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The Memphis Zoo - Home

The Memphis Zoo, in the State of Tennessee, is a well-regarded zoo that is perhaps most famous for being one of only four zoos in the United States with giant pandas. The zoo was founded in 1906, is on 70 acres of land, and has over 3,500 animals in its collection.

Exhibits:

China

Ya Ya and Le Le, who arrived in early 2003, are the giant panda pair and the stars of this immersion set of exhibits. There is a Chinese courtyard, garden, pagodas, marble lions, and a theater that shows a movie on giant pandas. Besides the famous pandas there are asian small-clawed otters, white-cheeked gibbons, Francois' langur monkeys, white-naped cranes, Pere David's deer and a number of different species of pheasants.

Northwest Passage

A series of exhibits that opened in 2006, and the inhabitants here are polar bears, sea lions, bald eagles and black bears.

Cat Country

Ten different felines from three different continents, and the 2008 book "America's Best Zoos" claims that the Memphis Zoo has the #2 best cat collection in the United States. According to the book only the Cincinnati Zoo's cat collection and exhibits are more noteworthy. In Memphis there are african leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, bengal tigers (including a white one), jaguars, cougars, ocelots, caracals, cheetahs and lions. Interspersed closely to their natural enemies are muntjac deer, red pandas, capybaras, fennec foxes, klipspringers and meerkats.

Primate Canyon

A 5-acre set of exhibits for gorillas, orangutans, siamang gibbons, colobus monkeys, Sulawesi macaques, and others.

Animals of the Night

Over 25 animal species, including aardvarks, armadillos, vampire bats and naked-mole rates in this acclaimed nocturnal house. There is a cave with over 400 bats in one section of the building.

Tropical Bird House

Two walk-through aviaries and two long hallways filled with birds.

Dragon's Lair

Three Komodo dragons.

Herpetarium

A decent collection of reptiles and amphibians that include king cobras, chinese alligators and 9 species of pythons.

Other exhibits include an African Savannah set of habitats (bongo, Grant's gazelle, crowned cranes, ostrich, zebra, bontebok, Nile lechwe, scimitar-horned oryx, giraffe, african elephant, white rhino and various other antelope species). A large troop of bonobos, hippos, flamingos, alligators, african black-footed penguins, gerenuk gazelles, red river hogs, warthogs, etc, are all scattered in exhibits through the zoo.

Future Exhibits

The Memphis Zoo - Future Projects

Teton Trek

A 3-acre set of exhibits that will mimic Yellowstone National Park. A 25-foot geyser will entertain children, a two-storey lodge will dominate the landscape, and grizzly bears, timber wolves, trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes and a herd of elk will be the animal species on display. Due to open in 2009.

Zambezi River Hippo Camp

Possibly 2010 or 2011, depending on finances and construction costs. Nile crocodiles, hippos, flamingos and okapis are due to be in this set of exhibits.

 

Citizens to Preserve Overton Park: May 2008

Here's a link to some people who arent so excited about the zoo's expansion plans. Despite the negative remarks, there is a wealth of information regarding the zoo and its plans.

 

@okapikpr: thanks for the excellent link. The guy that took all of the photos of the Memphis Zoo didn't have that many nice things to say about it, but then again he states at the beginning that he goes there twice a week with a toddler! I have to admit that the photos of the aquarium and reptile tanks, combined with the hippo exhibit, weren't at all flattering. There were no photos of the zoo's more famous, premier enclosures, and so perhaps a casual viewer might get the wrong impression of this zoo.

What was truly interesting were the master plan outlines, including the clearcut forest for next year's "Teton Trek" set of exhibits. Has anyone here at ZooBeat actually visited the Memphis Zoo in recent years?

 

The Memphis Zoo - Future Projects

The zoo updated some information regarding its future projects.

 

The "Chickasaw Trails" project interests me, but I'm wondering how many zoo visitors will divert from the main path in order to stroll on boardwalks through 17 acres of woodland? Captive wildlife is what people have come to see, and to wander through a forested region within zoo grounds might not be enticing to some. I do love the upcoming "Teton Trek" and hippo/nile crocodile/flamingo set of exhibits, but doesn't the Memphis Zoo need to do something about its aging pachyderm paddocks?

 

The Pachyderm exhibits are in design and attentively planned for 2012. Also the zoo is reviewing its current masterplan...and a new elephant exhibit might result from this.

The Chickasaw Trails project was originally developed with its current masterplan in the late 1980s. Public opinions and attitudes have changed since then, as you can see from the park preservation group. With this in mind, the zoo may include current public opinions with the planning of its new masterplan, and may very well change what will happen with this area.

 

WREG-TV Memphis - Zoo Expansion Cuts into Forest Causing Controversy

Another article that is somewhat similar to another link on this thread. There is a vocal group that is strongly opposed to the proposal to create a 17-acre trail through the bordering forest. Perhaps the zoo might be forced to alter its plans?

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo is notorious for its parking problems, and several times over the years it has attempted to build a $10 million parking garage near the north-west side of its property. There have been numerous cost estimates and blueprints, but the surrounding neighbourhood shot it down every time. As of 6 months ago the zoo decided to give in to the public decision and temporarily abandon any plans for a parking garage. Memphis Zoo should take note...

 

Hi,
I am looking for information and data concerning the bonobo group at the Memphis Zoo, their enclosure (area, altitude), group structure and changes in 2007 and 2008 (births, deaths, transfers)...

