Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park
Encyclopedia
The Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park, formerly the Warner Park Zoo, is a 13 acres (5.3 ha) zoo located in Warner Park in Downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee
. The zoo was established in 1937 and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
.
The most notable exhibit is Himalayan Passage, which houses the zoo's red panda
s. Himalayan Passage boasts the largest indoor red panda exhibit in the world, despite the Chattanooga Zoo being one of the smallest zoos accredited by the AZA
. Himalayan Passage was expanded in 2006 to include habitats for snow leopard
s and Hanuman langurs
.
The Gombe Forest is a $2.1 million dollar exhibit that is home to the zoo's five chimpanzee
s. The Gombe Forest is an indoor/ outdoor exhibit built in 2001 to house Hank, the zoo's famous long-time resident, as well as four other chimps. Hank was donated to the zoo in 1976, and died of natural causes at age 42 on January 24, 2011. The Donovan Interpretive Center features an indoor chimpanzee viewing area and other small exhibits.
The Corcovado Jungle is home to animals from Latin America, including jaguar
s, spider monkey
s, macaw
s, and capybara
s.
Walkin' the Tracks holds the zoos North American animals, including prairie dog
s and white-tailed deer
. The Cougar Express has indoor viewing in a train car for the zoos two cougars.
A new front entrance complex is now open, and includes new parking areas, gift shop, restroom facility, concessions pavilion, and Endangered Species carousel.
s, gibbon
s, and Komodo dragon
s. New species, not yet determined, will also be added to the zoo's South American, African, Asian, and North American zones.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. The zoo was established in 1937 and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
.
Exhibits and facilities
Red Panda
The red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...
s. Himalayan Passage boasts the largest indoor red panda exhibit in the world, despite the Chattanooga Zoo being one of the smallest zoos accredited by the AZA
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
. Himalayan Passage was expanded in 2006 to include habitats for snow leopard
Snow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
s and Hanuman langurs
Gray langur
Gray langurs or Hanuman langurs, the most widespread langurs of South Asia, are a group of Old World monkeys constituting the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus. All taxa have traditionally been placed in the single species Semnopithecus entellus...
.
The Gombe Forest is a $2.1 million dollar exhibit that is home to the zoo's five chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s. The Gombe Forest is an indoor/ outdoor exhibit built in 2001 to house Hank, the zoo's famous long-time resident, as well as four other chimps. Hank was donated to the zoo in 1976, and died of natural causes at age 42 on January 24, 2011. The Donovan Interpretive Center features an indoor chimpanzee viewing area and other small exhibits.
The Corcovado Jungle is home to animals from Latin America, including jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
s, spider monkey
Spider monkey
Spider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil...
s, macaw
Macaw
Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
s, and capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
s.
Walkin' the Tracks holds the zoos North American animals, including prairie dog
Prairie dog
Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. There are five different species of prairie dogs: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico...
s and white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
. The Cougar Express has indoor viewing in a train car for the zoos two cougars.
A new front entrance complex is now open, and includes new parking areas, gift shop, restroom facility, concessions pavilion, and Endangered Species carousel.
Conservation
The Chattanooga Zoo is actively involved in conservation efforts, specifically the AZA's Species Survival Plan which manages the breeding, conservation, and welfare of endangered species throughout AZA accredited facilities in North America. Since 1998, the zoo has also been a partner with the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group/Fundacion Zoologica (ZCOG). ZCOG is an organization that partners with Latin American zoos and assists with conservation intitiatives in Latin America, specifically the saving of the Amazon Rainforest.The future
The zoo is currently undergoing a five-phase, $12 million dollar Master Plan that is transforming it into a premier zoological facility. In the last 10 years, the zoo has expanded from 1.5 acre (0.607029 ha) to its current 13 acres (5.3 ha). The Master Plan includes new exhibits and expansion of the animal collection to specifically include the African penguinAfrican Penguin
The African Penguin , also known as the Black-footed Penguin is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters. It is known as Brilpikkewyn in Afrikaans, Inguza or Unombombiya in Xhosa, Manchot Du Cap in French and Pingüino Del Cabo in Spanish...
s, gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
s, and Komodo dragon
Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon , also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of in rare cases...
s. New species, not yet determined, will also be added to the zoo's South American, African, Asian, and North American zones.