Nashville Zoo offers up-close experiences with rare animals - Tennessean

The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere recently announced that one of its Sumatran tigers, 7-year-old Anne, gave birth to three cubs, boosting hopes of preserving the extremely rare species.

Given the news, we thought it was a good idea to remind readers about the zoo and its many offerings.

Located off Nolensville Pike, the zoo has been at its current site for about 25 years. About 90 of its 188 available acres have been developed. It boasts hundreds of species of animals and is one of Middle Tennessee's top-paid attractions.

Here are some of the zoo's more interesting attractions:

Sumatran tigers, the rarest on Earth

These are the rarest species of tiger, with fewer than 400 believed to be living in the wild, putting them "on the brink of extinction," according to the International Tiger Project. Poaching, habitat destruction and conflicts with humans are the main reasons, according to the organization.

Anne shares a building and enclosure at the zoo with Felix, another Sumatran tiger.

They're big cats — Sumatran tigers can weigh up to 300 pounds and measure 8-feet long. Interestingly, though, they are the smallest subspecies of tigers, according to the zoo.

Real-life dragons

Speaking of impressive animals, the zoo is also home to several Komodo dragons, including a 9-foot-long male, ironically named Lil Sebastian. Komodo dragons are the heaviest lizards on Earth and live up to their names.

Here's how the zoo describes them: "Komodo dragons are dominant predators in the wild and eat just about anything from deer, mice, goats, pigs, rabbits and have even been known to take down horses or water buffalo."

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The dragons, which are also a threatened species, are native to the tropical Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesian. They are threatened by rising sea levels from global warming, as well as poaching, habitat destruction and the exotic pet trade, according to conservationists.

Nashville Zoo is working with the Komodo Survival Program, an Indonesian-based non-profit organization, to help preserve the species.

Animals, up close and personal

The zoo also provides several opportunities for visitors to see some of the animals up close. Here are a few of the offerings:

• Lorikeet Landing: Described as "a real nose-to-beak experience," for $2 visitors can walk through the aviary and feed the lorikeets.
• Kangaroo Kickabout: This allows visitors to walk through a red kangaroo habitat. Guests must stay on the pathway, but kangaroos are free to wander the exhibit, allowing an up-close look at them.
• Critter Encounters: Here's your chance to get up close with some of the zoo's more people-friendly animals. Feel free to mingle with Galapagos tortoises, goats, alpacas and a variety of birds.

Grassmere Historic Home

The land on which the zoo sits has a storied history, going back to the early 1800s. The Grassmere Historic Home on the property was built around 1810 and is the second oldest residence in Davidson County that is open to the public, according to the zoo.

The home opened to the public in 1998, and the following year its adjacent farm opened. It included a livestock barn, pastures, a chicken coop and a machine shed. The zoo also sells a cookbook that tells the stories of life and cooking in the 1800s.

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Visitors can also stroll through the property's main garden area, which includes "period flowers and plants" and heirloom vegetables, as well as medicinal plants and herbs. There's also also a revived orchard containing a variety of fruit trees.

Frank Gluck is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at fgluck@tennessean.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @FrankGluck.

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