Can you help me??

Thanks a lot
Bjoern

 

Another zoomap redesign...

http://assets1.sitewrench.com/1172/zoo_map_online_2007.pdf

 

I was there in summer of 2007 and it is one of my favorite zoos. Of course that's partly because of the nice cat exhibit, where you can see ten species in a row (and I'm a complete cat fanatic), so perhaps that biased my opinion. There was one change from the cat species list at the start of this thread - they had servals instead of clouded leopards.

The China and panda area was not as nice as I had hoped. Although the buildings and overall theming are nice, the actual panda exhibit is too small.

The Northern Trek (if that's what it's called, I forget) is excellent. A nice Alaskan-style lodge you can relax in and watch polar bears underwater on one side and sea lions underwater on the other side. A good place to cool off on a humid summer day, like when I was there. (Although I like hot weather, being an Arizonan I'm not used to humidity).

The primate trail (I forget what's it's called) is one of the best I've seen. The two new planned exhibits should be outstanding if the recent Northern exhibit is any indication.

In 2011 the zoo will host the annual convention of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents. I'm sure they would try their best to have both exhibits done by then. (Insider docent tip - the hosting zoo always has a special "zoo day" where everyone visits and the zoo has many special activities and enrichments. If you live nearby, you may want to go if you can stand the crowds [several hundred docents from all across the country]).

 

The Memphis Zoo's best set of exhibits are definitely for their cats, which is rare to see in many major collections. The Northwest Passage (polar bear, sealion, bald eagle, black bear, raven) is excellent, and the primate trail and small nocturnal house are above average. The CHINA set of habitats are disgracefully barren and small for the occupants (giant pandas, gibbons, otters, Francois' langurs) and the pachyderm section of the zoo (elephants, hippos, rhinos) is one of the worst I've seen. The upcoming Teton Trek (grizzly bears, wolves, elk) and Zambezi River (okapi, nile crocodile, hippo) will undoubtedly be excellent.

 

How does that bias your opinion? Everyone likes a zoo for something, and for a cat fanatic like you Memphis is awesome. I am a huge pachyderm fan and thus rank zoos like Miami (one that most don't rank that highly) very high, and it probably near my top 5 favorite zoos. San Diego also has a fantastic pachyderm collection, and all of them (with the exception of the two Indian Rhinos in Elephant Mesa) are displayed in awesome naturalistic exhibits.

 

Memphis Zoo's Teton Trek will give a sense of travel to national parks : Local News : Memphis Commercial Appeal

Teton Trek opens on October 10th, and it will have 5 grizzlies (rotating for now) in an enclosure almost an acre in size. There will also be a massive "Grand Lodge", 4 wolves, 4 elk, 2 sandhill cranes, and trumpeter swans in the 4-acre, $16 million area. Of that money raised for the new exhibit, $10 million was a donation!

"Zambezi River Hippo Camp" (hippos, flamingos, okapis, nile crocodiles) has been bumped back slightly to 2011.

 

The Memphis zoo is one of 4 or 5 zoos I will be visiting next year, primarily for the pandas, but I am also a big (no pun intended!) elephant, ape and Elvis fan (LOL). So, I am very interested in this thread for note taking.
I will be visiting Detroit, Minneapolis, Henry Doorly and Memphis zoos next year. I haven't decided yet on the National Zoo? I was going to visit the NZ in November but I may push it back to spring of next year.

I visited Memphis around 10 years ago (but didn't visit the zoo then) in July, loved it and am looking forward to visiting the zoo, etc. next year. Chicago is very humid in the summer (Chicago was built on a swamp) so I can deal with their summer weather. But, if anyone can suggest other times of the year to visit, I'd appreciate it.

 

Well maybe not the locals, but out of town visitors like me who live in the desert eat up this kind of stuff. Central Florida Zoo has a similar boardwalk that I love (but that's partly because most of the animal exhibits are not very good).

 

@zoogeek - if you are going primarily for the pandas I would be sure to visit the National Zoo as well because the Memphis panda exhibit is one of the worst exhibits in North America. Especially for such a rare, popular captive animal. The panda exhibits at the National Zoo are by far some of the best exhibits in North America and in my opinion (as far as replicating habitat) are in the same league as Congo Gorilla Forest.

 

@zoogeek: If you like elephants, you should also check out the Nashville Zoo since you'll be in Tennessee. They have perhaps the best exhibit for elephants in the country. It's 3 acres, and it replicates an African Savanna using plants that look like those of the real African Savanna.

 

@blackrhino & @columbuszoo001

Thanks for your suggestions! I appreciate it! I viewed snowleopard's photos of Memphis Zoo and was surprised to see the plain caging for their pandas. I will look into Nashville Zoo? I didn't know that about Nashville Zoo! It's on the other side of TN but I may be able to combine it w/ a trip to Memphis Zoo or w/ a trip to Indianapolis Zoo since it's down the road so to speak from Indianapolis. And, Louisville. Interesting.

 

Having just returned from Nashville this week, I wholeheartedly agree! I will be posting some elephant photos in a couple days (I am going to start tonight with clouded leopard cub photos, but will add other Nashville animal pics in the next few days). Although the panda exhibit at Memphis is not that great (nor is their elephant exhibit), overall it is an excellent zoo.

 

A newspaper preview of the 4-acre, $16 million Teton Trek set of exhibits, which open this week to the public:

Memphis Daily News - Zoo?s Latest Jewel Opens to Public