Fun Fact
Why Orangutans?
W
ild orangutans only live in two places on Earth: Borneo and Sumatra. These two islands were once full of lush forests that provided habitat for the orangutans. Today the trees are being cut down at an alarming rate for palm oil plantations, leaving fewer places for the great apes to live. If humans don’t make significant changes now, orangutans are on pace to go extinct within a decade. The Indianapolis Zoo is committed to making sure orangutans dren will be part of the future for our children, our grandchildren nd and beyond. Eight years ago, we saw the crisis growing and now the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center serves as an education and outreach hub to make sure these great apes survive and thrive.
Orangutan mothers go eight to nine years between pregnancies, the slowest rate of reproduction for any land mammal.
Exhibit Details The Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center is a revolutionary exhibit designed specifically to meet the physical, social and intellectual needs of orangutans. It is a unique home for one of the largest populations of orangutans in any American zoo with an overall land area larger than two football fields. The center sional was designed from the apes’ point of view. Three-dimensional spaces function as a forest, allowing them to extend theirr bodies completely and naturally and were created indoors and out so they can move around on all levels. It also serves as a vital education, research and conservation center, where dedicated staff and community members can work together to create a positive future for endangered orangutans in the wild.
Nina Mason Pulliam Beacon of Hope The stunning centerpiece of the Center is the Nina Mason Pulliam Beacon of Hope, a towering 150-foot structure that will be illuminated each night by lights. The beacon serves as a visual reminder of the hope we have for a brighter future for orangutans in the wild.
Community Plaza The story of the orangutans’ Indonesian home begins in the Community Plaza, an open-air viewing and gathering place in front of the Atrium.
Efroymson Family Exploration Hub Inside the Efroymson Family Exploration Hub, guests can experience the amazing intelligence of these great apes.
R.B. Annis Atrium The R.B. Annis Atrium, a four-season living space with an internal height of 50 feet, allows orangutans and humans to interact regardless of weather conditions.
Mike Crowther
Tim M. Solso Learning Studio Led by researchers conducting cognitive research, orangutans will use interactive technology in groundbreaking ways on the computers.
Oases Located around the perimeter of the exhibit are three Oases, where the orangutans can go if they wish to be apart from the others. The Oases provide up-close orangutan viewing as they learn, play and rest.
Myrta Pulliam Hutan Trail The Myrta Pulliam Hutan Trail is a network of cables, platforms and bridges 45 to 80 feet high that allow orangutans to travel across the exhibit and over the heads of guests.
The Skyline The Skyline is an aerial cable ride — with 1,200 feet of track — rising 50 feet above the Zoo and taking visitors close to the Myrta Pulliam Hutan Trail for a unique perspective on the orangutans. Indianapolis Zoo • Summer 2014
5