page_title: Memphis Zoo
section_title: East zone
hierarchical_section_title: Memphis Zoo / Exhibits / East zone
caption_attribution_description: English: Panda at the Memphis Zoo.
context_page_description: The Memphis Zoo, located in Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee, United States, is home to more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 different species. Created in April 1906, the zoo has been a major tenant of Overton Park for more than 100 years. The land currently designated to the Memphis Zoo was defined by the Overton Park master plan in 1888, it is owned by the City of Memphis. The zoo is set on 76 acres, of which approximately 55 acres are developed.
  In 2008, the Memphis Zoo was ranked "#1 Zoo in the U.S." by TripAdvisor. The ranking was based on visitor opinions.
  Since the early 1990s, the Memphis Zoo has invested over $77 million for renovation and expansion. The zoo's animal inhabitants reside in three zones with 19 exhibits, such as Teton Trek, Northwest Passage and China, home to giant pandas Ya Ya and Le Le
  The Memphis Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
context_section_description: Teton Trek
  The 4-acre (1.6 ha) exhibit, which opened October 2009, brings hallmark features of the Yellowstone National Park to the Memphis Zoo.  "Teton" refers to the Teton Range in Wyoming. Teton Trek begins with a 25-foot (7.6 m) replica of the Old Faithful Geyser and a 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) replica of the Old Faithful Inn called the Great Lodge, where interpretive information is presented in an interactive format.  The exhibit is home to some of the keystone species of the Yellowstone ecosystem: grizzly bears, elk, timber wolves, trumpeter swans, river otters and sandhill cranes.  The exhibit's trail provides visitors with an underwater look at the bears' fishing pond and a prominent overlook atop the 25-foot (7.6 m) replica of Yellowstone's Firehole Falls.
  Northwest Passage
  Home to the zoo's polar bears, this $23 million exhibit opened on March 1, 2006, and features an underwater viewing building, sea lion observation bubble and a 500-seat amphitheater for daily sea lion shows. This exhibit's theme is a tribute to the First Nations culture in Canada's western province British Columbia,  animals that inhabit the Pacific Northwest, and its horticulture. Messages of conservation inspired by Chief Seattle, a famous Native American chief, are sprinkled throughout the exhibit. Six hand-carved totem poles that stand throughout the area received a Native American blessing ceremony when they arrived at the zoo. The Northwest Passage is also home to the zoo's American bald eagles, black bears, and white-necked ravens.
  African Veldt
  African elephants, white rhinos, and giraffe are joined by zebras, Grant's gazelle, and ostriches in this area.  African cranes, bontebok, lechwe, bongo and scimitar oryx also live here. The zoo finished enlarging the elephant exhibit in 2006; it now features a pool that allows elephants to submerse and bathe.
  World of Waterfowl
  In this exhibit, two wooden bridges take visitors through a wetland. It is home to around 30 Chilean flamingos and a variety of other waterfowl.
  Birds and Bees
  This exhibit opened in May 2009.  It features an up-close look at two honey bee hives. Displays inside the exhibit explain what makes bees special and the role they play in agriculture. The indoor bee exhibit leads to an outdoor aviary that features approximately 500 budgies, commonly known as parakeets. In addition to viewing these colorful birds, visitors can feed them using millet seed-heads attached to sticks that are available for a small fee.
caption: A panda at the Memphis Zoo enjoying the sun.
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