center and gates which previously had been open to the surrounding Park. In later decades, by 2004, a course of action between the City and the Society resulted in a semi-private and new independent operation arrangement with a separate board of trustees for the Zoo with increased private, state and suburban counties funding to supplement the restricting resources of the central City. This also resulted in a renaming of the old City Zoo as "The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore." For several decades from the 1950s to the 1970s, the City Zoo was made famous locally through the media-savvy and through the new medium of television with programs and promotions of Dr. Arthur Watson, the long-time zoo director. In 1980, when the famous iconic "Harborplace" festival marketplace pavilions at the Inner Harbor by developer James Rouse, opened by downtown Baltimore's waterfront business district and its Patapsco River and Harbor, one of the stalls/stores was of stuffed and children's play fiber animals called "Dr. Watson's Zoo," owned and operated by the now retired Dr. Watson. In 2004, the zoo was struck by financial problems and was forced to reduce its collection size temporarily by closing parts of the zoo. The original Main Valley was closed due to its age, being incapable of holding animals comfortably with their older style of iron-barred cages and stone walls, and in addition, the Reptile House which is located some distance away from the main zoo in an adjacent section of the Park was closed. The reptiles, as well as gibbons, tigers, and snow leopards, were sent to other zoos and aquariums. By 2008, Baltimore's Maryland Zoo was featured in "America's Best Zoos 2008." On September 28, 2021, the zoo reopened the original Main Valley to guest as a walking path, providing the zoo's history and several historic landmarks. "While there are some bird species still residing in the Crane Barn, which has been updated throughout the years, there are no animals in the old exhibits and cages as they are hopelessly outdated and non-functional, Animals will not be returning to the obsolete cages, but we have launched a planning process to consider ways to accommodate the return of animals to Main Valley at some point in the future.” said Kirby Fowler (The Maryland Zoo's President and CEO). The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has been always active in many conservation programs, notably "Polar Bears International," "Project Golden