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Nashville Zoo is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Your donations and visits support our mission to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership.
Nashville Zoo is tons of fun and a great place to see fascinating animals…but there is also a lot of serious conservation work happening here.
Our experienced staff is actively involved in research, habitat protection, breeding programs and education initiatives around the globe as well as in our own backyard.
More than 35 cubs have been born at Nashville Zoo since 2009.
The first institution to successfully breed hellbenders using biotechnology and the first externally fertilizing salamander to be produced utilizing cryopreserved sperm.
We are pioneering giant anteater care in zoos and helping to write the care manual for the species.
Nashville Zoo is successfully breeding thousands of these toads and releasing them into protected areas of their native land.
We are the most prolific producer of rhinoceros hornbills in the United States.
We are participating in a head start program to give alligator snapping turtle hatchlings a better chance of survival.
Nashville Zoo has been surveying and monitoring loggerhead shrikes in Middle Tennessee since 2013.
Nashville Zoo is home to a genetic reserve colony of these burrowing lizards.
Since introducing co-parenting in 2016, the Zoo has seen a dramatic increase in chick survivability.
Nashville Zoo is working locally to restore and protect habitats right here in Nashville.
In collaboration with multiple agencies, the Zoo has led the revitalization and protection of crayfish habitat in Nashville.
Nashville Zoo is dedicated to saving species from extinction and has made a significant impact on several species by pioneering their care, collaborating on innovative breeding programs, protecting their habitats, and more.
When the Zoo can’t be actively involved, we contribute proceeds gained from your support to a wide array of incredible efforts organized by other environmental protection programs. Check out our Annual Report for a list of organizations we supported last year.
See the Report
Nashville Zoo participates in a number of Species Survival Plan ® (SSP) programs with other zoos worldwide. Each SSP carefully manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining captive population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. Explore our animal pages to see which SSPs we contribute to.
Shopping responsibly for consumer products can make a big difference for wildlife and wild places.
Palm oil is the most widely produced edible vegetable oil in the world and is an ingredient in nearly half of all consumer products.
Plastic is nearly always present in our lives. From candy wrappers to water bottles, there are plastics we use every single day.
The Nashville Zoo Green Team is an internal committee that pursues efficient and sustainable practices while promoting, educating and leading our community towards improving environmental responsibility.