recall and were locked into the back area of the exhibit. 

The Salisbury Zoo has an extensive safety program and protocols for many different emergency scenarios. 

The entire staff, along with volunteers, practice the safety protocols monthly in real-time drills. All drills include a post-review session so that any necessary adjustments can be made.