Shame on You if You Don't Visit the Memphis Zoo

Shame on You if You Don't Visit the Memphis Zoo

Y'all, I've been a bad Memphian.

It's been at least 10 years since I visited the Memphis Zoo.

The last time I was there, Cat Country had been open for a little while, and the gorillas had just been moved outside. It was alright, but it wasn't my favorite place in town.

I spent all of yesterday afternoon wandering around the zoo, and holy crap, things have changed. Gone are the cages and dull animal living spaces and exhibits. Instead, the zoo is full of lush landscaping, natural habitats and great exhibits.

One of my first stops was the Once Upon a Farm exhibit. It's made to replicate a fully functional farm at two-thirds the size. In that spirit, many of the animals are also slightly smaller than the versions one would find on a real farm. Check out these adorable mini cows - they look like regular cows, but they're shorter and a little smaller and cuter. Also, you can pet all of the animals in Once Upon a Farm, including the chickens that wander around freely.

I had to stop and check out the meerkats. They're still completely cute and captivatingly high strung. I tried to get a picture of one doing the classic meerkat squat, but they were all running around.

Because I hadn't visited the zoo in so long, I hadn't seen the two pandas that are on loan from China. Their habitat is very cool - they share an exhibit with monkeys, otters and pheasants.

Sleeping panda at the Memphis Zoo

The two pandas spend most of their day snacking on bamboo, pooping and sleeping. They're not lazy - it's a nutrition thing. I ran into a docent named Van who told me a little bit about the pandas' nutrition. (Video here.)

I also highly recommend the Northwest Passage exhibit - the polar bears seem content in their chilled water, and the sea lions are fun to watch.

Later this year, the zoo's newest exhibit, Teton Trek, is opening. It's going to be a home for bears, timberwolves and elk and feature an awesome replica of the lodge at Yellowstone. After that's completed, the hippos are getting a brand new living space (should open in 2011).

So, lesson learned. If you went to  the zoo once when you were a kid and haven't been back since, go. Take a walk through this awesome urban park with all of the great animals. And if you wear a dark polo shirt and khaki shorts, the animals may mistake you for a keeper and be super active. Or, you could just get a seed stick and feed the birds.

Feeding the birds at the Memphis Zoo

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chrishaley
That panda is hilarious.
August 21, 2009 12:04pm
Aaron
We love the zoo. That's my spouse's happy place with our boys. Memphis can be proud of their Zoo!
August 25, 2009 10:54am
Stacey
The Zoo's commitment to conservation--especially in their very own backyard--is severely lacking. It's been very hard for us old forest lovers to forgive them for clearcutting 4 acres of 10,000 year old forst for the Teton Trek exhibit. Speaking of, if you've never visited the old forest, you should! CPOP leads free hikes twice a month.
August 26, 2009 8:42am
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April 8, 2010 10:16am
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[...] best in the country last year by TripAdvisor, and it definitely lives up to the hype. It’s more urban park than zoo, and they’ve got several brand new habitats (like Teton Trek, home to elk, grizzlies and [...]
August 31, 2010 4:37pm
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August 22, 2009 7:30am