The Indianapolis Zoo
in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, first opened to the public in 1964. Its current home in White River State Park was opened in 1988. The zoo hosts about 1.4 million visitors each year and plays a role in worldwide conservation and research, including accomplishing the world’s first successful artificial insemination of an African elephant. The Indianapolis Zoo is the only institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Association of Museums as a zoo, an aquarium, and as a botanical garden. The zoo is a private non-profit organization, receiving no tax support and is supported entirely by membership fees, admissions, donations, sales, grants, and an annual fundraiser.
The Indianapolis Zoo's stated mission is "[to] inspire local and global communities to celebrate, protect, and preserve our natural world through conservation, education, and research, and by providing an enriching and wondrous environment for our visitors and the animals in our care."
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Conservation and research at the Indianapolis Zoo
The Indianapolis Zoo has a multifaceted approach in its conservation and research efforts.
The Indianapolis Zoo is the presenter of the
Indianapolis Prize, an award for animal conservation. The Indianapolis Prize includes a
US$100,000 cash award and the
Lilly Medal, which is presented every two years to a conservationist who has made substantial contributions toward the sustainability of an animal species or group of species.
The Indianapolis Zoo participates in the
Species Survival Plans (SSPs) and conservation programs of the
Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the national zoo membership organization of the United States.
Under the auspices of the Polly H. Hix Institute for Conservation and Research, an initiative that supports the Society’s current and future research and conservation programs, the Zoo conducts research projects both in situ and ex situ on selected species.
The Indianapolis Zoo also participates in three conservation and research foundations – the
International Elephant Foundation (IEF), the
International Iguana Foundation (IIF), and the
Rhino Foundation (IRF).
The Hix Institute also supports the
Tarangire Elephant Project in Tanzania to protect migration corridors from
Tarangire National Park to the
Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The Zoo has a second partnership with the IUCN – The
World Conservation Union, a conservation network. The Indianapolis Zoo, in partnership with the
MacArthur Foundation, is supporting the IUCN’s project documenting the known impacts of climate change on species and habitat.
Biomes
The Indianapolis Zoo is organized around the concept of
biomes. Biomes are areas of the planet with similar
climate, plants, and animals. Animals at the Indianapolis Zoo are clustered in groups with similar habitats, which define the biomes. At the Zoo, one can visit the five biomes listed below.
Each of the biomes participates in conservation and breeding programs.
Temperate and tropical forests
Temperate and
tropical forests of the world are represented in the Forests Biome. Featured animals in this biome include the rare and endangered Amur
tiger from
Siberia, active little small-clawed
otters from Asia, and giant
Kodiak bears from
Alaska.
Oceans
The Oceans exhibit opened in 2007 and features the country's largest dogshark touch pool as its highlight. Also included in this exhibit (formerly the World of Waters) are three species of
penguins -
king,
gentoo and
rockhopper - with a transparent pane in the floor that allows visitors to see the penguins swim from one side of their exhibit to the other. There are also
bonnethead sharks, green and purple mouth
moray eels,
moon jellies,
seahorses, and many other kinds of fish and invertebrates.
Marine mammals
right
Surrounding the exit area of the Oceans building are several exhibits that feature a variety of marine mammals. Inside Oceans, there are underwater views of the
sea lion and seal exhibit and the polar bear exhibit. The Zoo has
California sea lions,
harbor seals and
grey seals in its collection. Next to the polar bear exhibit is the walrus pool. The Zoo is one of only a few institutions in North America to house
Pacific walruses. The last marine mammals at the Zoo are Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
Deserts
In the Deserts Dome, the transparent overhead
geodesic dome allows the animals to bask in natural sunlight year-round while heating and air conditioning vents hidden in the rocks regulate the temperature. The Deserts Dome re-opened in May 2006 after being closed for nine months undergoing a complete renovation to add a new
meerkat exhibit, plus many new
reptiles and birds. Other animals in the desert area are
tortoises and
lizards. The desert also has an area called "Drop Dead Gorgeous
Snakes" with many venomous snakes and a hands-on learning area.
Plains
Designed to be similar to
Africa is the expansive
Plains Biome. Upon entering the biome, visitors see
kudu, and
zebras grazing in their large yard, along with
ostriches,
vultures and other birds. The Zoo keep endangered
white rhinos,
giraffes, and
elephants. East African crowned
cranes and Marabou
storks rest near a pond that runs under a wooden bridge carving a visitor trail through the African plains with exhibits of
lions,
wild dogs and
baboons. Toward the end are the
Australian Plains, occupied by red
kangaroos, black swans and
emus. One can also see the lorikeets (small
parrots) inside an
aviary.
Encounters
The Encounters Biome is where visitors are encouraged to interact with the animals. The Encounters Biome connects the Zoo's animals and plants with its visitors by allowing Zoo guests to learn by doing, rather than by observing. At Critter Corner, zookeepers interact one-on-one with visitors to present some of the Zoo's program animals such as snakes, lizards,
spiders, and
cockroaches, all of which can be touched. Outside are
rabbits,
horses,
donkeys,
goats, and
llamas.
Dolphin Adventure Pavilion
The Indianapolis Zoo has a large
dolphin pavilion, which features a combination of approaches to dolphin/human interaction and some new architecture, including:
The Underwater Dolphin Dome
Recently build is a diameter, high, underwater dome placed squarely in the middle of the dolphin performance pool – a first for U.S. zoos. Opened on Memorial Day weekend 2005, zoo visitors can now view dolphins from underneath the surface of the water.
Marsh Dolphin Theater
On top of the water, the interior of the Marsh Dolphin Theater features a million-gallon plus pool and a coastal village scene, complete with buildings and wharf, where a dolphin show occurs every day.
Dolphin In-Water Adventure
The Indianapolis Zoo has the Midwest’s only in-water dolphin program for the public, allowing guests to interact with the dolphins in their exhibit.
Mishaps
On
August 9,
2006, a truck with a shipment of 24 penguins, an octopus, and several exotic fish from the Indianapolis Zoo to
Moody Gardens in
Galveston, Texas, flipped over due to driver error. Several fish died immediately as their bags popped. Three
Gentoo penguins were killed after being hit on the roadway. As the truck was turned back over, two
Rockhopper penguins were found, one dead and one alive. A
King penguin had an injured wing and two other penguins were in shock. The surviving animals were taken to a zoo near
Tyler, Texas for treatment. Texas law requires that drivers of such a vehicle hold a
CDL to legally drive it, and neither of the women driving the penguins held such a license. The surviving animals eventually arrived at their destination at Moody Gardens.
[1]
On
November 11,
2007, a fire broke out in the Encounters area and killed several small animals. Before 4:30 AM, it started in the Critter Corner building, and firefighters arrived within five minutes. The flame was put out within 35 minutes. However, it killed three turtles, two birds, an armadillo, a snake, several hissing cockroaches and other animals in that time, and more were treated at the zoo's hospital. The Critter Corner temporarily closed and the cause of the fire is unknown.
[2]
Gallery
References
- WTHR - Indianapolis News and Weather - Texas crash leaves penguins shaken
- Several Animals Killed In Indy Zoo Blaze - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis