The Zoo Dude

09/27/2021

Often found on the open plains of inland Australia, Kangaroos can live on very little water. While the male kangaroos grow steadily bigger and stronger throughout their lives, the females are faster and can reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour. And while they are great at moving forward, one thing a kangaroo cannot do is walk backward!

09/24/2021

Did you know the fish in our hippo exhibit are tilapia? Tilapia is a very popular fish choice for consumption by us humans. However, the fish are not on the menu for our hippos. Hippos are herbivores, and their diet consists almost entirely of grass!

09/22/2021

Have we ever closed down the zoo for a celebrity?

We have had a lot of them show up at our zoo. See how we handle it in 60 seconds or less with today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute.

09/20/2021

Despite being the tallest mammal on Earth, a giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground. That’s why
it has to awkwardly spread its front legs or kneel to reach the ground for a drink of water! Luckily for them they only need to drink once every few days. Most of their water comes from the plants they eat!

09/17/2021

👻👻Who is as excited as me? 👻👻

This year we will have limited tickets available, and we will not be selling tickets at the gate. You have to purchase them online, and I recommend doing it sooner than later as this is one of our more popular events!

Things are starting to get spooky at the

09/15/2021

Why do fish eyes bulge out?

Good question! I’ll give you the answer in under 60 seconds with today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute!

09/13/2021

One aspect of physiology of the gibbon that is unique to the family is the ball and socket joint in the wrist. What's so cool about that? Well, it allows for the entire hand to completely rotate!

Whoa! Now that is a trick that would impress your friends!

09/10/2021

People often ask about celebrities at the Memphis Zoo. This one was a bit before my time but check out a 24 year old Johnny Cash with his daughter Rosanne in 1956.

09/08/2021

Zoo poo.

It’s fertile stuff. Thanks so much for the question. I’ll do my best to answer it in 60 seconds or less with today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute!

09/06/2021

Gazelles are famously fleet-footed members of the antelope family, running up to 43 mph, but they don't try to outrun cheetahs when chased, they outmaneuver them. Forcing a cheetah to change directions can help undercut the cat's speed advantage, so for the gazelle, the key is endurance. Cheetahs can only sprint for about .28 miles while gazelles can maintain high speeds they don't try to outrun cheetahs when chased, they outmaneuver them. Forcing a cheetah to change directions can help undercut the cat's speed advantage, so for the gazelle the key is endurance. Cheetahs can only sprint for about .28 miles while gazelles can maintain high speeds for significantly longer. They just need to stay ahead long enough for the cheetah to run out of gas!
gas!

09/03/2021

Everyone have a safe and Happy Labor Day! I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to some cooler temperatures and all the fun that comes with fall!

09/01/2021

Do seahorses sleep?

I’ll answer that question in less than 60 seconds with today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute!

08/30/2021

The Wood Duck is known for its striking red eyes, and while the males are bright and colorful the females are brown to help them blend into their environments. They prefer swamps and forests close
to freshwater wetlands, ponds, creeks and rivers. The drake (male) has a high-pitched whistle, “jeeee” and the hen (female) has a low, owl-like “whoo-w-eet”.

08/25/2021

Swimming lions? Not so much.

Swimming tigers? You betcha!

08/23/2021

Red pandas tend to act more like cats than pandas. Much like a cat, they will take a sitting posture in a tree and like to lick their front paws and clean their fur all over, using their fore and hind paws to wash their face. They prefer to move around at dawn and dusk, so during the day look for them to be stretched out on a tree branch like the big cats or asleep in a nook with their tail covering their eyes.

08/20/2021

Not exactly the best news to share. It is always our mission to keep our guests and our animals safe. We hope you understand and we hope to reschedule just as soon as we can. Thanks for supporting the Memphis Zoo!

08/18/2021

Do the animals have any favorite toys?

Well of course they do! 🐼 Le Le especially! 🐼

I’ll tell you all about it in under 60 seconds in today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute!

Keep those questions rolling in!

08/16/2021

Often found on the open plains of inland Australia, Kangaroos can live on very little water. While the male kangaroos grow steadily bigger and stronger throughout their lives the females are faster and can reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour. And while they are great at moving forward one thing a kangaroo cannot do is walk backward!

08/13/2021

Time for some Zoo Dude Zoo Trivia!

A family four-pack of tickets to the is up for grabs if you can tell me what the large vulture symbolizes for the inhabitants and visitors of the Memphis Zoo!

I’ll choose a winner from all of the correct answers on Monday! Good luck!

08/11/2021

As Rob Thomas once sang, “Oh it’s a hot one!” And yes it is at the

We do get this question often. How do the animals cool off during the summer? I’ll do my best to answer that question in 60 seconds or less in today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute.

08/09/2021

We share around 98% of our DNA with gorillas, this means that exposure to human illnesses, even a cold, can have potentially detrimental impacts on gorillas because they haven’t developed the necessary immunities like humas have.

