Memphis Zoo

Memphis Zoo
Entrance gate at the Memphis Zoo
35.1500°N 89.9943°W / 35.1500; -89.9943
Date opened	April 1906
Location	Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Land area	76 acres (0.31 km2)
No. of animals	3,500
No. of species	500
Memberships	AZA
Major exhibits	19 spread across 3 zones
Website	http://www.memphiszoo.org

The Memphis Zoo, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is home to more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 different species. Created in April 1906, the zoo has been a major tenant of Overton Park for more than 100 years. The land currently designated to the Memphis Zoo was defined by the Overton Park master plan in 1988, it is owned by the City of Memphis. The zoo is set on 76 acres (0.31 km²), of which approximately 55 acres (0.22 km²) are developed.

In 2008, the Memphis Zoo was ranked "#1 Zoo in the U.S." by TripAdvisor.com. The ranking was based on visitor opinions.

Since the early 1990s, the Memphis Zoo has invested over $77 million for renovation and expansion. The zoo's animal inhabitants reside in 19 exhibits in three zones, such as Northwest Passage and China, home to Giant Pandas Ya Ya and Le Le.

The Memphis Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Giant Pandas Ya Ya and Le Le are trademarks of the Memphis Zoo.

Exhibits at the Memphis Zoo

The zoo hosts modern exhibits that mimic the animals' natural habitats, such as Once Upon A Farm, Cat Country, Primate Canyon, Dragon's Lair, Animals of the Night, Northwest Passage , Tropical Bird House, Herpetarium, Aquarium, African Veldt, The Northwest Passage, China (which is home to the zoo's two Giant Pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le), and is currently building the Teton Trek.

The zoo is divided into three zones that showcase a total of 19 different exhibits.

East zone

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A Polar Bear swimming in the Northwest Passage exhibit

• Northwest Passage - Home to the zoo's Polar Bears. The $23 million exhibit opened on March 1, 2006, and features an underwater viewing building, Sea Lion observation bubble and a 500-seat amphitheater for daily Sea Lion shows. Its theme is a tribute to the culture of the First Nations people and the animals and horticulture of the Pacific Northwest. Messages of conservation inspired by Chief Seattle, a famous Native American chief, are sprinkled though out the exhibit. Six hand-carved totem poles that stand throughout the area received a Native American blessing ceremony when they arrived at the zoo. The Northwest Passage is also home to the zoo's American Bald Eagles, Black Bears, and Ravens.

A giraffe walks along the backside of its exhibit in the African Veldt.

• African Veldt - African Elephants and Giraffe are joined by Zebras, Antelope, Rhinoceros and Ostriches in this area. The zoo's African Cranes, Bontebok, Dik Dik, Lechwe and Oryx also call this area home. The zoo finished enlarging the elephant exhibit in 2006, it now features a pool that allows elephants to submerse and bathe.

• Denizens of the Deep South - This area, with viewing areas above and below the water, features the zoo's American Alligator (named "Beta"), Alligator Gar, Largemouth Bass, and other species that call America's southern waterways home. The exhibit once housed penguins.

• World of Waterfowl - Two wooden bridges take visitors around a wetland. It is home to around 30 Chilean Flamingos, a pair of Black-necked Swans, White-faced Whistling Duck Ross' Geese, the North American Ruddy Duck, the Demoiselle Crane, Mandarin Ducks and the Common Pintail.

Central zone

A panda at the Memphis Zoo enjoying the sun.

The Chinese tower at the Memphis Zoo

• China - Opened in April 2003, this $16 million exhibit is a zoogeographical area the Memphis Zoo constructed after it became one of only four U.S. zoos to exhibit the Giant Panda. Other animals showcased in this effort to preserve Chinese species of animals include Asian Small-clawed Otter, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Azure-winged Magpie, Hog Deer, Hooded Crane, White-naped Crane, Temminck's Tragopan, Père David's Deer, White-Cheeked Gibbon, Francoís Langur, Lady Amherst Pheasant, Golden Pheasant, Reeve's Pheasant, Smew, Falicated Duck, and White-crested Laughing Thrush.

• Primate Canyon - This exhibit was opened in 1995, it features naturalistic, outdoor exhibit areas for Western Lowland Gorillas, Sumatran Orangutans and Siamang Gibbons. Other animals in the area are Lion-tailed Macaques, the Mona Monkey, Sulawesi Macaques and the Eastern Black-and-white Colobus.

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"Fred" the African Lion keeps a watchful lookout.

• Commercial Appeal Cat Country - The 3 acres (0.012 km²), open-air exhibit houses African Lions, Cheetahs, Reeve's Muntjac, Leopard, Meerkats, Caracal Lynx, Capybara, Clouded Leopard, Klipspringer, Cougars, Sumatran Tiger, Crested Screamer, Jaguar, Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Fennec Fox, and Ocelot. The zoo employed cultural architecture native to the land of the species on exhibit (for example, temple ruins surround the Sumatran Tiger exhibit). The old Carnivora Building, where the cats used to live, was renovated to become the Memphis Zoo's primary restaurant - the Cat House Café.

