LIMESTONE, Tenn. (WJHL) -If you’re looking for some family-friendly summer fun, look no further than Bright’s Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee.
“Here at Brights Zoo we sit on 103 acres,” said Brights Zoo Director David Bright.
The most popular spot in the zoo is Penguin Cove, which features the brand new African Penguin exhibit. In its second year, these warm-weather penguins entertain zoogoers young and old.
“Penguins are very dramatic I will say, said zookeeper Shania Farney. “They will do whatever they want when they want. They’re just like a bunch of brothers and sisters.”
Two penguins, Winston and Alice, can even come out to meet and greet the public.
“Penguins are just fun. You always get those personalities, no matter what,” said Farney.
Animals like the rare colobus monkeys please people all over the park. Brights Zoo boasts 128 species and more than 750 different animals.
“You can walk into a lot of zoos, you’ll see lions, tigers and elephants,” Bright said. “Things we focus on are animals who are endangered, animals that you’re not going to see when you walk into a regular zoo.”
An example of those endangered animals is the giraffes at Brights Zoo. The giraffes eat up to 75 pounds of vegetation each day and love to eat carrots from the hands of supervised visitors.
“If you have a carrot, that’s all they want. That’s all they think about it,” said zookeeper Tara Rohrer. “They’re very nice and sweet. They all have their very own personalities.”
Brights Zoo continues to grow. The zoo is always creating new exhibits and has recently added a brand new train that takes guests on a safari to see even more animals.
“We are always building something. Literally, year-round there is something being built,” Bright said.
Brights Zoo’s chief goal is to help families create new memories while enjoying the animals.
“Getting to see people’s reactions is well worth it when they walk in and see an animal they’ve never seen before,” said Bright.
For more information visit brightszoo.com.
