Memphis Zoo receives generous donation for Zambezi River Hippo Camp | News

The Memphis Zoo is the recipient of a $500,000 gift from the Thomas Garrott family. The gift will go toward the completion of the Zambezi River Hippo Camp exhibit.

Garrott, a Memphian for most of his adult life, has been a longtime supporter of the Memphis Zoo. In honor of this gift, the sea lion amphitheater at Northwest Passage will now be named the Thomas Garrott Family Sea Lion Amphitheater. This amphitheater is where the Zoo’s three daily sea lion shows take place, and is one of the many highlights you’ll see on a visit to the Memphis Zoo.

“I’ve enjoyed the Zoo over many, many years,” Garrott said. “The Memphis Zoo is one of the greatest assets of our community. I enjoy seeing its continued development as a “world class zoo”.

With this gift, the project currently has $14.2 million of the proposed $17 million budget secured. The project is slated to break ground in Fall 2013 and will take 18 months to build.

The Zambezi River Hippo Camp will take visitors on a trip to a fishing village on the edge of the Zambezi River. It will include habitats for the Nile hippos, African crocodiles, flamingos, Mandrill baboons, Okapi and an African aviary.

The hippo and crocodile exhibits will have both underwater and above water viewing opportunities. The exhibit will have African art and artifacts and a 2700 square foot round central pavilion with an adjoining elevated deck overlooking the animal exhibits.

Regular updates on Zambezi River Hippo Camp can be found on the Zoo’s website at memphiszoo.org , or the Zoo’s Facebook page here.