Chattanooga Zoo Chattanooga Zoo

Piece of December 2024/January 2025 News Not Mentioned:

On December 10th, the zoo announced they acquired (3.1) fennec foxes named Augustus (Gus), Maximus (Max), Quinterious (Quin), and Daisy from an unspecified zoo in Illinois which are on display in the Deserts of the World Building.

Chattanooga Zoo
Blog | Chattanooga Zoo

On January 8th, the zoo announced that a Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko hatched on November 24th.

Chattanooga Zoo

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On January 17th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) bearded emperor tamarin named Sal to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Illinois.

Sal and Feta, Emperor Tamarins | Lincoln Park Zoo

On February 13th, the zoo announced their (1.0) Geoffroy's spider monkey named Spiderman passed away at age 49.

Chattanooga Zoo
Blog | Chattanooga Zoo
 
I visited the Chattanooga Zoo for the first time today, along with my mom and three of my younger siblings. It was fun! It's not at all a large zoo, but they do a fair job with the space and resources they have. The animal collection is solid, and several of the exhibits are nice. Signage was high-quality, with lots of information and context about the animals, conservation, history, the zoo itself, etc. The Himalayan Passage, in particular, really surprised me with its wealth of info on the history and geography of central Asia, complete with some Marco Polo quotes. The giraffe building also had some cool signs about its layout and features. The cougar exhibit includes an old caboose that's been converted into a viewing area, and it includes signs about caboose history and some paperwork that the train crew dealt with on the job.

News Notes:

- The coyotes were off-exhibit. I didn't notice any signs for the coyotes themselves, just the "animals are off-exhibit" sign.

- The zoo maps still include servals, but caracals were held and signed in their exhibit.

- A few of the small reptile exhibits were empty and unsigned.

- The Aldabra tortoise exhibit inside the entrance was empty with signage directing visitors to an alternative exhibit where they were on display.

- The macaw exhibit included signage explaining that the macaws were nesting on the ground, and one of them did appear to be doing that.

- A cotton top tamarin had two tiny babies riding on her back. Signage announced the babies and warned visitors not to tap on the glass.
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We picked a great day to visit. The weather was near perfect, sunny and in the 60s, though the breeze was a little cold. Almost all of the outdoor animals were visible and active.

Highlights:

- One of the Aldabra tortoises was resting on a pallet, and we got to watch its long, slow process of scooting to the edge of the pallet and climbing down to the ground. Several people were cheering it on.

- The tamarins were all very active, scurrying and climbing all over their branches.

- The female giant anteater was apparently in heat and the male was enthusiastically following her around and trying his luck. She wasn't having it, though. They both stuck their snouts through the fence when a staff member walked past, which was fun to see. This was the first time I'd seen this species, and I'm so glad they were active and gave us a show. They're such strange and unique animals. My siblings hadn't realized how big they were going to be, and were duly impressed.

- The snow leopard came up to the fence and got excited when it saw a staff member, running around and rearing up to put its paws on the glass.

- A camel was playing with a ball, picking it up and throwing it over and over.

- The red pandas weren't moving much, but I just thought their exhibit was pretty cool-looking. The indoor area, especially.

We picked up some souvenirs on the way out. I and my brother got red panda T-shirts, he got an oversized pencil, and I got two red panda magnets.
 
I should also mention that the zoo's location was a highlight. Warner Park includes a youth sports complex, which is right outside the zoo gate. It's a nice outdoor place for families to hang out, with the zoo's small size and cheap tickets making it easy to drop in after a little league game or something.

The zoo is also right alongside a busy Norfolk Southern train yard and train repair facility. Trains are clearly visible and audible throughout the zoo, serving as a backdrop for some of the exhibits. Mileage will vary as to whether that's a good thing or not, but it hugely enhanced the trip for one of my brothers who is a railfan. I imagine a lot of kids enjoy seeing animals and trains at the same time, too.
 
