Highlighted Habitats

Giraffe

An 18-month old reticulated giraffe has recently joined our animal collection. The female giraffe, named Layla, comes to Nashville from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.
“Layla has been a welcome addition to our giraffe barn” said Connie Philipp, director of animal collections at Nashville Zoo. “She is a very spunky and curious. Being hand-raised has made her very interested in what we do all day.”
Layla is Nashville Zoo’s first reticulated giraffe, one of nine different sub-species of giraffe. Nashville Zoo’s other two, a female named Margarita and a male named Congo, are both Masai giraffe. Reticulated giraffe are known for their distinctive skin pattern of bright orange spots separated by cream lines. The pattern provides good camouflage in the dense vegetation of their native Eastern Africa. It is estimated that fewer than 5,000 remain in the wild.
Layla currently weighs over 590 pounds and stands 9 feet tall, considerably smaller than Margarita who weighs 1,860 pounds and is over 14 feet tall. Zoo guests can see Layla on exhibit during sunny days where temperatures remain above 50 degrees.

Snowy Owls

Two snowy owls have landed at Nashville Zoo. The pair, one male and one female, came to the Nashville from the Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut and can be seen at on exhibit in the Zoo’s Critter Encounters area.
Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. Males are almost completely white, and females are largely white with brown and black markings. Unlike other owl species, snowy owls is diurnal and are most active during the daytime.

African Elephants

Nashville Zoo’s elephant population recently doubled its size with the addition of two female African elephants from the Jackson Zoo in Jackson, MS. Our elephant care team have been working over the past several months to acclimate the herd to each other, and now guests can see Juno, Rosie, Hadari and Sukari together in their habitat.

Nashville Zoo’s African Elephant Savannah is a 3-acre habitat complete with a 150,000 gallon wading pool, mud hole, tall trees for shade and plenty of grass. The Zoo’s elephant barn is climate controlled and offers individual stalls for each of the four elephants. African Elephant Savannah opened in 2005 thanks to generous support from the Cal Turner Family Foundation.

Caribbean Flamingos

Escape to tropical paradise at Flamingo Lagoon, featuring 30 Caribbean flamingos.

With pink feathers, curvy necks and long legs, flamingos are some of the most vibrant and unusual birds in the world. Caribbean flamingos are the largest and most brightly colored of the species. They are primarily found in the Caribbean, part of Central America, northeastern South America and in the Galapagos Islands. Their bright pink and orange coloring is caused by high levels of beta carotene found in its diet. Flamingos are social birds often live in large groups. During mating season, the birds take part in an elaborate courtship dance that includes synchronized head flagging, wing salutes and marching.

Flamingo Lagoon is a 15,000 sq. ft. oasis of lush greens and winding waterways. Features include shaded areas, exotic landscaping and two bridges that offer guests a unique and up-close view of the birds and habitat.