• Hippos - A mother/daughter duo of hippos named "Julie" and "Splish" are showcased.

A Bonobo investigates a visitor.

• Bonobos - Six Bonobos (including a baby Bonobo born in 2005) live in this indoor/outdoor hybrid exhibit across from the China exhibit. The Bonobo is endangered, and is found in the wild only in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Animals of the Night - This exhibit reverses the daily cycle of nonctournal animals, giving visitors the chance to see night-dwellers at their most active. Species on exhibit are: Aardvark, African Crested Porcupine, Binturong, Brush-tailed porcupine, Bulldog Bat, Cacomistle, Coatimundi, Cuscus Golden-rumped Agouti, Jamaican Fruit Bat, Kinkajou, Naked Mole Rat, Owl Monkey, Prehensile-tailed porcupine, Rousetta Bat, Sebae’s Short-tailed Bat, Slender Loris, Slow Loris, Springhaas, Striped Possum, Sugar Glider, Tamandua, Three-banded Armadillo, Two-toed Sloth, Vampire Bat and Wombat.

West zone

One of the Memphis Zoo's Komodo Dragons.

• Komodo Dragons - This exhibit was specifically built for largest lizard in the world. The zoo's three dragons share a special exhibit with outdoor and indoor areas allowing them to stay warm during the cool winter months. Keepers hold a feeding demonstration of the Komodo Dragons on Saturdays.

• Tropical Bird House - Toucans greet visitors at the entrance to the zoo's Tropical Bird House. The building is home to exotic bird species from around the world.

• Aquarium - One of the oldest exhibits at the Memphis Zoo, the aquarium remains a very active and interesting exhibit. The building houses aquatic life from both fresh and salt water environments.

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An African Penguin.

• Penguin Rock - Over 30 African Penguins live across from the zoo's rides area at Penguin Rock. Also home to American White Pelican and Double-crested Cormorant

• Trumpeter Swans - The Trumpeter Swans reside in a tranquil part of the zoo across from the Asian Garden.

• Once Upon a Farm - An exhibit built to resemble an early 1900s farm. Home to the species Caspian Horse, Domestic Goat, Prairie Dog, Rabbit, Domestic Chicken, Jersey Cow, Yucatan Mini Pig, Pekin Duck and Miniature Donkey.

• Herpetarium - Located across from the Tropical Bird House, the herpetarium is home to the zoo's snakes, alligators, lizards and frogs, and includes a Reticulated Python. Other exhibits include some of the most venomous snakes in the world, including the Green Mamba.

• Round Barn - Home to Giraffe Gazelles or Gerenuks, which are known by their extremely long necks. Keepers encourage this foraging behavior by placing tall bamboo stems in their exhibit. Also home to White Storks, West-African Crowned Cranes, Warthogs, the Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, the African Ground-hornbill, Red River Hogs, Yellow-backed Duikers, Bongos, Dik Dik, Klipspringer, Dama Gazelle.

History

A marker where "Natch" the bear was chained in 1906. The old elephant building behind it is now the zoo's education library.

• 1906 - The Memphis Park Commission allocates $1,200 to establish the Memphis Zoo on April 4. Spearheaded by Col. Robert Galloway, the head of the Memphis Parks Commission, $3,628 is used to build 23 simple cages and a row of concrete bear dens in August.

• 1907 - Galloway Hall, the Memphis Zoo's first building, was finished. It was named in honor of Col. Galloway, and was demolished to make room for later exhibits.

The Carnivora Building, now known as the Cat House Cafe.

• 1909 - The Carnivora Building was constructed to house the first cats at the zoo. It was later replaced by Cat Country, and converted into an inner-zoo restaurant.

• 1910 - The Elephant House opened. The building is still used, but the elephants were moved to the African Veldt exhibit.

• 1916 - The Botanical Display Building opened. It was later converted into the Tropical Bird House.

• 1923 - The Memphis Zoo acquired a round barn from the Memphis Police Department, who used the building as their stable for the mounted horse patrol in the early 1900s. The zoo's round barn exhibit is a collection of exotic hoofstock and birds.

• 1936 - The zoo's first primate exhibit, Monkey Island, was built. It was replaced in 1995 by Primate Canyon.

• 1959 - The Aquarium was built. It is one of the oldest exhibits at the Memphis Zoo, and remains a very active and interesting exhibit. The building houses aquatic life from both fresh and salt water environments. In 1979, it had major renovations.

• 1960 - The Herpetarium was constructed, located across from the Tropical Bird House. The herpetarium is home to the zoo's snakes, alligators, lizards and frogs. Later in the year, the Pachyderm/Elephant exhibit was finished, and the elephants moved from the old elephant house.

