Cohen Announces $140K for Memphis Zoo Elephant Exhibit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today announced the Memphis Zoo was awarded a Conservation Project Support (CPS) grant worth $140,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to upgrade the African elephant facility and provide caretakers with additional training.

“The Memphis Zoo has one of the best elephant exhibits in the country,” said Congressman Cohen. “These new federal funds will help our elephants live longer, happier, healthier lives so future generations can appreciate the wonders of the African elephant exhibit and will help an elephant that is pregnant deliver her baby. The funds will also provide Memphis Zoo caretakers with the training they need to better care for our elephants.”

The Memphis Zoo will upgrade its current African elephant facility in order to ensure the health and safety of its elephants. Project activities will include installing a soft composite resilient flooring system in all stalls, upgrading the elephant stall shift doors to provide more open access for line-of-sight visualization and tactile communication among animals, and creating new birthing and creep stalls. Animal caretakers will be provided with specialized professional training in areas such as equipment and facility design, medical management, elephant foot care, elephant reproduction, and birth management.

The IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.

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