We now have three young Saanen goats (2 males and one female). They are quite small now but will eventually grow to 150 – 200 pounds. This species of goat is also very mild mannered making them great additions to our Critter Encounters petting zoo.

 

This image was taken by Zoo photographer Amiee Stubbs (www.amieestubbs.com).

Sareeka, one of our two Bengal Tigers enjoys a dip in her pool. There used to be 9 different tiger species in the world but thee became extinct in the past 70 years. The remaining 6 species (Amur, Bengal, Indochinese, Malayan, South China, and Sumatran) are all endangered.

 

This image was taken by Zoo photographer Amiee Stubbs (www.amieestubbs.com).

Nashville Zoo Picture of the Week. Charlotte, a boa constrictor, “smells” the air with her forked tongue. Zoo guests can occasionally see Charlotte when docents take her out on the trail for a visit. She also visits schools as part of our Wildlife On Wheels program.

 

This image was taken by Zoo photographer Amiee Stubbs (www.amieestubbs.com).

Nashville Zoo and Gate Communications are presenting the seventh annual Deaf Day at the Zoo on Saturday, April 21. Presentations and programs designed specifically for the Deaf and Deaf/Blind community will be offered from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Sign language specialists will partner with Zoo staff and docents to deliver educational presentations and answer guests’ questions about flamingos, giraffes, meerkats, clouded leopard and other Zoo animals. The Zoo’s animal shows will have interpreters on hand throughout the day, and sign language will also be offered at Lorikeet Landing, Critter Encounters, the Zoofari Market gift shop, the Zoofari Café and some tours of the Grassmere Historic Home. In addition to interpreters, Gate will be offering CART (reel time captioning) of the animal shows for Deaf individuals who do not use sign language for communication.

Deaf Day at the Zoo is the result of a partnership between Nashville Zoo and Gate Communications to connect with the Deaf and Deaf/Blind community. Gate Communications is a national non-profit organization that serves the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing communities through accessibility services, events and outreaches both locally and across the United States. Gate Communications has been providing deaf-accessible events in Nashville throughout its   13-year existence.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry.  Attracting more than 640,000 visitors annually, the Zoo is considered one of the top things to do in Nashville. The Zoo is a non-profit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership.  For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

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Here’s your Nashville Zoo Picture of the Week. Two of our meekats lounge inside their habitat. These highly social mongoose relatives live in groups of up to 30 (Nashville Zoo has 15). At least one in the group poses as sentinel and will alert the others in case of danger.

 

This image was taken by Zoo photographer Amiee Stubbs (www.amieestubbs.com).

Nashville Zoo is seeing record-breaking attendance this spring. The Zoo’s annual Eggstravaganzoo event on April 7 set a new single day paid attendance record of 12,057 guests. In addition to Saturday’s record turnout, the Zoo also set a March record with 105,270 visitors through the gates during the month. Officials attribute the spike in attendance to unusually warm weather and the success of the new DinoTrek exhibit.

“The addition of DinoTrek has proven to be extremely popular with guests and certainly exceeded our expectations,” said Rick Schwartz, Nashville Zoo President. “DinoTrek attendance in March was 200 percent above projections, and our overall attendance is currently trending 63 percent above projections. We are very excited that the public has responded so well to this unique exhibit.”

The previous highest paid attendance day record was set at last year’s Eggstravaganzoo event with 10,398 visitors. The previous record for the month of March was 67,647, also set in 2011.

“The high volume days we have experienced this spring certainly solidify our standing as Middle Tennessee’s number one attraction,” said Schwartz. “As the Zoo becomes more and more popular, our focus turns to improving infrastructure, particularly our entrance and parking system, that will improve the overall guest experience and help us grow into the future.”

Summer plans at the Zoo include the public debut of five clouded leopard cubs exhibit, the first annual Brew at the Zoo event and culmination of the DinoTrek exhibit on July 31.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry.  Attracting more than 640,000 visitors annually, the Zoo is considered one of the top things to do in Nashville. The Zoo is a non-profit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership.  For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

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Nashville Zoo is celebrating its feathered residents at the annual Avian Awareness Day on Saturday, May 5. Guests can explore the importance of birds throughout the world with activities, keeper talks and shows for the entire family.

Avian Awareness Day highlights the journey of migratory birds as they make passage between their breeding grounds in North America and their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Educational stations will be set up throughout the Zoo that explore how birds navigate their way through various daily and annual challenges, and both kids and adults can enjoy comparing their “wing spans” to our feathered friends. Other activities include egg and feather displays, keeper talks and docent stations at many of our bird exhibits with representatives from the Audubon Society and Wild Birds Unlimited.  The Zoo’s amphitheater will also host animal shows at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. with an emphasis on avian conservation.

Avian Awareness Day celebrates International Migratory Bird Day (IMDB), an event founded in 1993 by a coalition of bird-minded organizations that recognized the need for a unified focus on the conservation of migratory birds.  Zoos across the country celebrate IMBD, raising awareness for the nearly 350 species that travel between nesting habitats and non-breeding habitats each year.

Avian Awareness Day is free with Zoo admission or membership. For more information, visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation, and leadership.  For more information about Nashville Zoo, please call 833-1534 or visit our website at www.nashvillezoo.org.

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Here’s your Nashville Zoo Picture of the Week. For courtship, red-crowned cranes exhibit a dancing display characterized by head bobbing, bowing, leaps and other gestures. Successful courtship typically results in a monogamous relationship for life. Happy Valentine’s Day!

This image was taken by Zoo photographer Christian Sperka (www.sperka.biz).  Enjoy!

 

Sareeka, one of our Bengal tigers, enjoys an unseasonably warm January. Guests agree as more than 14,000 visited last month…a new record for the Zoo.

Nashville Zoo is offering three classes for amateur photographers of all levels wanting to explore the wild side of photography. Animal Art Photography I will be held Feb. 11, an Unseen New World Photography Workshop will be on Feb. 12 and Animal Art Photography II will be March 17. All classes are led by Zoo photographer Christian Sperka.

Participants in the Animal Art Photography classes will utilize both the classroom and Zoo trail as Sperka shares his technique of photographing animals all over the world. The courses cover every step of taking animal photos, from getting the perfect shot to picture selection and processing. Animal Art Photography II participants will also get a special photo opportunity behind the scenes.

The habitats in the Unseen New World, terrariums and aquariums, provide a completely different set of photographic challenges than outdoor exhibits. The Unseen New World workshop teaches participants the techniques for dealing with the challenges of shooting through glass, artificial lighting and more. Participants will also get the opportunity to photograph several animal feeding sessions.

Class attendees are required to have a digital camera with the ability to adjust aperture, shutter speed, iso speed, and a lens with a 200 mm focal length or more. In order to participate in Animal Art Photography II, participants must have complete knowledge of the Animal Art Photography I class.

Animal Art Photography I is Saturday, Feb. 11 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. The cost is $70 for Zoo members and $95 for non-members. Animal Art Photography II is Saturday, March 17 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. The cost is $140 for Zoo members and $190 for non-members. The Unseen New World workshop is Sunday, Feb. 12 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. The cost is $85 for Zoo members and $110 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit www.nashvillezoo.org.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Pike and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  The mission of Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership.  For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.