Memphis Zoo

Memphis Zoo, located in Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee, is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited institution that hosts over 3,500 individual animals representing 500+ species, including IUCN Red List critically endangered taxa such as the Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), and Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). Its 2003 China Exhibit, developed in partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, housed giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Ya Ya and Le Le for 20 years, with regular health and behavioral data shared with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to support global ex situ panda conservation efforts aligned with CITES Appendix I protection protocols.