[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 69 (Monday, April 20, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S1838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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          RECOGNIZING THE 120TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MEMPHIS ZOO

 Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a 
milestone for one of west Tennessee's greatest treasures, the Memphis 
Zoo. Earlier this month, on April 4, 2026, the Memphis Zoo celebrated 
the 120th anniversary of its founding. I am delighted to acknowledge 
this important occasion for one of the world's first-class zoos, which 
attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe every 
year.
  On April 4, 1906, the Memphis Park Commission allocated $1,200 to 
establish the Memphis Zoo. Over the past 120 years, the Memphis Zoo has 
expanded to include over a dozen exhibits, including Cat Country, 
Animals of the Night, the Herpetarium, the Aquarium, the Northwest 
Passage, Teton Trek, and the Zambezi River Hippo Camp. Additionally, in 
April 2003, the zoo opened a noteworthy exhibit that was home to two 
giant pandas for nearly 20 years. In total, the Memphis Zoo contains 
more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 different species.
  Because of these world-class exhibits and facilities, the Memphis Zoo 
has consistently been ranked as one of our Nation's premier zoological 
attractions, including earning the ranking of ``#1 Zoo in the U.S.'' in 
2008, as well as multiple Top Zoo rankings from various publications. 
Located in Overton Park in the heart of Memphis, the zoo has served for 
over a century as one of Tennessee's finest tourist attractions. I 
congratulate the Memphis Zoo on this historic anniversary, and I 
recognize its tremendous benefit to the Memphis community.

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