This is my visit report of the Indianapolis Zoo I wrote for my blog Zoophoria. Hope you enjoy and feel free to give feedback! Reviews of Saint Louis, Kansas City and Omaha's Henry Doorly coming up. The Indianapolis Zoo: From Oceans to Orangutans The second zoo I visited on my road trip was the Indianapolis Zoo, located in a central location in downtown Indianapolis. Not only was it the smallest of the zoos on the trip, it was also the newest. The zoo opened at its present site in 1988 making it so almost all of its facilities and habitats are modern. Instead of being organized by type of animal or continent, this zoo is organized into four biomes: Oceans, Plains, Deserts and Forest. The only major animal area that breaks this theme is the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center, a most unusual structure that resembles a space station from the outside but contains a state-of-the-art orangutan facility inside. Another unique feature of this zoo is that it contains an area exclusively for amusement park rides. While they might be distracting for visitors just interested ins seeing the animals, these rides bring in vital revenue for caring for the zoo’s animals and building new habitats. The zoo is compact and can easily be seen in three hours, unlike later zoos on the trip such as Saint Louis, Kansas City and Henry Doorly. I arrived at the zoo at 10 am and met up with a friend and her brother who live in the Indianapolis area. Our introduction to the zoo was the California sea lion and harbor seal habitat that begins the Oceans area of the zoo. While it is almost thirty years old and not as large or modern as Sea Lion Sound at the Saint Louis Zoo the next day, it is quite nice with a decently sized pool and a rocky shore. The sea lions were quite energetic and enjoying swimming in their nice pool. Then we went inside the Oceans building, which was renovated in 2007. One of my favorite things about this building is that it has a strong focus on educating visitors about the biodiversity in oceans and the need to protect its treasures from threats. An excellent tank features cownose rays and dogfish sharks while a nearby coral reef with abundant tropical fish. The largest touch tank in America is found in the next room where visitors can delicately touch dogfish sharks. Around it are several educational graphics and displays teaching visitors about sharks and how they have become misunderstood because of popular culture. This is an excellent example about how zoos are vital to reversing negative stereotypes given to certain species and helping inspire visitors to care about them. Up next was the underwater viewing area of the sea lion and harbor seal habitat where we spent a long time watching the marine mammals swim through their deep pool. Probably the most popular part of the building was the Antarctic penguin habitat. This one is unique in that the penguins are found on both sides of the pathway and can swim under the feet of visitors. Unfortunately I never got to see the underwater birds do this but it would definitely be cool to have seen. One of the better penguin habitats I have seen, it has frigid water and ice machines to recreate their Antarctica habitat and dozens of king, Gentoo and rockhopper penguins were in the water and on the rocky shores. The end of the Oceans building had several graphics on marine conservation outlining how visitors can help protect the world’s oceans. Signs advertised the addition of a Japanese macaque habitat to the area, which will take the place of the former polar bear habitat. The zoo closed its polar bear habitat last year since it didn’t feel it was up to modern standards and wanted its lone bear to live out its golden years at the state-of-the-art Arctic Ring of Life at the Detroit Zoo. The macaques, also known as snow monkeys, will be a great addition to the zoo as they are really charismatic, social and active. Outside of the Oceans building we came across the walrus habitat, one of very few zoos and aquariums to have the species in America. The Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma is the only other major zoo with walruses in the nation. A sign explains how one of the zoo’s walruses, Pakak, was rescued when found abandoned and unhealthy on the shores of Alaska. The tusked marine mammals have a nice habitat recreating the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest. It was really cool getting nose to nose with the walruses through the underwater viewing window. Next we checked out the Dolphin Dome, one of the only zoos in America to exhibit the popular animals. While I did not see the educational dolphin talk and training demonstration led by animal professionals (other visitors have told me it is well worth seeing,) I did go into the viewing area located 17 feet underwater where dolphins swam around us from all sides (www.indianapoliszoo.com.) Several of these marine mammals were out together creating a social environment for them to interact. I especially liked how this area focused on educating visitors about the bottlenose dolphins and inspiring them to take part in their conservation. Next my friends and I went to the zoo’s newest and most unique