The furry bolt of lightning bounded throughout the grassy garden, crossing simply ft from the place the group of onlookers stood.

The pink kangaroo, just like the 12 others residing within the Indianapolis Zoo’s new Kangaroo Crossing exhibit, is free to roam among the many guests who step into the enclosure.

Designed to provide visitors an interactive expertise with the Australian animals, some fortunate individuals may even have the prospect to pet one of many ‘roos.

“Simply being in shut proximity, and with the ability to mingle in and amongst them, and having birds right here round them, the entire expertise is fairly cool,” mentioned Holly Balok, senior keeper on the Indianapolis Zoo. “It’s cool to observe animals on exhibit, however when you’ve got the chance to have them be virtually proper subsequent to you, it’s a brand new expertise.”

Kangaroo Crossing opened to the general public on June 18, permitting zoo guests to stroll across the habitat with the spring-loaded marsupials. In timber and on fences across the kangaroos, a wide range of cockatoos fly freely over head.

The brand new exhibit is specifically designed to provide individuals an up-close expertise with the animals, whereas additionally educating individuals in regards to the threats they face of their native Australia.

“It’s going to be nice for visitors, since you’re immersed within the expertise. The birds are going to be flying over you, you’re going to have the ability to stand up near them, in order that’s going to be a extremely thrilling addition,” mentioned zoo curator Meagan Eager.

Kangaroos are the biggest land mammal native to Australia, and greater than 60 species of the animals and their smaller kinfolk roam the continent. Their signature hopping is a way to extra effectively journey throughout the panorama; the animals are unable to stroll, as a substitute utilizing thick leg tendons to make excessive, quick and extensive leaps.

Working with the animals has been fascinating, Balok mentioned.

“Simply the way in which they’re made, there’s nothing else like them on the planet. They’re distinctive to Australia, and simply the way in which their our bodies are constructed — the lengthy legs, the lengthy muscular tail — are particular,” she mentioned.

Purple kangaroos are plentiful in Australia, and the inhabitants is just not threatened; nevertheless the animals have proven stress, each bodily and reproductively, throughout drought, one thing that’s extra widespread with local weather change.

The Indianapolis Zoo acquired seven feminine and 6 male kangaroos for the brand new exhibit, lots of which got here from zoos which have up-close reveals reminiscent of Kangaroo Crossing, Balok mentioned.

“We tried to actually select kangaroos that may be OK in an exhibit like this, in a walk-through. Kangaroos don’t usually have a habitat like this; they normally have a really massive private area bubble. They’re prey animals, in order that they don’t normally like individuals to get too shut,” she mentioned.

Shows across the newly created area present info on kangaroo habitats and conduct. Guests can find out about new child kangaroos — no greater than a jellybean — and the way the joeys spend about eight months of their mom’s pouch.

A cement path winds via the grass, bushes, timber and hostas within the habitat. Kangaroos transfer all through the area, munching grass and different plant supplies, watching as individuals stroll round them.

“That is form of what occurs in Australia — that is regular city wildlife for them,” Balok mentioned.

Becoming a member of the kangaroos within the new area is a wide range of cockatoos, that are prevalent all through Australia. Particular netting retains the birds from flying out of the exhibit, and the birds swoop via the habitat from fenceposts to tree branches.

Even earlier than the see the cockatoos, although, you’re more likely to hear them, Eager mentioned.

“They’re very loud. That’s in all probability the very first thing visitors will discover. You’re going to listen to them from throughout the zoo,” she mentioned.

When you modify to their cacophonous squawks, although, individuals might be enthralled with the colour and conduct of the completely different birds.

“We now have a number of completely different species, so that you’re going to get to see a wide range of cockatoos if you come via. They vary out of your vivid pink, colourful Main Mitchell’s cockatoos to the staple if you consider Australia, which is the sulfur crested, the white with the intense yellow,” Eager mentioned.