Melinda, one of our Education Animal Show presenters coaxes Bailey, a serval, to show off his leaping abilities. In the wild, Servals use this skill to catch flying birds on the African plains.

Guest to Nashville Zoo can see Bailey during our “Wildlife Wonders” show which takes place at 3:30 every day except Tuesdays beginning this weekend.

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

Nashville Zoo Picture of the Week. 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).

Here’s your Nashville Zoo Picture of the Week. A three week old lamb bleats at the camera inside the barn at our Grassmere Historic Home and Farm. The Zoo recently acquired three young males from the Rocky Mount Living History Museum in Piney Flats, TN.

 

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 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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Sy is a 6-month old cassowary, from the White Oak Conservation Center in Florida, settles in to his new home along Bamboo Trail. As Sy grows, his feathers will eventually turn black and his head will turn shades of blue. Sy will alternate on exhibit with our other male cassowary (an adult).

 

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

Hadari, one of our four African elephants receives a bath as part of her daily routine. If you’re interested in learning more about our elephant care, the Animal Art Photography Gallery (located at Nashville’s Arcade on 5th Avenue between Church Street and Union Street) will highlight the work of Nashville Zoo’s elephant keepers during this weekend’s First Saturday Gallery Art Crawl.

 

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