Knoxville Zoo in United States

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Knoxville Zoo
Typezoo
Founded1948
Last elephant left2023
Address 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive
Zip-code 37914
Place Knoxville, Tenessee
Country United States
Website Website
Related persons
Owner
Zoological department
Zookeeper: Jessica Clowers
Elephant department
Elephant managementProtected Contact, since 2011
Elephant keepers
-2011: Stephanie James
Record history
History of updates2025-03-18: 2025-03-18:
Latest document update2025-03-18 07:16:45
Description

Knoxville Zoo, located at 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, in Knoxville, Tenessee, United States , was founded in 1948. The last elephant left in 2023Knoxville Zoo elephants were managed in Protected Contact, since 2011 until 2023.

Casualties

1 casualties
  1. 2011-01-18: elephant keeper Stephanie James fatal accident by Edie. James had called the elephant into the stall to give her a treat. Edie backed James into a stall on Friday, pushing her into metal bars and crushed handler Stephanie James. When Edie followed the commands to move away from James, it was too late. The 33-year-old James lay crumpled against a stall. † Stephanie James Died 2011-01-18

Comments / picturesThe Knoxville Zoo began as the Birthday Park Zoo in 1948. Due to a lack of expertise and funding, the Humane Society started proceedings to close the zoo in 1971 after the animals’ welfare came under scrutiny.

The zoo was saved by Guy Smith, a local television executive, who took on the job as the zoo’s first director at a salary of $1 per year. Smith managed to convince the City of Knoxville and the local community to invest in this wonderful sanctuary.

As the zoo’s conditions improved and awareness was raised, a focus was placed on breeding threatened or endangered animals. These efforts were rewarded in 1978 with the birth of the first two African elephants to be born in the western hemisphere.

References for records about Knoxville Zoo

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2025). Knoxville Zoo, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=95. (archived at the Wayback machine)


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