Group of four sea lions stick their heads above teal blue water inside a Zoo exhibit.

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ANIMAL CHATS AND PRESENTATIONS

About Animal Chats and Presentations

Make memories on your next Zoo visit by learning more about our amazing animals from our Animal Experts. Training demonstrations and enrichment activities with our animals will give you a glimpse of how the Zoo cares for animals, and you can learn more about how to help save their wild counterparts.

Chats: Included with Zoo admission, but availability varies seasonally. All chats are animal-, staff- and weather-dependent.

Presentations: Included with Zoo admission. No tickets are required, but seating is first-come, first-served. Times vary seasonally.

Daily Schedule

Chat and Presentations

Alligator Chat

Meet a real conservation success story! Alligators have amazing adaptations for survival, but they were nearly doomed to extinction. Find out more about alligators, how people working together saved them, and how we all can help protect other species today!

Brown Bear Chat

Learn all about how food is important to brown bears and other wildlife and how we can improve our relationship with animals in the wild. This is the best time of day to see our two bears active and foraging. Join us!

Alaskan brown bear lounges in a pool of pale green water in a zoo exhibit.

Alaskan brown bear lounges in a pool of pale green water in a zoo exhibit. He is sticking out his tongue.

Cheetah Chat

Sprint over to our Plains biome for our Cheetah Chat and get a closer glimpse of the fastest land mammal on the planet! Cheetah chat is located at the double wooden doors between the warthog and elephant exhibits.

zoo keeper stands outside a cheetah exhibit, talking with child guests about the animal species

A zoo keeper drops food into the exhibit space for a cheetah.

A zoo keeper stands outside a cheetah exhibit at a zoo. The cheetah is looking at the keeper, and two children observe.

Chimpanzee Chat

Curious about chimpanzees? Learn more about how chimpanzees live in the wild, how we are caring for them at the Zoo and how you can help protect chimpanzee habitats and cultures!

International Chimpanzee Complex Presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers

Dolphin Presentation

Our free Dolphin Presentations feature engaging demonstrations by our incredible bottlenose dolphins! Not only will you be enthralled by these powerful and intelligent marine mammals, you’ll learn more about the incredible bond they share with Zoo staff. Presentations are included with regular Zoo admission, but seating is limited. Pavilion doors open 30 minutes prior to each presentation and close 5 minutes before the presentation. Seating is first-come, first-served.

PLEASE NOTE: Doors close 5 minutes prior to the presentation. Strollers must be parked outside the Ascension St. Vincent Dolphin Pavilion in the designated area. Guests with concerns about the security of strollers can consider renting a stroller.

Dolphin and trainer pose together at the edge of a pool in a zoo exhibit.

Two bottlenose dolphins leap from the water.

Two bottlenose dolphins look at trainer through the glass wall of their zoo exhibit.

Elephant Chat

Even the largest animals on land enjoy being pampered! During the warmer months, come to Tembo Camp to learn how zookeepers care for the members of our African elephant herd. You may even have a chance to touch an elephant and gain a unique new perspective of these gentle giants.

African elephant faces the camera from inside a zoo exhibit. It is standing in tall, green grass and there are trees in the background.

African elephant stands in a zoo exhibt among tall, bright green grass.

Flamingo Mingle

Get up close and personal with our flock of fabulous flamingos during Flamingo Mingle! Watch these beautiful birds march out onto the pathway to grab a shellfish snack and interact with our guests. Learn all about flamingo adaptations and what you can do to help save flamingos in the wild. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with these amazing animals!

Pink flamingo twists neck back to preen feathers near its tail.

Large group of families sit on the pavement outside at a zoo. In the center of the circle of people are numerous pink flamingos mingling.

Pink flamingo towers above a young boy sitting on the ground.

Lion Chat

Pounce on the chance to learn about our African lions! Whether they are participating in a training demonstration or receiving some enrichment, you’ll get an up-close look at these powerful big cats. Lions are the only social cats and use teamwork to survive harsh conditions in Africa. Discover how we can use teamwork to help lions half a world away!

Lioness lounges on a rock. She is looking up and to the right.

Lioness stands among tree limbs. One of her paws grips a limb.

Magnificent Macaws Presentation

There’s something in the air with Just Look Up™ flight presentations. See flocks of these big, brightly colored birds fly from destinations across the Zoo — in open air — to The Perch inside our Bicentennial Pavilion. It’s unlike anything else you’ve ever seen! Take a bird’s eye view and meet seven incredible species of macaws. While these parrots are soaring back and forth across the Zoo, these highly intelligent and social birds are in constant communication with loud squawks, croaks and screams. Plus, you can also meet birds that live close to home!

Zoo keepers work with a flock of macaws perched at an outdoor exhibit.

Three macaws sit on a perch at indianapolis outdoor zoo exhibit.

Macaw flies above a crowd of zoo visitors.

Orangutan Chat

Visit the “functional forest” where the Zoo’s orangutans live and learn more about the importance of forests in the lives of these majestic tree-dwellers. Find out how easy it is to help protect forest habitat for wildlife when you shop for everyday foods and products!

Female orangutan on hammock with baby holding on

Outside view of Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center

Penguin Chat

Penguins are cool! Come learn about the cold-water adaptations of these sleek ocean swimmers and how you can help protect penguins in the wild with actions close to home.

Red Panda Chat

Red pandas are fluffy forest animals that live on a unique branch of their family tree, too! Come learn more about red panda adaptations and how you can help protect their Asian forest habitats with actions close to home.

Rhino Chat

Did you know white rhinos are the only social species of rhino? Come learn more about the Zoo’s crash of rhinos and why you have more in common with them than you might think.

Sea Lion Chat

Get acquainted with these charming marine mammals as the keepers demonstrate their extraordinary ability to learn. The California sea lions will amaze with their vocalizations, gestures and diving abilities. These intelligent animals are wonderful representatives for their wild counterparts!

Female sea lion accepts a fish from a zoo keeper.

Close-up of a sea lion's mouth as she eats fish frozen inside colorful blocks of ice.

A female sea lion accepts a fish from a keeper who sits beside her. The keeper is holding a silver bucket with more fish for the sea lion.

Tiger Chat

Watch our tiger keepers engage with the largest cats on earth at the tiger training demonstrations in Tiger Forest. You’ll get one of the best views of the day as the tigers come up to the glass and display a variety of behaviors. Learn why tiger training is an important part of tiger care, how keepers train an animal that has razor-sharp teeth and claws and what you can do to help protect wild Amur tigers.

A zoo keeper motions to a tiger with a glass wall between them. The tiger is sitting with its mouth wide open.

A tiger lies on the ground inside a zoo exhibit with a keeper on the other side of a glass wall holding a silver bucket with food for the tiger.

A tiger stands on back legs, pressing front paws to the glass of a zoo exhibit. A zoo keeper is on the other side of the glass.

Walrus Chat

Learn more about walrus adaptations and how you can help care for ocean wildlife with sustainable seafood purchases! Don’t miss the Walrus Chat led by a Zoo educator outside Oceans during your Zoo visit.