Indianapolis Zoo Indianapolis Zoo News 2023

I’m about to bring up a topic that will make some people mad and some people happy.

For me as a child as I went to the Indianapolis Zoo every time I went the zoo seemed like a small zoo and had nothing to offer. But now that I have seen the behind the scenes things and the guided tours on zoo camp and I have a much deeper love for animals I have seen that this zoo is one of the greatest in the world.

please tell me your thoughts
 
I wouldn’t quite go “one of the greatest in the world.” It’s not even my favorite zoo in the state, although it is probably the objective best.

Indianapolis has an identity and a clear design philosophy. That’s increasingly rare these days. Indy focuses on ABCs to the greatest extent possible. They might be the only U.S. zoo to keep elephants, cetaceans, and great apes. One of like, four, to still keep walruses. Half the space is for African megafauna. Their species list is remarkably short without the aquarium and reptile hallway. But. They will have your kid’s favorite ABC animal.

The other half of their identity is more of an industry thing than a display thing. The Indianapolis Prize does bring a lot of the conservation world’s attention to an otherwise obscure city. It landed the state the IUCN office and even earned the the zoo the begrudging respect of a few conservationists I know. This is really the only way I would rank them among the best in the world.
 
I agree but they are constantly adding new things like the IOC or the International Orangutan Center. And are adding a state of the art international chimpanzee center
 
I’m going to side with @Persephone, the zoo, although I do love it, lacks high quality exhibits for most of its animals, and it has a lack of fauna, although it does make up in flora. @JacktheQuack, has a point that they always bring new stuff, but some aren’t higher quality, macaws and kangaroos for example, have bland habitats that could use some much needed TLC.
 
Some of the new exhibits are high quality like the ICC or the international chimpanzee center or the IOC the International orangutan center
 
ICC, the ape mega church, needs much more color and plants, not necessarily in the habitat but around the thing as it is just a grey and bland structure, it does make a good habitat for them though.
 
FYI, if you are wanting to know walrus information, the cams are still on in the website and you can watch the construction. It is under renovation because the walrus’ were eating the habitat and the rocks were being destroyed.
 
Personally I think Indianapolis is a bit bland. It's so small and most of its species and enclosures aren't anything particularly notable. That being said there is some stuff to love. The IOC, the Desert building, and the marine mammals are particular highlights for me. But overall, I was surprised by how nothing Indianapolis feels like.

It's not a bad zoo. In fact it's a pretty good one. But not even close to being one of the greats.
 
One thing I really like about Indianapolis is how many interactive animal experiences there are. There's the kangaroo walkthrough, bird feeding walkthroughs, giraffe feedings, the flamingo mingle, the shark touch tank, the dolphin show, the macaw shows, and the elephant talk (where you can also touch the elephants!). Most of those experiences are free, too, and I don't think I even mentioned everything.
 
As long as Indianapolis has such a lopsided focus on charismatic megafauna, it will never be one of the world's greatest zoos. That's not necessarily a bad thing, after all not every zoo can be the best of the best in every category so filling a certain niche is appreciated, but that alone guarantees the zoo will never be a contender for title. I'm not even sured I'd rank it among the 50 greatest zoos in the US, let alone the world.

Don't get me wrong however, the zoo does standout in some areas; the parrot collection is very impressive and the entire African area is well done. Others above have also touched on some of the zoos strong suits like the amount of interactive elements present. I think the biggest issue with the zoo as a whole is that it lacks character. A good majority of enclosures feel like they could be found at any zoo and just aren't very memorable or exciting. At the same time it's two most notable exhibits are extremely polarizing to both enthusiasts and the general public alike. It's a relatively newer facility so there isn't any valuable history either. It's most defining characteristic design-wise is lavish, over-the-top mega structures like the orangutan center and macaw show pavilion. Again it's a fine niche to fill, but certainly not everyone's cup of tea.

I like Indianapolis. I look forward to visiting again and I'm optimistic about the zoo's future - the new entrance area looks really nice and I think the chimp complex will be quite interesting. With that said, one of the top zoos in the US Indianapolis is not and I don't see that ever changing.
 
I’ve visited again. Some notes I have seen include:

1.) The zoo got a new giraffe or Addra gazelle, there is a sign on the behind the scenes giraffe pen (seen from the train) saying there was animal introductions in progress, therefore it was either Addras or giraffes

2.) The walrus paddock is boarded up, you can definitely here construction.
 
Bactrian Deer said:
I’ve visited again. Some notes I have seen include:

1.) The zoo got a new giraffe or Addra gazelle, there is a sign on the behind the scenes giraffe pen (seen from the train) saying there was animal introductions in progress, therefore it was either Addras or giraffes

2.) The walrus paddock is boarded up, you can definitely here construction.
Click to expand...
The Walrus cam is up and running, you can see it up on the website, it doesn’t look like any habitat layout has changed so far.
upload_2023-7-13_13-28-7.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • upload_2023-7-13_13-28-7.jpeg
    upload_2023-7-13_13-28-7.jpeg
    47.5 KB · Views: 38
I don't hate Indy and I don't love it. Every time I go I feel like I missed something, yet when I go back, it's still pretty run-of -the mill.

It's the opposite of how I felt about Brookfield, where I found all sorts of unusual surprises at several different parts of the zoo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top