They also have their own language made up of at least 16 different types of calls. This includes short barks when they are mildly alarmed or curious, or when trying to intimidate rivals the males will strut
with stiff legs, beat their chest and use vocalizations like roars or hoots.

08/06/2021

Have you been voting in the Zoolympics?

It looks like Mwelu won in the “Best Chops” category! Check out all the pageantry and fun on the page!

You decide who takes home the gold!

🥇🥇🥇

08/04/2021

What a 💩 question!

There is no such thing as a bad one! Keep em’ coming in! DM me your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them in 60 seconds or less!

08/03/2021

There are three different species of elephant – the African Savannah elephant, the African Forest elephant and the Asian elephant. There’s an easy way to tell the African elephants apart for their Asian
cousins – their ears! African elephants have large ears shaped like the continent of Africa while Asian elephants’ ears are smaller and shaped like India!

07/30/2021

Sometimes. You just have “it.”

Ringo and Tallulah are certainly the stars of the show at the Cat House Cafe. Find out more about them in today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute.

memphiszoo

07/26/2021

Despite their name, black bears can be blue-gray, brown, cinnamon or even (very rarely) white. They can grow to be 5 to 6 feet long and weigh anywhere from 200 to 600 pounds, but don't let their size fool you! Black bears can run up to 24 miles per hour and their short claws make them
expert tree climbers! Their curved claws are nonretractile, and, unlike cats and dogs, bears walk on the soles of thier feet.

07/23/2021

I get asked often, “what is the most famous visitor you’ve seen at the Memphis Zoo?”

None other than the King of Pop himself!

I must warn you the quality of this is not very good. BUT it does have some historical significance.

Side note: Hard Copy wasn’t a very nice television show.

07/21/2021

Just like there is no running at the pool, we ask you to please not feed the animals at the zoo! We take a tremendous amount of care for what is in our animal's diet. If you feel the need, you can always feed the giraffes at the elevated deck! That is an incredible experience!

07/19/2021

The tan racer is a nonvenomous snake that is common to the southern United States. As the name suggests they are fast moving, but they prefer to use their speed to run away if approached. They like to live in pine flatwoods and have a diet that primarily includes rodents
and lizards.

07/16/2021

Current situation: Chillin’

That’s right. It’s finally time for a little R&R for the Zoo Dude and my family! Vacation here we come!

Where is your favorite place to relax in Memphis while enjoying a stay-cation?

07/14/2021

This one wins most creative question!

I love it! Keep stuff like this coming in and let me ask you, what animal would you most like to be stuck on an island with?

😂😂😂

07/12/2021

Who says cats don't love water! Fishing cats are one of the best swimmers around and are completely at home in the water. Their paws have webbing between the toes to help them swim and walk in muddy wetlands without sinking. They have been observed in the wild “fishing" at the edges of bodies of water and have also been observed playing with fish in shallow water!

07/09/2021

The Memphis Zoo came from humble beginnings. This is believed to be a picture of Natch.

Natch was a black bear cub that was chained to a tree in Overton Park. Eventually, a log cabin was built for the bear and he became a popular attraction in the park. Soon monkeys and other animals were donated and so began the Memphis Zoo!

07/07/2021

Believe it or not, there is wildlife around our wildlife at the zoo. So what happens when animals like opossums get into our enclosures?

I’ll tell you in 60 seconds or less with today’s Zoo Dude Zoo Minute!

07/05/2021

Pandas love bamboo. It accounts for 99 percent of their diet. They also spend about 12 hours a day eating, but why? Bamboo is not very nutritious, so to stay healthy, they have to eat a lot, up to 15 percent of their body weight in 12 hours; that's also why they consume so fast!

07/03/2021

It is HOT out! But did you know that most animals are most active at the zoo during the morning hours? Being a member gives you an excellent perk of getting in early on Saturday's.

Not to mention, free parking!

Membership certainly has its privileges!

06/30/2021

Time for the Zoo Dude Zoo Minute.

I try to answer a question YOU send in, 60 seconds or less. It's like the Fast and Furious of the animal world!

Here we go!

06/28/2021

Colobus monkeys spend almost their entire lives up in the treetops, swinging from tree to tree.

Their mantle hair and tails are believed to act as a parachute during these long leaps. Most of the time they don't even need to come down for water, finding enough in the treetops to survive. And, like cows, they have multi-chambered stomachs! This allows them to digest things that other monkeys can't, like leaves and unripe fruit.

06/27/2021

What a great idea! We will honor a true Memphis Legend this year. After the year we had last year, I can’t wait to bust out the neon!

Memphis Zoo announced the theme for its 2021 Zoo Rendezvous event, a 37-year tradition that's the zoo’s largest single-night fundraising event.

06/25/2021

Spotlight Animal of the Month: Tortoise

African spurred tortoises can come in at a whopping 100 pounds! Interesting fact; they can feel pain through their shells, just as you and I feel pressure through our fingernails.