Brights Zoo

About Brights Zoo

Brights Zoo describes itself as a private, family-owned facility nestled in the hills of East Tennessee. The zoo's website lists its address as 3425 Hwy 11 E in Limestone, Tennessee, and WLOS describes it as about halfway between Johnson City and Greenville. The zoo is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

According to the zoo's mission page, it does not receive federal, state or local funding, and all admission proceeds go toward animal care. The zoo states that it is dedicated to the long-term conservation of nature's animals through propagation and public education, and that its efforts to expand the population of rare and endangered species have resulted in the successful breeding of several species of protected animals.

The zoo's homepage lists rare and endangered species such as addax, bongo and scimitar-horned oryx, along with Bactrian camels, and more familiar exotic animals including red kangaroos, spider monkeys, pandas and zebras. WLOS describes animals from the savannahs of Africa to the rain forests of South America, and notes self-guided and guided tours as well as animal encounters.

History

According to WLOS, the zoo started in 2007. The zoo's own history page says that beginning in 2007 it opened its gates for school tours of the facility.

The zoo's website describes the Brights Zoo Wildlife Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Limestone, as a tax-deductible way to support animal care, conservation, education and future projects. The foundation's site says the zoo receives no government funding and has historically relied on admissions, gift shop sales, concessions and the financial support of the Bright family.

The zoo's field trip page describes the mining sluice as new for the 2018 season and the train ride as new for the 2024 season.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's animal pages organize the collection into birds, mammals and reptiles, and name two featured exhibit areas: Penguin Cove, a dedicated penguin exhibit, and a South America building with indoor exhibits. The site also includes an animal wishlist section.

The safari section is reached by the Brights Zoo Express, which the zoo describes as a train through the safari section of the zoo. According to the train page, riders may see bongo, nyala, oryx, impala, bison, ostrich, watusi, eland, emu, sable and greater kudu. WLOS also names giraffes, bongos, watusi, emus, sables, greater kudus, penguins and budgies among the animals, and describes a giraffe feeding experience.

The train departs from behind Penguin Cove. As listed on the zoo's website, it runs at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, weather permitting. The zoo says it will not run the train if the weather is not good enough, and that visitors can call the gift shop to confirm.

Other attractions listed on the zoo's homepage include Oliver's Sandbox and Fur-Wheelers.

Conservation and programs

The zoo's mission page says it is committed to propagation and public education, to promoting awareness and conservation of animals and their natural environments, and to providing resources for the development of staff and volunteers. The zoo lists a conservation section on its website, and a Brights Zoo Wildlife Foundation site focused on animal care, conservation and educational programming.

Education offerings include field trips and day camps. The field trip page says the education group rate requires 20 or more student admissions, that reservations are required at least seven days before the visit, and that exceptions to the minimum are made for CDC classes. Signs with information about the animals on exhibit are placed around the zoo for self-guided visits, and the page describes a printable and mobile-friendly scavenger hunt, with answer guides available at the gift shop. The train ride and gemstone and fossil mining are offered as group activities.

The Penguin Encounter is listed as available daily at 2:00 p.m. for groups of 10 guests or fewer. The zoo says an encounter typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes and includes commentary from a keeper, a chance to touch a penguin and a staff-taken photograph. Ages 4 and up take part, and children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult holding an encounter ticket.

Gemstone and fossil mining is described by the zoo as its newest attraction at the time of the page. Visitors buy bags at the gift shop or at the mining sluice, choosing from eight bags containing gemstones, fossils, shark teeth, crystals, pyrite and arrowheads. The zoo also lists birthday parties, corporate events, and memberships.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, Brights Zoo is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed Thursdays. Ticket sales end at 3:30 p.m. daily. Ticket and membership details are on the zoo's website.

The zoo's website asks visitors not to use Google Maps for directions, saying the service has the location wrong, and recommends Waze instead.

The zoo's Know Before You Go page lists these policies: the zoo is wheelchair accessible; children under 15 must stay with an adult; no outside food is allowed, and beverages are permitted without plastic straws or glass bottles; pets and emotional support animals are not allowed, and service animals must be leashed and are excluded from Budgie Landing and animal encounters. Visitors may feed animals only through official zoo programs for giraffes, budgies and goats. Running is prohibited, according to the page, because it can scare the animals. The zoo says it may close without notice because of weather and directs visitors to its Facebook page or phone line, (423) 257-1927.