Indianapolis
Zoo Breaking News!
Click on a headline to get
a closer look at today's top stories:
Backpack
Attack brings students school supplies
Dance
All Day, Play All Night at Zoolapalooza
It's
a Blast From the Past of the Indianapolis Zoo
Meet
Some Amazing Creatures During New Summer Chats
Don't
Miss JUMP! The Ultimate Dog Show!
Beautiful Butterflies Welcome You to White River Gardens
Keep the Indianapolis Zoo Dolphins Close To Your Heart
Enjoy
a Day of Unlimited Rides With New Passes
Meet
the New Team in Town — the Orangutans!
Save
$2 When You Buy Tickets Online
Butterflies
Are Taking Over White River State Park
Watch
the Zoo's Future Come to Life...LIVE!
Indianapolis
Prize Upped to Quarter of a Million Dollars
Put a Tiger on Your Trunk!
Elephant photo by Carla Knapp
The
Indianapolis Zoo is proud to once again be a collection point
for the Indy Backpack Attack. Put on by
United Way
of Central Indiana, this drive helps to collect
school supplies for students in need. The 2013
drive will run from June 24 to July 19, with a public
distribution day on July 27. By bringing supplies like crayons,
rulers, art boxes and folders your donation will benefit
children in Indianapolis Public Schools and throughout Marion
County. Plus, you’ll receive a $1 off coupon for admission. So
the next time you're out at the store pick up a few extra school
supplies to help out area school children in need.
Rock
your way into the weekend with
Zoolapalooza presented by Firestone
Building Products and Firestone Industrial Products. For five
consecutive Fridays through July 19, we'll host some of the
hottest musical acts around. Concerts run from 5:30 to 8:30pm
inside the Party Pavilion, with animals and rides available
until 7pm. Plus Zoo members can enjoy free unlimited rides
(5-7pm) on a different featured ride each week! You'll also
enjoy specialty menu items, sampling from Sun King Brewery and
plenty of room to dance! Zoolapalooza concerts are free for Zoo
members and are included with regular Zoo admission. Plus,
find the coupon on
Facebook and save $4 off admission after
4pm on concert days.
The
Indianapolis Zoo is celebrating the
25th anniversary of its move to White River
State Park and we want you to join in on the fun! The new Zoo
officially opened to the public on June 11, 1988, but a
celebration like this is too big for just one day. So throughout
the month of June, we'll open up our time capsule to offer our
guests a glimpse into the past. You'll love the photos, videos
and stories of the people and the animals from 25 years ago who
helped make the vision of an Indianapolis Zoo a reality. We'll
share some of our fun historic finds on
Pinterest and
YouTube. You can
also read more about the
history of the Zoo — from its origins on
East 30th Street all the way through to today. Plus, several
lucky fans will win a special piece of 25th anniversary
memorabilia — paintings created especially for this celebration
by the Zoo's 25-year animals! So be sure to follow the Zoo on
Facebook and
Twitter for more details on these Zooper
Giveaways!
Follow the parade of pink around Encounters. Meet strange and
exotic creatures of myth. These are just a few of the new
opportunities available during our
summer keeper chats schedule. Our shows and
chats allow you to get an exclusive look at some of our amazing
animals as well as gain some valuable insight from our Zoo
Keepers. Plus you'll meet some new creatures as we unveil three
all-new experiences this summer! Near the Westside Café
at
10 AM, guests can watch striking birds parade in the Flamingo
Walk. Make sure to swing by the
Encounters again at noon to catch our two
macaws, Colt and Ruby, in the new
Parrot Chat. These brilliant birds may even
chat with you! Finally, we'll have dragons on the prowl in
White River Gardens as part of the new
Meet the Komodo Dragon experience in the
Efroymson Wedding Garden. Along with our many other animal shows
and chats, these presentations are the perfect opportunity to
interact with the animals and keeper. Plus it's a fun way to
learn more about animal conservation.
Get
ready for some high-flying fun and fast-paced action because
JUMP! The Ultimate Dog Show is back at the
Indianapolis Zoo for 2013!
