Hello everyone! I have several pieces of news regarding the Indianapolis Zoo in the new year. Construction is underway on the new Amur Tiger Forest exhibit. The exhibit is scheduled to open in the spring. Besides the exhibit for the tigers there will be an exhibit for two species of flying fox. On the zoos website it says, "the flying fox and straw-colored fruit bats." I don't know what species they are refering to with "flying foxes". Malayans or Indians by chance? Also opening this spring is an exhibit for Warthogs in the Plains region. Three female Eastern White-bearded Wildebeest have been added to the savannah exhibit that also holds Grant's Zebras, Greater Kudu, Ostriches, and several species birds.
Nothing new that I know of atleast. According to the zoo's website the zoo currently houses four adult cows (Sophi 40, Kubwa 32, Tombi 31, and Ivory 26) , a four year-old female calf, Zahara, and a five year-old male calf, Kedar. For a total of 1.5 elephants. However, ISIS lists the zoo as housing 2.5? ISIS also lists the zoo as now only housing one female Pacific Walrus. Does anyone know what happened to the others?
it is listed as 2.5 because they are sending their adolesent male Ajani to Birmingham! So the zoo states they technically have 1.5. as for the walrus: Brutus and Narius both died last year and Sika (the other female) died some years back.
Yes, Nereus died back in October. The seals will be moved to that exhibit at some point in the future. Aurora is currently the only walrus the zoo has on exhibit. The Great Apes is still being planned and will be built in phases. The Orangutans will be first. They are already on site at the zoo. The exhibit will take place of the Ring Tailed Lemurs and small theater along with the backside of those 2 areas. Gorillas, Bonobos and Chimps will also be coming, but down the road. The entire Encounters is closed and will be changed into an "Islands" themed area. The Ring Tailed Lemurs will be moving there. Komodo dragons will also be exhibited there.
To what enclosure? The enclosure with the Addra Gazelles and the Giraffes, or the enclosure with the Kudus, Zebras, Wildebeests, etc? Or will they have an enclosure to themselves?
Yes, with the Addra Gazelles and Giraffes. They are also getting African Crested Porcupines to go over by the new Warthog exhibit. And the Lion exhibit is getting refurbished at some point. Expect the chain link fence to be removed and replaced with glass.
I was just at the Indy Zoo a couple times for "Christmas at the Zoo". Here are the developments I saw (and I've read about): (1) Half of the Forest biome is closed with big signs saying they are rebuilding "Tiger Forest". The sign says you'll get "So close they can taste you". Hopefully they'll still have the red pandas, gibbons, and Asian otters -- but I can't be sure. Tiger Forest will open in the Spring. (2) On the other side of the Forests, the small building (that was built for the temporary koala exhibition a few years ago) has a new plan. Sometime in the spring it will reopen as an exhibit for fruit bats and flying foxes. (3) As said above, the old Encounters area is closed (except for the carousel) and the sign says it'll be the new Islands exhibit area, opening in 2012 I think. As stated above, the area will include orangutans and lemurs. I've read that it will also include some kind of revolutionary sky ride that will give visitors a great high-flying view of the orangs. It's supposed to be a groundbreaking kind of zoo ride.
Ajani is still there. He will move sometime down the road. Other zoo news- The zoo is planning on bringing back Macaques to the new Islands area. Komodo Dragons will be also be going there
I would assume that's a good guess. The zoo is also re-doing the the entrance/exit area of the zoo; possibly similar to the entrance of Cincinnati.