Mayor Madeline Rogero, Knoxville Zoo, Wampler's Farm Sausage and Family Brands International and Knoxville Zoo's African elephants cut a ceremonial ribbon on Thursday to mark the installation of a 50 kilowatt solar power system on the roof of The Stokely African Elephant Preserve barn.

The completion of the installation of the solar power system will allow Knoxville Zoo to produce clean, renewable energy and provide an opportunity to educate visitors on the use of green power.

Knoxville Zoo joins other zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) who strive to conserve natural resources used in their business operations while helping visitors understand the impact of climate change on wildlife

Knoxville Zoo's sustainability practices are also complimentary to the City of Knoxville's efforts to become a leaner, greener community. The solar installation also has the added benefit of providing the zoo an ongoing income stream as part of the TVA Green Power Providers Program.

The installation was made possible by the partnership of Wampler's Farm Sausage and Family Brands International, makers of Elm Hill hot dogs and Cades Cove barbecue, who are successfully using solar power generation at their manufacturing facilities.

For more information about the Knoxville Zoo please visit www.knoxville-zoo.org.