The Memphis Zoo , located in Midtown 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 km 2 ), of which approximately 55 acres (0.22 km 2 ) 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 three zones with 19 exhibits, such as Teton Trek , 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 and Aquariums (AZA). Giant Pandas Ya Ya and Le Le are trademarks of the Memphis Zoo.
Areas and attractions
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 , Tropical Bird House , Herpetarium , Aquarium , African Veldt , China , Northwest Passage , and Teton Trek . Viewing all the exhibits requires a walk of about 2 miles (3.3 km). Operating seasonally, trams provide visitors with guided tours of exhibits for a small daily fee; the trams are also useful for shuttling visitors between distant exhibits. Other attractions at the Zoo include a carousel, an area with rides, a miniature train offering a scenic view of the Once Upon A Farm exhibit, and several theme-oriented gift shops and eateries; many of these amenities operate seasonally. A children's playground is located next to the Cat House Cafe, and several family picnic areas are maintained beneath groves of mature trees.
The zoo is divided into three zones that showcase a total of 19 different exhibits.
East zone
- Teton Trek —The 4-acre (1.6 ha) exhibit, which opened October 2009, brings hallmark features of the Yellowstone National Park to the Memphis Zoo. The Teton Trek begins with a 25-foot (6.6 m) replica of the Old Faithful Geyser and a 5,000-square foot (465 m 2 ) replica of the Old Faithful Inn called the Great Lodge, where interpretive information is presented in an interactive format. The exhibit is home to some of the keystone species of the Yellowstone ecosystem: Grizzly Bears, Elk, Gray Wolves, Trumpeter Swans and Sandhill Cranes. The exhibit's trail provides visitors with spectacular views—from an underwater look at the bears' fishing pond to a prominent overlook atop the 12-foot (3.2 m) replica of Yellowstone's Firehole Falls.
- 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 White-necked Ravens.
- African Veldt - African Elephants and Giraffe are joined by Zebras, Bongo, Grant's gazelle, White Rhinoceros and Ostriches in this area. The zoo's African Cranes, Bontebok, Lechwe and Scimitar 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, and other species that call America's southern waterways home. The exhibit once housed penguins.
- World of Waterfowl - Two wooden bridges take visitors through a wetland. It is home to around 30 Chilean Flamingos and a variety of other waterfowl.
- Birds and Bees - This exhibit opened in May 2009. It features an up-close look at two honey bee hives. Displays inside the exhibit explain what makes bees special and the role they play in agriculture. The indoor bee exhibit leads to an outdoor aviary that features approximately 500 budgies, commonly known as parakeets. In addition to viewing these colorful birds, visitors can feed them using millet seed-heads attached to sticks that are available for a small fee.
Central zone
- 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 include Asian Small-clawed Otter, Père David's Deer, White-Cheeked Gibbon, Francois' Langur, and an assortment of colorful birds (See list).
- 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, the Eastern Black-and-white Colobus, and the Savanna Baboon.
- Commercial Appeal Cat Country - The 3 acres (0.012 km 2 ), open-air exhibit houses African Lions, Cheetahs, Reeve's Muntjac, Leopard, Meerkats, Caracal Lynx, Capybara, Klipspringer, Cougars, Sumatran Tiger, Bengal Tiger, Crested Screamer, Jaguar, Snow Leopard, Red Panda, 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.
- 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. The exhibit is developed around a central bat flyway which enables visitors to get a rare close-up view of the bats in flight or feeding. Also exhibited are a wide range of other species—from Aardvark to Wombat (See list).
West zone
- 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 - A variety of colorful birds in outdoor enclosures greet visitors at the entrance to the zoo's Tropical Bird House. The building is home to exotic bird species from around the world (See list). The exhibit features a walk-through aviary which allows visitors close contact to a number of birds, especially during feeding time.
- 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. Some of the more notable animals include: Nile softshell turtle, Fly River turtle, mata mata turtle, Electric eel, Red bellied piranha, and Archer fish (See list). The electric eel exhibit has a unique feature that converts the eel's electric pulses into a sound and visual display.
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