Conservation and the Indianapolis Zoo

The mission of the Indianapolis Zoo is to empower people and communities, both locally and globally, to advance animal conservation.  The president and CEO of the Zoo, Mike Crowther, often likes to say that, "we're not a zoo doing conservation; we're a conservation organization that happens to be a zoo."  Below are some interesting connections involving the conservation efforts of the Indianapolis Zoo.

Conservation Begins at Home - Check Out Walrus Aurora Recycling!

 

The Pillars of Conservation at the Indianapolis Zoo

Creating the guiding principles that help the Indianapolis Zoo fulfill its mission comes under the auspices of the Hix Institute for Research and Conservation.  They approach conservation with multiple strategic objectives that are carried out through a variety of programs that:  Build Awareness of Conservation Issues; Promote Sustainable Behavior; Protect Wildlife and Wild Places; and, Advance Conservation Knowledge.  Photo by Tim Ardillo

Conservation, of course, is intimately tied together with sustainability - the ability of humans to provide responsible stewardship of the Earth's limited (and precious) resources.  The entire Zoo staff is involved with efforts to lead the way by making the Zoo itself as "green" as possible.

In addition, a primary conservation initiative of the Indianapolis Zoo is the biennial Indianapolis Prize, the world's leading award for animal conservation.  The Prize is an award given every other year to an individual who has made significant strides in animal conservation efforts.  In addition to an unrestricted $250,000 cash award, the winner receives the Lilly Medal and each of the other five finalists will receive $10,000.  The next Indianapolis Prize winner will be announced in June 2014, and the winner, the six finalists, and the cause of conservation will be celebrated at the Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins, Inc. on September 27, 2014.

The Indianapolis Zoo also supports the National Elephant Center, the result of a unique collaboration among zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; individuals and organizations that care deeply about elephants; and Waste Management, a corporation committed to the environment and species conservation. Photo by Jackie Curts

Related to conservation is research, where the staff of the Indianapolis Zoo participates in several in-house research projects that may tell us more about animal biology and behavior.  We have numerous scientific research projects and we participate in cooperative animal management programs as well.

The Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens do not receive any direct public support and are dependent on the generosity of individual, corporate, foundation and estate gifts. Consider an opportunity to partner with us  in the vital conservation, research, exhibition and education efforts of the Zoological Society.