In the wake of the incident at the Cincinnati Zoo, where a young boy slipped in to a gorilla exhibit, prompting keepers to shoot and kill the primate, zoos across the country are checking safety protocols.
At the Indianapolis Zoo, officials say, they are constantly looking at visitor and animal safety. Officials would not comment about what happened in Cincinnati.
In 2012, Indianapolis formed an enclosure task force after a 2-year-old boy was mauled to death by African dogs after falling into an exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo.
Four years later, they’ve spent $1.7 million in Indianapolis to make enclosures safer, including the lion exhibit, which now has glass on one side and two fences on the other.
"I really like the glass. We were just talking about that, because of that whole thing that happened with the gorilla," said zoo visitor Ann McClain of Carmel. "I really like the glass, you feel safe and you still get a good view of all the animals."
"We want people to learn about the animals, to fall in love with them, and understand what they face in the wild and then do something about it and be empowered to help them and if you get closer you feel a stronger connection," explained Judy Palermo, a spokesperson for the Indianapolis Zoo.
While the task force was founded in the aftermath of an incident at another zoo, changes are also being made as a result of what happens in Indianapolis.
Last year, the escape of a cheetah made national headlines. While the animal got out of its enclosure, it was tranquilized before entering an area accessible to the public.
"I didn't feel like we were in danger at any point in time," said a zoo visitor last year.
At the time, the cheetah exhibit lacked high fences, but now, fencing has been added on top of a rock wall. Portions of the enclosure also jut in, making escape difficult, if not impossible.
"That task force constantly looks at all of our exhibits, goes throughout the zoo, and then makes recommendations on what they think will be beneficial," said Palermo.
Another area that has been changed is the rhinoceros exhibit, where the public viewing area has been pushed back, further away from the animals. The zoo has allocated another $1.3 million for more potential changes - all made in the name of safety.