Nashville zoo fights proposed data center near clouded leopards

A proposed 69,220-square-foot data center on land behind the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere has sparked a large public backlash focused on the zoo’s clouded leopard breeding program. Clouded leopards are sensitive to sound, more than 385,000 people have signed a petition, and country star Brad Paisley called the project a "monstrosity" and an "absolute nightmare scenario." The zoo warns that constant noise from cooling systems and generators, plus bright security lighting, can disrupt animals’ photo periods and rhythms and harm conservation efforts.

DC Blox, the company behind the plan, said it has operated safely near neighborhoods and schools, will use closed-loop or waterless cooling, pay for needed power infrastructure, test and manage noise to locally required levels, shield lighting, and follow federal and local environmental regulations, and described the facility as a communications site rather than an AI factory.

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