The Nashville Zoo in Lithia Springs is an excellent zoo and historic agricultural farmhouse located approximately 6 miles south of Downtown Nashville. As of 2014, the Nashville zoo was the state’s second-highest paid tourist attraction and contained 5,220 animals, including 339 different species. The zoo’s location is approximately 180 acres in size. Much of the land is devoted to the exhibits and is included with admission tickets.
The Nashville Zoo has two separate sections: a primary facility along historic Hooters Avenue, and a secondary facility across Hooters’ Silver Circle in Green Hills, near the intersection of Hillsboro and Woodmont Boulevard. Within the primary facility, visitors will find exhibits focusing on amphibians, fishes, birds, mammals, and reptiles. In addition, there are numerous educational exhibits focusing on sustainability, conservation, genetics, and anthropology. In addition to exhibits, there are two zoos: The Nashville Zoo Youth Services Zone and The Franklin Avenue Zoo. The zoo in Green Hills, also located in Green Hills, contains several community attractions including the Nashville Predators Ice Cap Challenge, The Franklin Center for the Arts, The Woodlands Bird Sanctuary, and the William R. Hunt Bird Sanctuary.
Throughout the year, there are several special events such as “Panda Run” in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. In April, the Nashville Zoo welcomes pandas to the grounds in preparation for the pandas’ mating season, which takes place between April and June. The Belted Galloway is another important element within the Nashville Zoo. The Belted Galloway is an old road right beside the tracks of what was once known as the Black Horse Road. Here, you’ll find evidence of a logging camp where creek water was processed for drinking and bathing.
The Nashville Zoo also features two exhibits that showcase the world’s largest known collection of tropical mammals, which include the Bobcat and Nine-Lared sloth bear. The two-toned African Savanna weighs nearly twenty-five thousand pounds and is thirty-three feet long. Other inhabitants of the African savanna include zebras, antelopes, gazelles, ostriches, and zebras. Other animals commonly found within the Nashville Zoo’s African wildebeest include: impala, bongo, baboon, white tailed giraffe, hippopotamus, okra, etc.
In addition to featuring these animals, the Nashville Zoo also features the only private breeding facility in the United States. It is so rare that only a few people in the world have been blessed with seeing the beautiful female black rhinoceros called Nandi. The world’s only private zoo featuring cheetah, orangutan, golden cat, leopard and jaguar, among others are also found in the Nashville Zoo. In addition, it has been reported that the “steel banded lionfish” was the first fish ever caught by a professional gold fisherman at the Nashville Zoo. All these attractions have made the Nashville Zoo one of the most visited zoos in the country.
A number of places can be visited near the Nashville Zoo. They are home to a number of activities like wild animal carousel, clouded leopard habitat, cheetah display and the historic brassiere. You can enjoy a shopping spree in the Big Yellow Mall. The zoo also offers two water parks for families. At the Nashville Zoo, there are a number of dining options available. You can choose among the barbecue, sushi and continental lunch menu.