Memphis Zoo

About Memphis Zoo

Memphis Zoo is located in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, within Overton Park. According to Wikipedia, the zoo occupies 76 acres, about 55 of which are developed, and keeps more than 3,500 animals representing more than 500 species. The zoo's website uses the phrase "Creating Adventures. Saving Wildlife." The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and its website lists AZA awards including the William G. Conway International Conservation Award in 2012 and a North American Conservation Award for Louisiana pine snakes in 2003.

The grounds are divided into three zones, East, Central and West, which together contain 19 named exhibits, according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia also states that the land is owned by the City of Memphis. The zoo's website lists a staff led by a president and chief executive officer, including a chief zoological officer and a director of conservation and research, along with a board of directors headed by a chair.

History

According to Wikipedia, the zoo was created on April 4, 1906, with initial funding from the Memphis Park Commission. In August 1906, 23 cages and concrete bear enclosures were built. Wikipedia's timeline of the early decades lists Galloway Hall, the first building, in 1907, a Carnivora Building for felines in 1909, an Elephant House in 1910 and a Botanical Display Building in 1916 that later became the Tropical Bird House. In 1923 the zoo acquired a round barn from the Memphis Police Department.

Later milestones listed on the same page include the first primate exhibit, Monkey Island, in 1936, the aquarium in 1959, and the herpetarium in 1960. Wikipedia states that the zoo was racially desegregated in December 1960. In 1990 the entrance was renovated with an Egyptian-themed Avenue of the Animals. Wikipedia lists Cat Country in 1993, Animals of the Night, Once Upon A Farm and Primate Canyon in 1995, Dragon's Lair in 1998, Northwest Passage in 2006 and Teton Trek in 2009.

Exhibits and habitats

The zones and opening dates below come from Wikipedia. The species named are those listed for each exhibit on the zoo's Wildlife page, and the zoo's website is the place to confirm what is currently on exhibit.

East Zone. Teton Trek opened in October 2009 on four acres. The zoo lists grizzly bears, timber wolves, elk, trumpeter swans and American white pelicans there. Northwest Passage opened on March 1, 2006, and the zoo lists polar bears, black bears, sea lions, bald eagles and ravens. The African Veldt is listed with African elephants, southern white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, bongos, red river hogs and scimitar-horned oryx. The zoo's website states that an enlarged elephant exhibit with a pool for bathing opened in 2006.

Central Zone. The China exhibit opened in April 2003 for two giant pandas on loan from China. According to Wikipedia, the male, Le Le, died in early 2023 and the female, Ya Ya, was returned to China in May 2023, so the zoo no longer has giant pandas. Primate Canyon opened in 1995, and the zoo lists lowland gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, siamangs, colobus monkeys and Sulawesi crested black macaques there. Cat Country opened in 1993, and the zoo lists African lions, cheetahs, tigers, snow leopards, Amur leopards, jaguars, cougars, caracals, fishing cats and red pandas. Zambezi River Hippo Camp opened on April 29, 2016, and the zoo lists hippos, okapis, Kirk's dik-diks, Nile crocodiles, mandrills and flamingos. Animals of the Night, which opened in 1995, houses nocturnal species; the zoo lists aardvarks, binturongs, kinkajous, naked mole rats, two-toed sloths and several species of bats.

West Zone. Dragon's Lair opened in 1998 and is listed with Komodo dragons. Other West Zone areas listed by Wikipedia are the Tropical Bird House, the aquarium, Penguin Rock with African penguins, Once Upon A Farm, the herpetarium and the Round Barn. The zoo lists hornbills, Bali mynahs and African pygmy falcons in the Tropical Bird House, electric eels, piranhas and green moray eels in the aquarium, and Galapagos tortoises and reticulated pythons in the herpetarium.

Conservation and programs

The zoo's website describes six areas of conservation focus, which it calls the Conservation Six. The site states that five programs are currently active and that a sixth initiative is in development. It says the focus areas were chosen because the species involved are critically endangered in the wild.

• African elephants. The zoo states that it has supported Elephants for Africa's work in Botswana since 2011, providing funding and monitoring equipment. Elephants for Africa monitors the elephant population in and around Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.
• Sri Lanka biodiversity. The zoo partners with the Tropical Ecosystem Research Network, which it describes as a nonprofit established in 2010, and with Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. With the zoo's support, the partners are building the first C.A.R.E. Center on protected land in Mahawewa.
• Dusky gopher frogs. The zoo states that over the past 20 years it and its partners have established captive assurance colonies, refined breeding methods and released zoo-bred offspring to build a new population in the wild. Partners named on the page include the Omaha Zoo, Detroit Zoo, Dallas Zoo, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy and the Army Corps of Engineers.
• Louisiana pinesnakes. The zoo states that it has led the zoo component of the recovery effort since 1984. It reports that more than 400 Louisiana pinesnakes have been released onto protected habitat, and that research at the zoo produced the first published data on the species' reproductive biology.
• Grauer's gorillas. The zoo partners with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which expanded into Grauer's gorilla conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2001.

The zoo's website also lists fundraising events tied to these programs, including Art for Elephants and Picnic for Pachyderms for elephants and Gorilla Golf for Grauer's gorillas. A separate page describes a Conservation Action Network that funds conservation research and initiatives through gift shop round-ups, events and donations.

Wikipedia adds that an education complex and discovery center opened in 1993 and that the Memphis Zoological Society publishes a bimonthly magazine, Exzoobrance. The zoo's website also lists field trips, homeschool programs, zoo camps and virtual programs.

Planning your visit

The zoo is at 2000 Prentiss Place in Memphis, according to its website. Tickets can be bought through the zoo's website, where current prices, membership options and daily hours are listed. The website has sections for a zoo map, parking, rides and attractions, food and beverage, and rules and FAQs, and it posts a daily schedule of keeper chats, a sea lion show and a penguin feeding.

Wheelchairs, electric carts and strollers can be rented on a first-come, first-served basis, and the zoo's website describes ScooterPals electric animal scooters available at the stroller rental near the entrance. The website lists a Tennessee Tuesdays program offering free admission to Tennessee residents on Tuesdays with advance reservations, and special events including Le Bonheur Zoo Boo and a Lantern Festival.

Members receive free general admission and parking for a year, and the zoo states that membership includes half-price admission at participating AZA reciprocal zoos.