Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park

Just two miles from the center of downtown Chattanooga is a location that takes visitors on a trip around the world within a two-hour visit. 

The Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park sits on six acres and showcases animals from all over the world,  including Latin America, North America, Africa and Asia. The zoo, considered as one of the city’s hidden gems, provides both an educational and recreational experience for the 200,000-plus visitors each year.

The zoo started with humble beginnings in 1937, established by the construction of two 4-inch by 6-inch cages housing two rhesus monkeys. Subsequent donations throughout the years allowed for the zoo to grow, later including lions, buffalo, bobcats and alligators. Today, the zoo features a plethora of new and interesting animals and exhibits.

A map will guide you along the zoo’s path to navigate the exhibits. On Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.,  visitors can listen to the zoo’s “Keeper Chats,” a time when zookeepers discuss what it’s like to work with specific animals. 

Journey to Africa when visiting the Gombe Forest and African Aviary (known as the “Tanzanian Backyard”). Here you’ll see cichlids, a colorful fish found in Africa, along with spotted hyenas and servals -- carnivorous, spotted cats. You’ll also see Mouflon sheep, African pygmy goats and a dromedary camel, among others.

The Himalayan Passage Exhibit helps visitors learn a bit about Asia. This exhibit has received national attention on the Animal Planet network’s “Ultimate Zoo” program because it is the first zoo exhibit to retrace Marco Polo’s journey across the Himalayan Mountains. Also, the exhibit serves as home to the red pandas named Zoe and Nigalya.

The Latin American Jungle exhibit displays the spider monkey, jaguar, macaw, kinkajou and cotton-top tamarins. 

The North America exhibit features whitetail deer, black-footed prairie dogs, wood ducks, a barred owl, a great horned owl, a bobcat and a raccoon. 

The Misunderstood Marvels exhibit works to clear up some common misconceptions about lizards, snakes and spiders. Taking a “fear not” approach will allow you to take time to spot the camouflaged geckos in their hiding places and to see the peaceful, graceful moves of the python and other commonly misunderstood creatures. 

The Warner Park Ranch and petting zoo allow visitors to see tools used by ranchers and farmhands, including saddles, bridles and saws. Also at this exhibit on display are goats, a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and a miniature horse. 

The zoo also offers a summer camp that gets kids learning about various critters found across the world. Campers will learn how to distinguish various birds and learn how to care for zoo animals. Cost for the camp ranges between $75 and $145.

The zoo is open every day, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and is closed on New Years Day, Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors 65 years old and older, $3 for children ages 3-15 years old and is free for kids under 3 years old. Special group rates are available. Call (423) 697-1322 for more details.

Guided tours are available Thursday-Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours leave every hour and last approximately two hours. Tours are available March-October. Call for additional details.

- by Leah M. Caudle , Chattanooga Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Leah M. Caudle

Leah Caudle is a professional storyteller with experience in covering local, community and feature stories. While at newspapers such as The Tennessean in Nashville and The Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Ky., Caudle also has experience in shooting and editing videos and photos to accompany stories. The Western Kentucky University graduate received degrees in print journalism and Spanish in 2007 and also has expertise in the areas of public relations, copy editing and proofreading.