On your next trip to the Zoo, stop by Dean's Arena for one of
the amazing shows happening at 11am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm daily
(except Wednesdays) and also at 5:30pm Friday through Sunday. You've
seen Lou "Mack" McCammon and his canine costars
performing amazing aerial feats during halftime shows at
sporting events and special venues across the country. This energetic show is filled with
upbeat music, jaw-dropping aerial tricks and non-stop action!
Plus, these shows come with a great message about animal
conservation and pet adoption. With new audience participation
and stunts, each show is unique. Best of all, this must-see
experience is free
with your Zoo
admission.
Bright,
bold, beautiful colors — that’s what you’ll see from start to
finish during a visit to White River Gardens and the Zoo’s
newest exhibit,
Butterfly Kaleidoscope presented by
Citizens Energy Group. The butterflies have returned to the
Hilbert Conservatory following a two-year
hiatus, but this exhibit is like nothing our guests have seen
before. As you approach the White River Gardens, you’ll be
greeted by an awe-inspiring 3-D mural complete with vibrant,
oversized butterfly sculptures and a lifelike image of the
outdoor gardens. Created by Colorado-based Banner Art Studio
with the help of AMPeirce Cycles, Yves Art and the Zoo’s own
Creative Services department, the mural has transformed the
Gardens entrance into a work of art. You can learn more about
the creation of this amazing artwork in
our blog. that offers visitors a glimpse of
what awaits inside. The highlight of the Butterfly Kaleidoscope
exhibit is, of course, the butterflies. Hundreds of these
wonderful winged creatures from nearly
40 native and exotic species fill the
Conservatory. The exhibit continues through Labor Day, and
throughout the season, roughly 13,000 butterflies will be
released into the space. That means guests can expect plenty of
close encounters as butterflies float nearby and perhaps even
land on them!
If
you're looking for a truly one-of-a-kind gift or just something
special for yourself, there's a new item in the Indianapolis Zoo
Gift Shop that you won't want to miss.
These beautiful silver dolphin tail pendants were created
especially for the Indianapolis Zoo and each one is an exact
replica of the tail, called a fluke, of one of the dolphins in
our pod. Each one is engraved with the name of the dolphin it
represents, and pendants are available for China (pictured),
Indy, Jett, Kalei, Kimo, Nova, Ripley and Taz. It's a perfect
way for dolphin lovers to keep these animals close to their
hearts — literally! This is just one of the many unique items
available in our Gift Shops, and if you're a Zoo Member, you'll
enjoy a 15 percent discount on all your purchases! So stop in
during your next Zoo visit or you can also
shop online.
When
your family visits the Zoo, do your little ones love to ride the
Carousel ... and the
Train ... and the
Kōmbo
Coaster?
Then on your next visit, be sure to check out our newest option
for rides. Our all-day ride passes allow an individual to enjoy an
unlimited amount of rides during a single visit. So now you and
your flock can hop from ride to ride as much as you want
throughout the day. Plus, budgie and lorikeet feedings are also
included (does not include giraffe feeds). An all-day
unlimited ride pass is $10 per child and $6 per adult, and
Zoo members can save $1 per wristband. The
White River Junction Train is presented by Marathon and the
Kōmbo Family Coaster is presented by Outback Steakhouse.
Check out all the Zoo's fun
rides and attractions.
There’s a new team in Indianapolis! Several hundred fans were
introduced to the New Team in Town — the Indianapolis Zoo
orangutans — during a massive pep rally March 26 at Bankers Life
Fieldhouse. The high-energy rally kicked off the public
fundraising phase of the $30 million
Campaign for Conservation and Community: Save the Orangutans.
Now you can meet these newcomers, too! Just visit the new
website azyandfriends.com
to get glimpses of the great apes’ amazing human-like
characteristics and personalities. Plus you can play the match
game to find your orangutan match along with specific details of
the animal’s personality. You'll be able to see this new team in
action when the new
International Orangutan Center opens in May 2014. Until
then, you can keep up with the progress on the construction site
through the
webcam.
