Nashville Zoo is a leader in education, conservation, and recreation in Middle Tennessee and is growing wild into the future with new expansions and features.
Leopard Forest – Projected Opening 2024
Leopard Forest will be located along the path to the existing giraffe habitat and feature four separate habitats where guests can enjoy multiple viewing areas of each species.
- Species in these four separate habitats will include Amur leopards, colobus monkeys, De Brazza’s monkeys and a multi-species habitat featuring both klipspringers and rock hyraxes.
- Zoo visitors will enjoy a unique view of the Amur leopards as they will pass above a guest pathway via an overhead transfer.
While the Amur leopard is not native to Africa and is native to the mountainous forests of Eastern Russia and Northern China, it is the most critically endangered leopard and one of the most threatened cat species in the world. Nashville Zoo hopes to replicate the breeding success achieved with other endangered species to help in the conservation of these beautiful cats.
Parking Garage – Projected Opening 2024
To prepare for the Zoo’s expansions, we’re starting construction on a massive parking garage that upon completion will increase our parking capacity by 62%. Once complete, the two-floor garage will feature covered parking on the first floor and open parking on the second floor.
A landscaped walkway and ramp will bring guests directly from the garage to the Zoo’s Entry Village. The added space will have a huge impact on how many guests the Zoo is able to comfortably accommodate as we grow wild into the future!
Komodo Dragon – Now Open!
This habitat opened in July 2023 and is located beside the pathway that leads up to the Zoo’s HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center. It is the largest Komodo dragon habitat in the Americas. The habitat is built to house two adult males, three adult females and younger Komodo dragons. During colder months, the Komodo dragons will remain behind the scenes and will not be visible in their outside habitat. Eventually, the dragons will be shifted into their climate-controlled, indoor habitat so they can be seen year-round.
Komodo dragons are only native to the Lesser Sunda Indonesian islands and are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to rising sea levels. Nashville Zoo participates in the Komodo Dragon Species Survival Plan® to help ensure genetically diverse dragons amongst populations in human care. We help protect this species in their native habitat by partnering with Komodo Survival Program, an organization dedicated to Komodo dragon educational initiatives and hands-on conservation work with wild populations.
For more information about Grow Wild, please email growwild@nashvillezoo.org.