Memphis Zoo
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Entrance gate at the Memphis Zoo
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| Date opened | April 1906 |
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| Location | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°09′00″N 89°59′39″W / 35.1500°N 89.9943°WCoordinates: 35°09′00″N 89°59′39″W / 35.1500°N 89.9943°W |
| Land area | 76 acres (31 ha) |
| Number of animals | 3,500 |
| Number of species | 500 |
| Memberships | AZA |
| Major exhibits | 19 spread across 3 zones |
| Website | www.memphiszoo.org |
The Memphis Zoo, located in Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee, United States, 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 (31 ha), of which approximately 55 acres (22 ha) are developed.
In 2008, the Memphis Zoo was ranked "#1 Zoo in the U.S." by TripAdvisor. 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).
The zoo was established on April 4, 1906, with $1,200 from the Memphis Park Commission. In August 1906, 23 cages and concrete bear enclosures were built with another $3,628 thanks to the head of the Commission, Col. Robert Galloway.
Galloway Hall, the Memphis Zoo's first building, was finished in 1907. It was named in honor of Col. Galloway, but was later demolished to make room for newer exhibits.
The Carnivora Building was constructed in 1909 to house the first cats at the zoo. It was later replaced by Cat Country, and converted into an inner-zoo restaurant.
The Elephant House opened in 1910. The building is still used as the main building of the zoo's educational department, but the elephants were moved to the African Veldt exhibit.
In 1916, the Botanical Display Building opened. It was later converted into the Tropical Bird House.
The Memphis Zoo acquired a round barn from the Memphis Police Department in 1923, who used the building as their stable for the mounted horse patrol in the early 1900s. The zoo's round barn exhibit is a collection of exotic hoofstock and birds.
In 1936, the zoo's first primate exhibit, Monkey Island, was built. It was replaced in 1995 by Primate Canyon.
The Aquarium was completed in 1959. It is one of the oldest exhibits at the Memphis Zoo. The building houses aquatic life from both fresh and salt water environments. In 1979, it had major renovations.
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Wikipedia