Zoo Knoxville | This Spring Break: Unbelievable Encounters

Explore unbelievable encounters with the family.

Get to know more about endangered species and their habitats!

Tortoise Trail

$5 Per Person

10AM to 3PM Daily

Visit Kids Cove and go on a guided mini tour through Tortoise Trail, where you’ll touch, scratch, and even feed Radiated and Aldabra tortoises! These tortoises prefer the warmer weather and are native to Madagascar. The population of Radiated tortoises has plummeted by 75% in the last 20 years due to habitat loss, poaching for the pet trade and for human consumption. Your visit helps save them from extinction (and they love seeing you)!

Budgie Landing

$2 Per Seed Stick

10AM to 4PM Daily

Bring the family to Budgie Landing Aviary in Kids Cove! We’ve got a little over 300 birds— 250 budgies and roughly 50 cockatiels—that you and your crew can feed firsthand as they perch on you or a nearby station. You’re free to visit and watch at your own leisure, and you can feed the birds for only $2, which gets you an enviable seed stick. Birds roam free in this habitat, so be prepared for flying, chirping, and wild fun!

Joe sloth

10:00AM Daily

Don’t walk; run! You don’t want to miss the visit with the ARC’s slowly mobile mammal as he comes down from the trees for a snack and a closeup.

Otters

11:00am Daily

Our resident river otters Clayton, Reed and Pascal are ambassadors for clean water! Did you know otters were extinct in Tennessee just a few decades ago? At our Otter Encounter, you can learn how to help protect otter habitats.

Great Apes

1:00pm Daily

Teenage gorillas and a toddler chimpanzee; talk with the Great Ape caretakers to see how life with these three compare to raising your own troop! And learn how simply recycling your electronics can protect them.

lions or baboons

2:00pm Daily

Lions: Magi and Anga lions are learning how to participate in their own healthcare, and you can have a front row view for a training session with their caretakers.

Baboons: It’s never too soon for baboons! At our encounter session you can have an intimate view of these intelligent and powerful apes as they interact with their caretakers.

Asian Trek:
Tigers, Langurs or Gibbons

3:00pm Daily

Tigers: Meet Malayan tigers Tahan and Batari in the Tiger Temple Encounter area to appreciate the magnificence of some of the rarest tigers on Earth. Hear how we’re working to ensure a future for this species!

‍Langurs: Always curious and on the climb, visit the Langur Encounter to meet the family.

Gibbons: An encounter with the high-flying aerial acrobat Georgie is always exciting! Visit the Gibbon Encounter two stories up to meet Georgie or Malay.

Cuban Crocodiles

2:30 on Sundays

It’s time to feed the crocs! Miguel and Rose are ready to impress with their lunchtime etiquette. Meet these critically endangered crocodiles and learn about their athletic prowess.