Nashville Zoo introduces new pond for Koi fish

Davis Nolan
·2 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – For years the Nashville Zoo has had Koi fish swimming among the ponds that weave throughout Bamboo Trail. In fact, you could see them from above when you crossed the many bridges along the trail.

Now, there’s a whole new way to view them up close at the new koi pond at the entrance of the Jungle Gym and Thisbe & Noah’s Promise Park.

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WKRN

“The people that wanted the pond, the idea was that they wanted this to be accessible for people that are in motorized vehicles, children with special needs,” explained J.G. Auman, Nashville Zoo Life Supports Systems Manager. “Because a lot of those kids can’t actually see into a Koi pond, and so the idea is that they can get right up close to this, and they can look and see the fish without having to look down in.”

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It all brings a little taste of Japan to the Nashville Zoo, and they had an expert put together the exhibit and handpicked the fish on display.

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WKRN
WKRN
WKRN

“We have a guy that we’ve been working with for several years. His name is Jack Green,” Auman said. “He actually goes to Japan and hand-selects fish. He literally goes over there and selects through hundreds, if not thousands of fish, and hand-selects the ones that he’s specifically looking for.

“There were a couple of these fish we really requested — these red and black ones. They’re not easy to get. We really like them, so he hand-selected the red and black ones for us specifically so that he knew what would look good in this pond, and he also matched the different colors so we had a good blend of fish in here,” Auman further explained.

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WKRN

With the cooler temps upon us, the fish have to be kept warm in the winter, but also cool in the summer.

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“These fish can’t go below freezing, and they can’t tolerate temperatures in the water over about 80 to 85 degrees,” Auman explained. “So, we have to actually have giant heaters and giant chillers on this to maintain the water.”

So, in the dead of winter, or the heat of summer, these Japanese Koi are here for all to enjoy.

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