habitat, the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center. One of the first things I noticed was the center does not look like the orangutan’s native Southeast Asian forest at all. In fact, from the outside the building looks like a mixture of a space station and giant church as the structure has a modern, futuristic design. However, on closer inspection, it is fantastic for the welfare, research and husbandry of these red apes. If you look up there is an 80-foot high trail for the orangutans to climb around the building accessed by their outdoor habitats (www.indianapoliszoo.com.) This trail simulates the way they would move through the canopies of the rainforest of Indonesia. On my visit they were found inside the modern building. One of my favorite features of the center is that it does a brilliant job at educating the public about orangutans and their behavior, intelligence and conservation. Graphics covered everything from how red ape youngsters learn from their mothers, a documentation of primatologist Anne Russon’s work in the field and a map showing what the apes do over the course of a week. The largest indoor habitat is a towering atrium with plenty of opportunities for the orangutans to climb, explore and play. Not only is it designed carefully to let them move and behave naturally, it has ample natural light and allows them to choose if they would rather be up close and personal with the visitors by the glass windows or have privacy on the floor. This atrium lets the apes interact socially and use the plentiful enrichments given to them. Some features given to the orangutans include a climbing wall, plenty of ropes and fire hoses, cardboard boxes, ladders and toys to play with. On my visit, some of the orangutans came up to us and looked at us curiously in the eyes while others (including the mom and baby) were playing down on the hay covered floor. All the red apes were very active on our visit and it was obvious great care had been taken by animal care professionals and designers in making this the most stimulating, dynamic and enriching space for these animals possible. Another orangutan was in another room playing games on a monitor. This center not only is great for the primates but lets guests appreciate how smart, complex and curious they are by seeing their minds think up close. I had a nice talk with one of the interpreters at the center, who was helping the guests learn even more about the orangutans. I left the area feeling very inspired to help orangutans as much as I can and know many other visitors must feel the same. The zoo is a member of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil to protect the rainforests these apes come from (www.indianapoliszoo.com.) After passing through the area of the zoo dedicated to rides (we were more focused on seeing the animals) and the flamingo lagoon, we checked out Deserts. While much smaller than the Desert Dome at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, it is similar to the building in that it recreates the arid climate of the desert. Most of its residents are reptiles most notably the Grand Cayman blue iguanas, one of the rarest lizards on the planet. These animals are ambassadors for the zoo’s work in helping establish and support the International Iguana Foundation, a non-profit organization that conducts conservation field studies of iguanas (www.indianapoliszoo.com.) Probably the most popular animals in the building are meerkats, who live in a sandy habitat. Since there wasn’t all that much to see in Deserts, we moved on pretty quickly to Plains, which focuses on animals of the African grasslands. African plants along the path help immerse visitors into the landscape and feeling of Africa. The centerpiece habitat is a rolling savanna for Grant’s zebras, greater kudus, wildebeests, ostriches, marabou storks and two species of vultures. It recreates the open plains of East Africa with a few trees providing shade. This habitat can be viewed from several vantage points as you walk through the trail. Unfortunately the wildebeests weren’t out on my visit, which is a shame since they are one of my favorite animals. Up next was a smaller, flatter habitat for reticulated giraffes and Addra gazelles. A few trees provide ample browse for the giraffes. Next door, visitors cross a chain bridge to get a closer view of the white rhinoceroses. I was impressed with their rocky, muddy habitat as it gave plenty of opportunities for them to wallow and cool down. On my visit three rhinos were rolling around in the mud on the hot day. A perfect environment for the second largest of mammals! Across from the rhinos, we encountered a pride of lions in a grassy, shaded habitat viewed through harp wire. Some of the lionesses were up on the kopje replicas (rock formations found on the African savanna) while a male lion with an impressive black main was lounging up close. Perhaps the viewing would be easier if the habitat were viewed through glass windows rather than fence and harp wire but it’s a decent space for the cats. Next to the lions reside the Guinea baboons, who are found in West Africa. Their habitat features a ridge of volcanic boulders covered by netting. On my visit the baboons were quite playful and energetic. Next