Indy Zoo Continues To Support World's Most Endangered

The Indianapolis Zoo is using a grant program to build on its conservation efforts.
The Zoo will be able to use a grant to fund projects all over the world — including one in Indiana.

“We are working with the Department of Natural Resources through the Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center and they are basically collecting biological information about Indiana’s most significant resources and this project is specifically looking at stone flies which is a good indicator of water quality,” says Michelle Schilten, director of education and conservation.

Other funding recipients include long-standing conservation partners as well as several
organizations and projects new to the Zoo’s program. That support extends to species
including African elephants, orangutans and vaquitas — the world’s most rare marine mamal..

“There’s only 30 of these animals left in the wild, so we are really trying to help make sure that animal doesn’t go extinct. It’s really important that bio-diversity exists on earth,” Schilten says. 

Zoo guests can soon attend a new conservation lecture series to learn about various species firsthand and meet the men and women leading field projects around the world.