- Nashville Zoo has started a petition to stop a 69,000‑sq‑ft AI data centre proposed by Georgia‑based DC BLOX.
- The site sits about 50 yards from the zoo’s animal enclosures. The zoo says electromagnetic emissions and noise could stress its endangered leopards, preventing them from breeding. The petition has gathered nearly 300,000 signatures in less than a week, and the Metro Council is now weighing a citywide moratorium on new data centres.
- If the centre proceeds, the zoo worries it will set a precedent for industrial projects near sensitive habitats, potentially endangering other species and complicating future conservation efforts. The clash also highlights how local communities are beginning to factor ecological risk into the placement of AI infrastructure.
- In a city eager to attract tech investment, the dispute shows that not every data‑centre location will be welcomed, especially when wildlife is at stake.