Zoo Knoxville

Zoo Knoxville, formerly known as the Knoxville Zoo, is a 53-acre (21 ha) zoo located just east of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, near exit 392 off Interstate 40. The zoo is home to about 800 animals and welcomes over 400,000 visitors each year.

Zoo Knoxville
LocationKnoxville, Tennessee, United States
Coordinates35.9999°N 83.8880°W / 35.9999; -83.8880
Land area53 acres (21 ha)[1]
No. of animals800
Annual visitors400,000+[1]
MembershipsAZA[2]
Websitewww.zooknoxville.org

Zoo Knoxville is notable for having bred the first two African Elephants born in the Western Hemisphere in 1978.[3] The zoo also has bred more endangered red pandas than any other zoo in the world and is a leader in the breeding of endangered tortoises.[4]

The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Exhibits

The zoo features many naturalistic outdoor habitats for its animal residents, including:[1]

  • Animal Encounter Village
  • ARC- Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Campus (opens Spring 2021)
  • Black Bear Falls
  • Boyd Family Asian Trek
  • The Boyd Family Red Panda Village
  • Chimp Ridge
  • The Clayton Family Kids Cove
  • Grasslands Africa
  • Stokely African Elephant Preserve
  • The Williams Family Giraffe Encounter

Indoor exhibits at the zoo include the Night Club, the Barn Loft, and a large reptile collection.

Attractions for children include the Clayton Family Kids Cove,[5] which opened in 2005, and the Wee Play Zoo, a new indoor play area.

Animals

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles & Amphibians

Events
  • Covenant Kids Run[6]
  • Fathers Day[6]
  • Zoofari[6]
  • Senior Sunrise[6]
  • BOO! at the Zoo[6]

Conservation

The Knoxville Zoo has been successful at breeding several endangered species, especially red pandas and white rhinos. The zoo also bred the first African elephant in captivity in the Western Hemisphere, nicknamed "Lil' Diamond" in 1978.[7]

In 2009, Sarah Glass, curator of red pandas and Special Exhibits at the Knoxville Zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee, was appointed as coordinator for the North American Red Panda Species Survival Plan.[8] The Knoxville Zoo has the largest number of captive red panda births in the Western Hemisphere (101 as of August 2011). Only the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands has had more captive births worldwide.[9][10]

Partnership with Mozilla Firefox

By the end of 2010, Mozilla Foundation—the creator of Firefox web browser—partnered with Knoxville Zoo in an effort to raise the awareness about endangered red pandas. Two red panda cubs born at the Knoxville Zoo have officially become a part of the Mozilla community. The cubs were named Spark and Ember by online voters, and Mozilla broadcast a 24-hour live video stream of the cubs.[11][12]

Notes
  1. "Zoo FAQs". knoxville-zoo.org. Knoxville Zoo. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  2. "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums". aza.org. AZA. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  3. "Knoxville Zoo Elephant Timetable". knoxnew.com. Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  4. "Zoo Knoxville History". zooknoxville.org. Zoo Knoxville. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  5. "The Clayton Family Kids Cove". knoxville-zoo.org. Knoxville Zoo. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  6. "Events". zooknoxville.org. Zoo Knoxville. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  7. "Did You Know". knoxville-zoo.org. Knoxville Zoo. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  8. Pounds, Jessie (1 April 2009). "Knoxville Zoo keeper adds red panda conservation efforts to job duties". knoxnews.com. Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  9. Glatston, Angela (2007). Red Panda International Studbook -Ailurus fulgens fulgens held in zoos in 2006 (PDF). Rotterdam Zoo. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  10. Glatston, Angela (2007). Red Panda International Studbook -Ailurus fulgens styani held in zoos in 2006 (PDF). Rotterdam Zoo. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  11. Meet the Newest (and Cutest) Mozillians
  12. Firefox Live Blog with Knoxville Zoo
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