South American Expansion Begins at The Chattanooga Zoo

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Zoo has officially begun the construction process for a new exhibit building to be added to the zoo’s current South American Corcovado Jungle area. The new exhibit housing multiple South American species is set to open in Fall 2017.

This South American expansion was funded by a single private donor. This donation was driven by the donor’s love for tamarins and New World monkeys.

“The addition of new species and a new exhibit building is just another example of how the zoo continues to grow and progress, and the love and support our community has for our zoo is never ending,” said Dardenelle Long, Chattanooga Zoo CEO and president.

This new exhibit building will include six indoor exhibits and six outdoor exhibits, along with a spacious keeper area. The outdoor exhibits will allow the animals’ regular access to natural sunlight and more spacing. The animal spaces are designed to hold multiple groups of the same animal, mix species within the exhibit spaces, and provide space for breeding in the future.

The project is estimated to take 12-16 weeks to complete. The newly constructed exhibits will feature animals from many countries throughout South America. As this building was funded and designed with small primates in mind, it will feature mostly tamarins and small monkey species including the zoo’s current Cotton Top Tamarins and Pied Tamarins, and new tamarin species to the Chattanooga Zoo including Emperor Tamarins, Golden Lion Tamarins, Geoffroy’s Marmoset, and Callimico.

Other species to be mixed with the primates included Macaws, Prehensile Tailed Porcupine, South American reptiles, and other small South American mammals. More information about the exhibit’s grand opening will be shared closer to date.

For more information, email Hannah Hammon at hhammon@chattzoo.org.

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