Would you like the chance to save time and money during your
next Indianapolis Zoo visit? Now you can do both when you
purchase tickets online! Now through Oct. 31, ticket prices at
the gate are $16.95 for adults, $15.95 for seniors 62+ and $11.95
for children 2-12. But you can save $2.00 on all General
Admission when you
purchase online! Plus, buying your tickets
in advance means no more waiting in line to
buy tickets. Simply bring your bar-coded ticket straight to the
admission gate and you'll be on your way in for a day of animal
adventures and fun! Tickets purchased at this special price are
only valid through Oct. 31.
Experience
the beauty of butterflies like never before at two White River
State Park attractions, and save money when you visit both!
Surround yourself with a mesmerizing swirl of living color as
the Zoo's newest exhibit,
Butterfly Kaleidoscope presented by
Citizens Energy Group, opens in the
Hilbert Conservatory. Enjoy the warmth and
beauty of this tropical paradise while thousands of free-flying
butterflies fill the space. Then follow the epic journey of one
of the most iconic butterfly species, the monarch, in Flight of
the Butterflies 3D, now playing at the
Downtown Indy IMAX. This 3D adventure
follows the real-life migration of these wonderful winged
insects, and you can experience it in amazing high-definition on
the state's largest movie screen. But hurry — Flight of the
Butterflies 3D will fly away later summer. The Downtown Indy IMAX is
located at the Indiana State Museum, east of the river in
White River State Park, and just a quick
walk across the pedestrian bridge. Plus, pick up the coupon at
the entrance to the Hilbert Conservatory and receive $1 off your
movie tickets!
Friends
of the Indianapolis Zoo now have access to a webcam from the
International Orangutan Center’s construction site.
The International Orangutan Center Construction Cam
presented by Turner offers a bird’s eye view of the
site and allows viewers to watch the exhibit come to life. This
amazing new exhibit is a year away from opening and construction
is really moving along. To
give you a frame of reference, do you see the huge construction
crane out there? When the boom is fully extended, it reaches a
height of 100 feet. The indoor height of the exhibit’s atrium
will be 90 feet, and the soaring Beacon of Hope will tower 150
feet above the exhibit. You can find more fun facts about what's
happening on the construction site on the
Zoo Blog. Construction crews are now working six
days a week, weather dependent, so check back and
see the daily progress being made on the
International Orangutan Center. Plus visit
AzyAndFriends.com
to meet the orangutans who'll call this exhibit home and learn
how you can help us complete the exhibit.
The
world's leading award for animal conservation just got even
bigger. Beginning in 2014, the winner of the prestigious
Indianapolis Prize will receive a $250,000
monetary award in addition to the Lilly Medal while the other
five finalists will each receive $10,000. Myrta Pulliam,
Indianapolis Prize Executive Committee chairwoman, announced the
change, saying: "Increasing the Prize to a quarter of a million
dollars is the natural result of the success the Indianapolis
Prize has experienced over the past several years. Because the
money is unrestricted, the Prize winners have been able to
invest the funds in ways that make the most sense to them. We
are confident that this increase in the money will reap huge
dividends in actually saving species." The Indianapolis Prize
recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions
to the sustainability of an animal species or group of species.
Previous recipients Indianapolis Prize, which has been awarded
biennially since 2006, include Dr. George Archibald, co-founder
of the
International Crane Foundation; Dr. George
Schaller, senior conservationist for the
Wildlife
Conservation Society; Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton,
founder of
Save the Elephants; and Dr. Steven Amstrup,
chief scientist for
Polar Bears International.
Thanks to input from Facebook fans, the Indianapolis Zoo is
represented by the image of the beautiful and endangered Amur
tiger on the new Zoo specialty license plate. The Zoo was one of 10 organizations approved for specialty license plates
in 2012 by the
Indiana Bureau
of Motor Vehicles. The
tiger plate is available for
purchase
through the BMV for $40, with $25
going directly to the Zoo to support food and medicine for the
animals in its care. The Zoo is a nonprofit
organization that receives no direct tax support, so
contributions from programs like this are essential to
supporting our conservation mission. In 2010, Hoosiers purchased 442,573 specialty plates that
generated more than $11 million for the sponsoring
organizations.
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