came another panoramic view of the original savanna with the zebras, antelope and birds. Graphics educate visitors about the plains ecosystem and how the animals that live there interact. My favorite habitat in the entire zoo was the cheetah one, which brilliantly recreates the open plains they come from. From certain vantage points, the cheetahs appear to be sharing the same space as the African elephants next door since only invisible barriers separate them. The habitat for the world’s fastest land mammals has sloping hills for them to look out at the grassy landscape around them and several educational graphics about cheetah conservation accompany it. This helps guests learn what threats these endangered felines face in Africa and how conservation projects are working to protect them. Some signs serve as field notes from famed cheetah zoologist Laurie Marker, who is the founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. There even is an interactive feature where guests can see how they would race against a cheetah. On my visit two of the cats ran for a split second, a rare sight since they often are only found lounging. This naturalistic habitat would be a strong contender for the best cheetah habitat and certainly the most interactive one I’ve ever seen. Another highlight of the zoo is the African Elephant Preserve, which features a large grassy field for them to roam and an enormous deep pool for them to submerge. While the zoo only has eight of them, only a few of them were out on my visit. The elephants were all congregated around the watering hole and were acting completely naturally. It was really nice seeing these massive pachyderms walk freely through their sprawling savanna and drink from their watering hole. This is one of the better African elephant habitats I have seen in person. The zoo has long been a leader in elephant breeding as several calves have been born here including the first born from artificial insemination. The zoo is a leader in elephant conservation being the largest contributor to the Tarangire Elephant Project, which protects the fastest growing elephant population in Africa and ensures there migration routes are free of poaching and encroachment (www.indianapoliszoo.org.) The Plains loop concluded with dry habitats for warthogs, bat-eared foxes and African crested porcupines. The last area of the zoo we explored was Forests, the least cohesive of the zoo’s major regions. Its highlight is Tiger Forest, my favorite habitat for tigers on the entire trip. This habitat recreates the rugged landscape of Russia with volcanic boulders, evergreen trees and plenty of tall grass. It provides the perfect environment for the Amur (or Siberian) tigers to prowl and explore. Animal care professionals had left several enrichments in their environment to keep them curious and engaged. Nearby red pandas and gibbons live in standard habitats while grizzly bears live in a mock rock habitat which was my least favorite part of the zoo. Bald eagles lived in a nearby area. On our way out, we saw construction for the macaw presentation area, which will help teach visitors about the world’s birds. While my friend and her brother are not as big of zoo enthusiasts as I am, they both seemed to really enjoy the zoo. Especially for marine mammal and orangutan lovers, the Indianapolis Zoo is well worth a visit. While it only took three hours to tour, the zoo has almost no poor habitats and many of them are very interesting and unique, particularly the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center. It also has one of the best aquariums I have seen in a zoo and has some species rarely found in other zoos including dolphins, walruses, guinea baboons, wildebeests and Grand Cayman blue iguanas. I highly enjoyed by visit and recommend this nice zoo.
On a more technical note before I go into my thoughts: all of your Indy Zoo links just go to the main site, not to the specific thing you're referencing before the links Didn't realize that it was the largest touch tank in the country, but it certainly makes sense. I like how they have a large "no-touch" area where the animals can go for peace and privacy. Not sure if you wrote this before or after your Saint Louis trip, but their penguin exhibit is set up exactly the same way, so "unique" is the wrong word here I do like this feature at both zoos. Can't say for sure why, but I just knew they were gonna use this species as a replacement... as it stands currently, it's just not very well-designed for any species I can think of, but once they renovate it I'm sure it will make a nice exhibit for the ever-popular "snow monkeys", which are spreading through American zoos at an appreciable pace. I was also very impressed with this exhibit, with a decent amount of space, shade, and if I remember correctly 3 mud wallows! Those rhinos sure do love their mud baths
The zoo's map has been updated to include the brand-new Bicentennial Pavilion (home to the Magnificent Macaws show): http://www.indianapoliszoo.com/SiteAssets/pdf/zoo_map.pdf
Am I remembering correctly that the zoo once had an Australian animal area in the Plains zone and a children's zoo with farm animals? Have these areas been redeveloped as other exhibit areas?
