Indianapolis zoo

By Mackenzie | Published October 17, 2019 | No Comments

Recently (Tuesday, October 14 2019, to be exact) mom, dad, Abby and I wen’t to the Indianapolis Zoo. They have about 1400 different animals from the rarest Gazelle to the common Chuckwalla. My personal favourites were the Red Panda and the Bald Eagle. Let me tell you a bit about them.

So the Red Panda is an interesting animal. You may think it’s related to the Giant Panda, bear or the racoon. But, actually it is not related to any of the above species. The Red Panda is a mammal it’s the only species to be part of the Ailuridae family. The Red Panda is found in Nepal, central China and Myanmar. It’s eating habit’s consist of bamboo, acorns, insects, eggs and fruit. It is also considered to be an endangered species. Did you know that the Chinese name for the Red Panda is Hun-Ho, which translates to fire-fox.

The Bald Eagle is a beautiful bird, with it’s body covered in black feathers and it’s head in white feathers. An average Bald Eagle can grow to be 34 to 43 inches in hight and have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. It’s average weight is about 6.5 to 24 pounds. It’s native region is North America. The Bald Eagle feasts on small mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

Along with the Red Pandas and Bald Eagle other animals that lives in forest habitats are: the Alaskan Brown Bear, Amur Tiger, Ring-Tailed Lemurs, the Macaws, Sloths and White-Handed Gibbons. In the desert habitats there are: African Platted Lizards, Bearded Dragons, Blue-tongue Skinks, Boas, Colorado River Toads, Common Chuckwallas, Elapids – venomous snakes (ex. Black Mambas and Cobras), Gila Monsters, Iguanas, Lamprophiids Snakes (ex. Madagascar Hognose), Meerkats, Pythons, Vipers, Turtles and Tortoises.

In the ocean habitats there are: Angelfish, California Sea Lions, Common Bottle Nose Dolphin, Cownose Ray, Gentoo Penguins, Green Moray Eels, Grey Seals, King Penguins, Lionfish, Long-Tailed Macaques, Pacific Walruses, Pot-bellied Sea Horse, Rockhopper Penguins, Smooth Dogfish Sharks, Sea Stars, Tangs, Sea Anemone and Coral. Last but not least the birds: Budgerigars, Cabot’s Tragopans, Cockatiels, Crested Couas, Crested Wood Partridges, Flamingoes, Green Woodhoopoe, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Hornbills, Lories, Northern Bobwhite, Superb Startling, Taveta Golden Weaver, Vulturine Guineafowl and White-cheeked Turaco.

All of the photos above have been taken by either: Gina Welch, Dennis McLaughlin or Mackenzie McLaughlin.

Oops, I almost forgot, the plains habitat animals: Addra Gazelle, African Elephant, African Lion, Cape Porcupine, Cheetah, East African Grey-crowned Crane, Eastern White-bearded Wildebeest, Giant’s Zebra, Great Kudu, Guinea Baboon, Marabou Stork, Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, White Rhinoceros, Warthog and Rock Hyrax.

For more information go to: https://www.indianapoliszoo.com/exhibits/