Nashville Zoo
Our Latest Posts
Category: Grow Wild
Friday, June 30, 2017
Southern White Rhinos Now Roaming at Nashville Zoo
Nashville Zoo is proud to announce the introduction of Southern white rhinoceros to our animal family. Four young females are now roaming in the Zoo’s former elephant exhibit.
“This is the first time we are able to bring rhinos to Nashville”, said Zoo President Rick Schwartz. “We had to make several modifications to the former elephant habitat and barn in order to properly care for rhinos. The end result is exceptional and we can’t wait to show it to our guests....
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Friday, June 2, 2017
Nashville Zoo Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art Animal Health Center
Nashville Zoo dignitaries along with representatives from HCA Healthcare, The Frist Foundation, the Cal Tuner Family Foundation, and ESa (Earl Swensson Associates) officially broke ground on May 30 at the site of the Zoo’s planned Animal Health Center.
Designed by ESa, Nashville Zoo’s Animal Health Center will consist of a 20,000+ square foot facility that includes areas for observation, diagnosis, radiology, surgery, laboratory, pharmacy, and administrative functions. The ...
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Thursday, April 6, 2017
Spider Monkey: Treetop Passage Now Open!
Spider Monkey Exhibit Now Open!
The new spider monkey exhibit, graciously funded by Dottie Frist, opened on Thursday, April 6. The addition of Mexican spider monkeys marks the first monkey species to be housed at Nashville Zoo in more than four years.
Exhibit details
To enter the new exhibit, Zoo guests cross an elevated wooden bridge ending in a treetop view of these lively, inquisitive Mexican spider monkeys swinging among the trees. Half siblings, Sandy and Poppy, came to Nashvi...
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Monday, January 4, 2016
Sneak Peek into the New Entry Village
The Zoo's entrance recently received a new face lift and made it's public debut on April 9, 2016. Because of tremendous growth and record breaking attendance in recent years, the Zoo’s Entry Village was a top priority for renovation in order to enhance the guest experience. It was designed for the day when Nashville Zoo welcomes more than a million visitors each year, which is right around the corner!
Design Inspiration
Zoo President Rick Schwartz’s vision of an aut...
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Monday, November 2, 2015
Tiger Exhibit Updates
This month, our tigers will be moved off exhibit so we can complete our planned exhibit renovation. Once complete, the exhibit will highlight a new species featuring three young female Sumatran tigers from Topeka Zoo.
“Sumatran tigers are critically endangered with less than 400 left in the world,” said Zoo Mammal Curator Lanny Brown. “Our commitment to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) to care for this incredible species include...
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Monday, November 2, 2015
White Rhinos to Occupy Elephant Exhibit
Our African Elephant Savannah will become a home for a group of Southern white rhinoceros. The installation of this new species should be taking place in 2017 if modest renovations and animal acquisitions run according to plans.
“We’ve been wanting to acquire white rhinos for some time,” said Zoo President Rick Schwartz. “The empty elephant exhibit gave use a great opportunity to move rhinos here and let the public see them long before we plan to open a permanent habi...
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015
HCA Supports Nashville Zoo’s Veterinary Medical Center
As Nashville Zoo continues to Grow Wild, expanding its collection to include bears, lions, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses and gorillas, it is imperative that we construct a new medical facility to care for these iconic species. To meet this need, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) has partnered with Nashville Zoo to build a new state of the art, comprehensive animal health care and education facility. Nashville is the healthcare capital of the United States, and as the nation's leading p...
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Monday, August 24, 2015
Bracken Family Provides Gift for Tiger Renovation
We are excited to announce that Richard and Judith Bracken & their children, through The Bracken Foundation, have made a generous contribution toward the renovation and expansion of Nashville Zoo’s tiger exhibit. They structured the gift in the form of a match, enabling the Zoo to double donations for this much needed improvement. The Bracken’s gift was matched by two other major contributors, which completed funding needed for this exhibit.
The current tiger habitat was originally develo...
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Monday, July 27, 2015
Zoo Receives Investment from the City
We are proud to announce that Mayor Karl Dean and Metro Council have allocated $10M this year to support major new developments at Nashville Zoo. The city’s investment is contingent upon the Zoo’s ability to match these funds dollar for dollar with private philanthropic support.
“Mayor Karl Dean has been a strong advocate of the Zoo, and our growth would not have been possible without his support,” said Zoo president Rick Schwartz. “The city’s contribution...
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Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Grow Wild Campaign Update – Cabinet Announced
Our Grow Wild capital campaign is pleased to announce the members of its fundraising cabinet. The 15-person committee, led by campaign chair Jennifer Frist, will be responsible for identifying, cultivating and soliciting top prospects for our $160M expansion.
“We are thrilled to introduce this group of dedicated community leaders who are committed to building a world class zoo for our city,” said Suzanne Iler, chief development officer. “Their involvement and strong connect...
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Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Expedition Peru - Trek of the Andean Bear
Visitors to Nashville Zoo will venture on a Peruvian expedition thanks in large part to the generosity of several lead contributors to our Andean bear exhibit. Partnering with the Zoo on this endeavor are:
Cynthia and Dave Arnholt
Kelley and Lee Beaman & the Alvin and Sally Beaman Foundation
Andrea Waitt Carlton Family Foundation
Sally and Neely Coble, III
Joe C. Davis Foundation
Dugas Family Foundation
Missy and John Eason
The Frist Foundation
Patricia and Rodes Hart
S...
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Monday, November 24, 2014
Dugas Foundation funds Andean Bear Peruvian lodge
Momentum continues to build for Nashville Zoo’s Grow Wild campaign. We are thrilled to announce that the Dugas Family Foundation has committed $1M towards construction of the Peruvian Lodge in the Andean Bear Exhibit. Given the foundation’s areas of interests, including children and youth services, the environment and natural resources, and education, the Zoo is a perfect fit for their philanthropic funding. Laura Dugas stated, “Our family was enthusiastic and unanimous in our support. Th...
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Monday, November 24, 2014
Zoo Supporters Match $10M Gift from City of Nashville
Nashville Zoo is proud to announce that we have matched the City of Nashville’s $10M investment challenge. As a thank you to the city, we will be offering a Buy-One-Get-One free admission promotion to all guests Sunday Dec. 7 through Friday, Dec. 12, as well as complimentary popcorn and hot chocolate.
Nashville’s $10 million investment in the Zoo was approved earlier this year as part of the city’s capital funding budget and was contingent upon the Zoo’s ability to ma...
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