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There’s no shortage of things to do in Indianapolis this Memorial Day weekend. In addition to Carb Day and the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there’s the IPL 500 Festival Parade, The Yelp 500, a great funk band from Cincinnati at The Mousetrap called Freekbass, and Indy’s enchanting freak-folk group, Slothpop, at The Broad Ripple Park. So, it’s understandable if you don’t make it to the grand opening of The Tiger Forest at The Indianapolis Zoo. But if not this weekend, then make you check it out before the summer is over.

The new permanent exhibit will put guests eye-to-eye with the zoo’s three Amur (a.k.a. Siberian) tigers… literally. The design of the exhibit brings viewers directly into the tiger lair, protecting them from the wild creatures by nothing more than a one and half inch glass window. Built to mimic the animal’s natural habitat (which once ranged throughout Western Asia, Central Asia and eastern Russia during prehistoric times, but is now completely confined to the far eastern region of Siberia), exhibit attendees will wind through a dense thicket of trees, complete with fallen logs- another characteristic of wilderness on the border between Russia and China. The trail empties into a special vantage point above a stream constructed for both tiger play and relaxation.

According to the Indianapolis Zoo’s website, their vice president of conservation Norah Fletchall traveled to the forests of Siberia to learn more about the work of tiger researchers Dr. Linda Kerley and Misha Borisenko (a husband and wife team) and to bring information about the survival chances for this apex predator to back to the Indianapolis Zoo. Through this real-life observation, the zoo is able to continue to live up to its reputation for bringing authentic and realistic interactions with wild animals to it’s guests. Fun facts and details of Linda and Misha’s work are peppered throughout the exhibit to learn about the grand animals and their natural habitat.

The Indianapolis Zoo currently hosts three tigers: females Cila and Andrea and male Petya. Indianapolis is a long-time participant in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a program developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild. According to Wikipedia, approximately 160 Siberian tigers participate in the SSP, which makes it the most extensively bred tiger subspecies within the program. Ultimately, The Indianapolis Zoo hopes that Cila (who was born in Indy) and Petya (who was “borrowed” from the Pittsburgh Zoo) become mating partners and produce new tigers for the SSP in the future.

There’s a lot more to see than just the tigers at The Indianapolis Zoo, but there’s no doubt this new exhibit will be the shining star of the 2011 season. Be one of the first to experience it this weekend and help spread the word about this great new addition to the fine city of Indianapolis.

Image rendering source: The Indianapolis Zoo

Danielle Look is a music correspondent for NUVO Newsweekly and IndyMojo.com, a marketing student at The Kelley School of Business, and a general supporter of the local art and music scene in Indianapolis.  Below she takes a closer look at one of Indianapolis’ many public art installations.