Does the zoo still have genet? They had one last July per USDA but the exhibit I saw it in in 2021 now has a two-toed sloth.

Edit: Asked an employee, they do still have it but not on exhibit. Bummer.
 
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Piece of February / March 2025 News Not Mentioned:
Smaggledagle said:
On November 12th, the zoo announced they named the tamarins Appa and Momo.

Chattanooga Zoo
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On February 16th, the zoo announced they sexed the tamarins as (1.1).

7K views · 130 reactions | We are thrilled to announce that our pied tamarin twins, Appa & Momo, are a boy and a girl! These tiny siblings have been keeping us on our toes with... | By Chattanooga Zoo | Facebook

On March 14th, the zoo announced they renovated the spider tortoise exhibit inside the Forests of the World building.

6.3K views · 134 reactions | Our critically endangered spider tortoises have officially moved into their newly redesigned exhibit in the Forests of the World building! These tiny... | By Chattanooga Zoo | Facebook

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Haliaeetus said:
And Indian Peafowl has escaped the zoo, hanging loose in town.
Local 3 News on Instagram: "HAVE YOU SEEN HIM? One of the free-roaming peacocks at the Chattanooga Zoo is loose downtown after escaping the zoo on Thursday night. Zoo staff suspect the peacock just doesn't know how to get back home. If you see the peacock in the area surrounding the zoo, they ask you call 423-697-1322 to help bring him back home."
Click to expand...

On May 2nd, the zoo announced that the escaped Indian peafowl was safely recaptured after it was found in a backyard.

Chattanooga Zoo

On May 7th, the zoo announced that a (1.0) common chimpanzee named Artemus passed away at age 34 the week prior due to an apparent heart abnormality.

Chattanooga Zoo

On June 18th, the zoo announced that a (0.1) Nepalese red panda named Willa passed away at age 10 earlier in the week due to kidney failure caused by a severe GI blockage.

Chattanooga Zoo
 
On July 9th, the zoo announced they are working on a new 10-year masterplan, and with that, released a survey asking the public to chip in several key sections, including:

New Areas - Australian animals, Night House, Immersive Cave Area, Bug House, or a new aviary.
New Animals - Includes American badger, American beaver, American black bear, Asian small-clawed otter, "bat", binturong, clouded leopard, "coati", gray fox, "kangaroo", Matschie's tree kangaroo, North American porcupine, "wallaby", bald eagle, and southern ground hornbill.
New Non-Animal Areas - Improved Playground, Splash Pad, Sensory Garden, Expanded Train Route, or Movie/AR experience.

Chattanooga Zoo
 
I wish there was a bit more room for nuance in the new species question - there's a world of difference between the zoo adding red-necked wallabies, and them adding yellow-footed rock wallabies (as pictured) or parma wallabies. Still, it's exciting that they're seeking engagement like this at all. If even a portion of this comes to fruition, it seems clear that they don't want to fall behind the other major Tennessee facilities.
 
Glad to see that Chattanooga has plans for expansion! It's really cool of them to put out a poll like this, too. I voted for the nocturnal house, tree kangaroo, and upgraded playground. I don't know of any zoos close by that have the first two, and playgrounds are just practical, I guess.

The tree kangaroo is an obscure exotic option, but I would be pretty happy if they went with the black bear, too. Chattanooga doesn't have a bear, and Atlanta only has the sun bears, probably not for much longer, so there aren't any major zoos with American bears in practical day trip distance for me.
 
My suggestion (surprise surprise) was hoofstock. They don't even have a token hoofed animal listed on the survey.

Until the giraffes (and some duikers) the zoo only had Whitetail Deer and domestics.

It would be relatively easy with their current layout for both a small and larger hoofed animal to each "realm".

South America - Tapir and Brocket Deer
Asia - Muntjac and Takin or Chital
Africa - Lesser Kudu in with the giraffes/existing Duikers.

North America - Existing Whitetail and we don't really have a small hoofed animal.
 
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