Do you ever just get tired of people?

As a teenager, it is possible that a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo could be your perfect escape from daily life. Relax and check out some of your favorite animals you may never get to see anywhere else at the Indianapolis Zoo.

“I have a membership to the zoo that saves us about $30 every time we go, including parking benefits. You also get invitations to community conventions and discounted tickets to baseball games,” freshman Nadia Daabil said. “My favorite zoo exhibit would either be the tigers, monkeys or the meerkats.”

A membership ranges from $100 to $200 depending on what kind of membership you get, and expires within one year of the date of purchase. With the membership card comes these benefits and the purchase helps to support wildlife conservation.

People go to the zoo frequently to see it’s popular biomes, which contain more than 2,000 varieties of plants and 250 species of animals. You can practically travel the world through their diverse exhibits.

One new and exciting exhibit coming to the zoo is the International Orangutan Center, which opens May 24. This new exhibit helps preserve these endangered primates, and is said to be visually stunning. One unique thing is the different perspective given to this exhibit, allowing the orangutans to practically swing 40 feet above your head.

“Look into the eyes of an orangutan, and a sentient being looks back,” Vice President of Conservation & Life Sciences Dr. Rob Shumaker said on the zoo’s website.

Along with new exhibits, new life seems popular among these beautiful zoo creatures, as the Community Health Network releases a list of “zoo babies” on www.indianapoliszoo.com. These adorable animals range from rainbow lorikeet chicks to a baby ring-tailed lemur.

Speaking of babies–when is the last time you remember going to the zoo?                                    For many, a trip to the zoo is nothing but a distant memory from early childhood, or maybe from a class field trip. Some people may think they are too old to enjoy time at the zoo, or think it isn’t as exciting as it used to be.

“I usually go two or three times a month, mostly for my little cousins since I’m an only child and don’t show as much interest in the zoo anymore,” Daabil said.

It can be cute to see a young child’s face light up when they peer into a lion’s habitat for the first time or smoosh their face against the glass of another new and fascinating creature to get the closest possible look. But never forget how incredible it is to be given the opportunity to see these species in person, no matter how old you are.                              The zoo gives people the chance to see animals they normally wouldn’t be able to see, which is awesome for all ages.