• 1990 - The zoo renovated its entrance.

Cat Country exhibit

• 1993 - Cat Country opens: a 3 acres (0.012 km²), open-air exhibit devoted to both predators and prey of the cat world. Tigers and lions share common space with the Fennec Foxes and Meerkats. An Education Complex, Discovery Center and Elephant’s Trunk Zoo Shop also open in conjunction.

• 1994 - The Cat House Cafe, the zoo's primary restaurant, opens in the old Carnivora Building, which formerly housed the large cats.

• 1995 - Three new areas opened in the zoo. The first, Animals of the Night, one of the few exhibits of its kind in the USA, is devoted to nocturnal animals, and reverses their hours from normal so visitors can see them at their most active. "Once Upon A Farm" also opened as an exhibit which was built to resemble an early 1900s farm. The final entry, Primate Canyon, features naturalistic, outdoor exhibit areas for a variety of monkeys and apes.

• 1998 - An exhibit named Dragon’s Lair was specifically built for three Komodo Dragons. The Memphis Zoo's three dragons share a special exhibit with outdoor and indoor areas, allowing them to stay warm during the cool winter months.

• 1998 - A new animal hospital was finished, with separate holding and quarantine wings built on opposite ends of the building. The sick wing separates sick or injured animals from others and allows for proper recovery time. The quarantine wing is used for newly-acquired animals, which are quarantined for at least 30 days upon arrival at the zoo before being introduced to their new homes. The wing is one of the most important aspects of the new hospital for the animals, vets, curators and keepers.

• 1998 - On September 18, 1998, two plaques were dedicated in memory of musician Jeff Buckley in the Memphis Zoo's Sumatran Tiger exhibit. His mother has chosen that spot because of his great love of the Memphis Zoo and the tigers in particular. Jeff frequently visited the zoo, had plans to become a volunteer in 1997 and, according to his mother, never left the zoo without visiting the Butterflies: In Living Color exhibit, which also opened early in 1998. The exhibit was replaced by "Birds and Bees" in late May, 2009.

• 2003 - In April 2003, the Memphis Zoo became one of only four U.S. zoos to exhibit Earth's most treasured endangered species, the Giant Panda. One male and one female Giant Panda ("Ya Ya" and "Le Le") share their 3 acres (0.012 km²) home with several other species native to China, in the first Memphis Zoo exhibit to be built as zoogeographical, a word that describes exhibits that feature an animal collection from a specific part of the world. The buildings, plant life and even the sounds of China are represented in this $16 million exhibit.

• 2006 - On March 1, 2006, the Northwest Passage exhibit opened with underwater viewing for both the Polar Bears and Sea Lions. The animals frequently interact with visitors, and the Sea Lions are especially fond of following and mimicking small children.

• 2007 - The year marked a renovation of the popular Butterflies: In Living Color! The exhibit houses as many as 1,000 butterflies of 35 different species. There were 56 varieties of plants for the butterflies to feed on. The exhibit was replaced by "Birds and Bees" in late May, 2009. The butterfly garden moved outside of the aviary, and is still very close to the original exhibit.

• 2007 - On June 13, 2007, the Memphis Zoo's female panda, Ya Ya, was discovered to have had a miscarriage after undergoing a followup ultrasound.

• 2008 - On January 8, 2008, a stray dog entered the Memphis Zoo through a service door and leapt into the tiger exhibit before officials could apprehend it. Zoo staff distracted the tigers and the dog, although with various wounds, was able to walk out of the exhibit and survived.

• 2008 - Beginning in February, 2008, the Memphis Zoo began construction of the zoo's new Teton Trek exhibit The Teton Trek exhibit will feature animals native to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem such as Grizzly Bears, Elk, Gray Wolves, Trumpeter Swans and Sand Hill Crane. The Memphis Zoo's decision to clear some trees to build the Teton Trek exhibit has been criticized by Citizens to Preserve Overton Park and Park Friends Inc. The zoo's master plans were completed in 2001. The Memphis Zoo’s conservation department’s mission statement is “To use science and technology for greater understanding of the natural world's ecosystems, to preserve the biodiversity of our plants and animals and to educate the public on conservation priorities.”

• 2009 - On March 17, 2009, the Zoo had it's largest single day attendance ever, topping over 20,450 people.

Gallery of animals

Memphis Zoo

• 
  Butterfly
• 
  Giant Panda
• 
  Cheetah
• African Lion
  African Lion
• 
  Hippo
• 
  Prairie Dogs
• 
  Black Leopard or Panther
• 
  Puma
• 
  Rhinoceros
• 
  China Exhibit
• 
  China Exhibit Interior
• 
  Primate Canyon
• 
  Primate Canyon Interior
• 
  Herpetarium
• 
  Sea Lion Show
• 
  Black Crake
• 
  Northwest Passage

External links

• Official website