Our Blog

One of the biggest threats to animals worldwide comes as a byproduct of the desire to put food on the table for many impoverished families. Wire snares are set along animal paths in the hopes of trapping a meal or catching an animal to be sold in the black market. Unfortunately, these wire nooses are indiscriminate so any animal (wild or domesticated) is capable of getting caught in the trap. However, local residents in South Africa are now learning that snare wire can be used as an alternati... Read More

(Update as of  December 20, 2016)    Zookeeper, Pujita, returned from her two week excursion in the Pantanal at the end of November. Between the early mornings and South American heat, Pujita and the team were able to successfully collect data from four anteater recaptures and two giant armadillo recaptures (the capture of animals that have already been collared).    Pujita recalls her first time seeing an anteater in the wild, procedures and processes f... Read More

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the primary accrediting body for top zoos and aquariums in the United States, awarded Nashville Zoo the 2016 International Conservation Award for their work with the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) benefiting Grauer’s gorillas. The annual award recognizes exceptional efforts toward regional habitat preservation, species restoration, and support of biodiversity in the ... Read More

Nashville Zoo Receives Grant to Help Save the Alligator Snapping Turtles Nashville Zoo is excited to share recent conservation news regarding field work and research for a species right here in Tennessee… the evolutionarily distinct, alligator snapping turtle. Often confused with the common snapping turtle which thrives in waterways all across Tennessee, the prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle is most easily distinguished by three large ridges along the back of its shell an... Read More

As Nashville Zoo prepares for the upcoming opening of the new white rhino exhibit, we also celebrate and recognize World Rhino Day! Later this year, we will welcome a pair of male white rhinos into the former elephant habitat. In the future, the Zoo plans to import a group of female white rhinos with plans to breed the group as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.  Nashville Zoo rhino conservation efforts extend beyond our participation in AZA&rsqu... Read More

Trees do so much for us, making life healthier and better in many ways. But trees can’t tell us what they do for us and why we should care.  With a little help from our musical friends, Nashville Zoo and The Nature Conservancy launched “If Trees Could Sing"- an innovative tree education program at the Zoo.  Through the program, 12 colorful tree signs have been installed in two areas at Nashville Zoo. Each sign not only identifies the tree, but also includes the photograph of a... Read More

Nashville Zoo Sends Puerto Rican Crested Toads back to Puerto Rico for reintroduction in the wild Earlier this month, Nashville Zoo shipped 1,072 Puerto Rican Crested Toad tadpoles back to Puerto Rico for reintroduction in the Guanica Natural Habitat. Since 2012, the Zoo has shipped over 11,000 tadpoles for reintroduction as part of a coordinated reintroduction program for this critically endangered species. Each tadpole shipment requires months of coordination and planning. On the day of s... Read More

Our Brew at the Zoo title sponsor, M.L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers, is celebrating May with a special burger of the month. M.L. Rose will donate $1 for every ANM.L. Burger sold to support Nashville Zoo’s conservation efforts with the Pallas cat. The ANM.L. burger promotion is available at both M.L. Rose locations throughout May. For more information, visit www.mlrose.com. The Pallas cat is a small feline species with a wide but disconnected range stretching from Iran through the Mideast ... Read More

Spring time means it is grilling time! Do you know what fish you’re eating? The high demand for seafood affects fish and marine life worldwide. Habitat destruction and overfishing are causing a significant population decline and wrecking our ecosystems. The choices we make as consumers drive the seafood marketplace. Your purchasing power can make a difference by supporting those fisheries and fish farms that are better for the environment, while at the same time relieving pressure on o... Read More

We’ve wrapped up our first Weed Wrangle – but the work is not done. Invasive plants are all over Tennessee and can most likely be found in your own backyard. Do your part to curb the growth of weeds that negatively impacted our ecosystem and wreak havoc on native plants and animals.   Helpful Tips Weed Wrangle at home. Remove exotic invasive species from your landscape. We recommend checking out the Tennessee Exotic Pests Plant Council website for information on con... Read More

There are lots of ways you can attract birds to your backyard, even during the winter months. Even though most birds in Tennessee fly south for the winter, there are several birds that stay here during the cooler months. Common Tennessee winter residents: American Goldfinch American Robin Blue Jay Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Dark-eyed Junco Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Eastern Towhee House Finch House Sparrow Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbi... Read More

We need your help! Join Nashville Zoo for the first annual Weed Wrangle, a city-wide clean-up day dedicated to ridding Nashville of non-native plant species. Weed Wrangle is set for Saturday, Feb. 28 from 9 a.m. - noon. Exotic invasive plants, particularly bush honeysuckle and Chinese privet, have outcompeted native plant species over the last hundred years on the Zoo’s Grassmere property. Without natural predators, this invasive vegetation has negatively impacted the ecosystem, causing a d... Read More

Nashville Zoo recently shipped over 4,400 critically endangered Puerto Rican crested tadpoles to Puerto Rico as part of a conservation effort that releases the tadpoles into protected ponds in the Guanica National Forest. “Since we began breeding Puerto Rican Crested Toads in 2012, Nashville Zoo has produced 10,365 tadpoles that have been shipped to Puerto Rico for release,” said Dale McGinnity, ectotherm curator. “This project is the perfect example of how ex-situ (outside ... Read More