Animal Ambassadors
Ijams Nature Center is home to more than 40 non-releasable animals who are here due to injury, illness, or human intervention. They cannot survive in the wild, so they live here and share their stories to help Ijams educators teach visitors of all ages about the impact humans can have on native animal species.
The Wild Staff of Ijams
The wild staff at Ijams helps visitors and program attendees learn about the world around them. The human staff selects these team members carefully and ensures that they receive care and enrichment (activities to keep animals engaged) while they live at the nature center. Ijams also partners with the veterinarians of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville School of Veterinary Medicine to keep these animals healthy.
You can visit some of Ijams' animal ambassadors during regular business hours in the outdoor raptor enclosure or in the Visitor Center exhibit hall; make a new connection with Tennessee's local wildlife!
While Ijams has wild educators, the staff cannot accept or treat abandoned or injured wildlife, but there are people who do. Watch the Wild Animal Protocol video or read the Wild Animal Frequently Asked Questions so you know what to do if you find an animal that might need assistance.
Adopt an Animal!
It costs more than $20,000 annually to care for all of Ijams’ animals. When you donate to adopt an animal, you’ll help feed and shelter your new friend, provide enrichment activities to keep them engaged, and cover veterinary care to help them stay happy and healthy for one year. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference! Adopt an Animal Now
Behind-the-Scenes Animal Tours
Behind-the-Scenes Animal Tours at Ijams provide a more intimate, up-close experience with ambassador animals. Guests will spend one hour with the animal care coordinator, meeting the animals and learning about their individual stories and their care.
The cost for a tour is $50 per person; up to four may attend. Tours are available on Saturdays beginning at 11 am.
Fill out the request form to schedule your tour today!
Meet the Animals
Barred Owl
(Strix varia)
Stay-Puft, a male barred owl, joined Ijams in 2015 at about age 3. He was found with injuries consistent with being hit by a car. He has some blindness, making him non-releasable. He got his name because he always has his feathers puffed out. He loves to walk the trails with his keeper.
Red-Tailed Hawk
(Buteo jamaicensis)
Tiger is a female red-tailed hawk. She was found in Sevier County with physical and neurological injuries that make her non-releasable. She came to Ijams in 2005 at about age 3. Tiger can be seen (and often heard) in the raptor enclosure by the main parking lot.
Turkey Vulture
(Cathartes aura)
Zoe is a female turkey vulture. She was found on the roadside when she was very young and imprinted on humans, meaning she bonded with and identified with people, instead of identifying as a vulture. She joined Ijams in 2005, when she was 7 years old. She is very smart and curious.
Gray Rat Snake
(Pantherophis spiloides)
Gramps, a male gray rat snake, has lived at Ijams since 1989; staff changed his name to Gramps in 2018! Like wild snakes, Gramps enjoys climbing and spending time in his log, and has taught countless visitors how gentle and helpful his species is to humans.
Gray Rat Snake (Albino)
(Pantherophis spiloides)
Lucius is an albino gray rat snake. Albinism is a genetic abnormality that results in missing pigments, as well as other challenges such as poor eyesight. Lucius was found in a local basement and found his way to Ijams in 2013 at the age of 3.
Corn Snake
(Red Rat Snake)
(Pantherophis guttatus)
Cora is a female corn snake. She was captive-bred in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Because she was raised in captivity, she lacks many of the skills and instincts that are necessary for her to survive in the wild. She was surrendered to Ijams in 2011 at the age of 1.
Eastern Screech Owl
(Megascops asio)
Jack is a male red phase eastern screech owl who was hit by a car and joined Ijams in 2022. He broke his wing and will never recover well enough to fly, but otherwise is completely healthy! There are two phases of screech owls, red (reddish brown, or rufous) and gray.
Eastern Screech Owl
(Megascops asio)
Stevie is a female red phase eastern screech owl who joined Ijams in 2020 after being hit by a car. Stevie has a split pupil so she can’t gauge distances. There are two phases of screech owls, red (reddish brown, or rufous) and gray.
.png)
Northern Map Turtle
(Graptemys geographica)
Nemo is a male northern map turtle. He was found as a hatchling in 2010 at Ijams. Nemo was born without part of his front right leg, which would make it difficult to survive in the wild, but it doesn't stop him from swimming and greeting visitors!
Ouachita Map Turtle
(Graptemys o. ouachitanesis)
Chip is a Ouachita (WAA-shee-tuh) map turtle. He joined Ijams in 2021 when he was the size of a potato chip! He loves basking under the heat lamp with Nemo, a northern map turtle, and his favorite food is tiny pinky mice.
Red Eared Slider
(Trachemys scripta elegans)
Bella is a female red eared slider. This species got its name due to the beautiful, bright red, orange or (rarely) yellow stripe they have running down the side of their head behind each eye.
Common Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina)
Shellene is a female common snapping turtle who was found at Ijams. Her left eye is cloudy, which indicates that she is blind in that eye. Shellene loves mice and cantaloupe.
Virginia Opossum
(Didelphis virginiana)
Norman Nubs is a male Virginia opossum who joined Ijams in 2021 when he was around five months old. He was orphaned as a baby and had been living with a local rehabilitator. He lost most of his tail and kept falling, so he couldn’t be released.
Eastern Box Turtle
(Terapene c. carolina)
Topaz is a male eastern box turtle. He joined Ijams in 2017 after he was hit by a car. His shell won't grow back, but he grew thick scar tissue over his wound. Not having his shell makes him vulnerable to predators, so he lives at Ijams and gives visitors the rare opportunity to see underneath a turtle’s shell.
Eastern Box Turtle
(Terapene c. carolina)
Trinity is a female eastern box turtle who came to Ijams in 2005. She was hit by a lawnmower and lost her front left leg. Without it, she can’t tear her food normally, so Ijams cuts her worms and produce into smaller pieces.
Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle
(Apalone s. spinifera)
Ted is an eastern spiny softshell turtle who came to Ijams in 1993 after being kept as a pet. This turtle got its name from the small spines along the front edge of its leathery shell. Ted can remain submerged for up to five hours because he is able to dissolve oxygen through his skin!
Eastern Box Turtle
(Terapene c. carolina)
Blondie is a female albino eastern box turtle who was found as a hatchling near Ijams in 2009. She would not have been able to hide from predators and would have suffered deadly sun damage. She still needs sunlight to help her body make vitamin D, so staff regularly take her outside and are careful to shield her eyes!
Eastern Box Turtle
(Terapene c. carolina)
Frankenturtle (Frank) is a male eastern box turtle. He joined Ijams in 2012 after being hit by a lawnmower. His injury caused nerve damage in his left leg, which causes him to drag it like Frankenstein’s monster. He has a particularly spunky personality and loves earth worms.
Gray Rat Snake
(Pantherophis spiloides)
Narcissa is a gray rat snake. She joined Ijams in 2012 when she was found being kept illegally as a pet in someone’s home. She was housed with other snakes that attacked her, so she has permanent scars down her body.
American Kestrel
(Falco spavarius)
Auggie is a male American kestrel, which is the smallest falcon in the United States. He joined Ijams in 2022 as a juvenile and cannot be released because he was found as a baby and had imprinted on humans. Auggie is a talker; he loves attention and always wants to eat!