Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education."Information"
, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. Retrieved 5/8/08. In August 2014, TripAdvisor rated it the "world's best zoo", leading San Diego Zoo and Loro Parque, based on an algorithmic assimilation of millions of reviews for 275 major zoos worldwide. The zoo is known for its leadership in animal conservation and research. Evolving from the public Riverview Park Zoo established in 1894, today the zoo includes several notable exhibits. "Kingdoms of the Night" is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the Lied Jungle is one of the world's largest indoor rainforests, and the "Desert Dome" is one of the world's largest indoor deserts, as well as the largest glazed geodesic dome.

History

The zoo began in 1894 as Riverview Park Zoo. Four years later, it had over 120 animals. In 1952, the Omaha Zoological Society was created with aims to improve the zoo. In 1963, Margaret Hitchcock Doorly donated $750,000. She stipulated that the zoo be renamed in memory of her late husband,

Henry Doorly Henry Doorly (November 9, 1879 – June 21, 1961) was the chairman of the World Publishing Company and publisher of the ''Omaha World-Herald'' in Nebraska, founded by his father-in-law, United States Senate, U.S. Senator Gilbert Hitchcock. Do ...

, chairman of the

World Publishing Company The World Publishing Company was an American publishing company. The company published genre fiction, trade paperbacks, children's literature, nonfiction books, textbooks, Bibles, and dictionaries,Union Pacific helped the zoo lay down of track in 1968 with the inaugural run of the

Omaha Zoo Railroad The Omaha Zoo Railroad (OZRR) is the name of a narrow-gauge heritage railroad located in the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska. The railroad offers a narrow gauge excursion train for zoo visitors hauled by a steam locomotive. The t ...

made on July 22, 1968. The zoo has two rides circumnavigate the property (tram and train), a

carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

and the Skyfari, an aerial tram which opened in 2009 and which takes visitors from the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion to the new lion viewing exhibit. The zoo is adjacent to the former site of Rosenblatt Stadium. In 2011, the zoo began developing the land at the Stadium to become the new parking area and visitor center, leaving a small memorial at the location of home plate. Rosenblatt was replaced by the new TD Ameritrade Park downtown.

Zoo timeline

* 1894: Riverview Park opened. * 1898: The park had a varied animal population of over 200 animals. * 1920s : Gould Dietz donated cat cages. * 1930s : The WPA built cat and bear exhibits. * 1952: The Omaha Zoological Society was organized for the improvement and administration of the zoo. * 1963: Margaret Hitchcock Doorly donated $750,000 to the zoo with the stipulation that the zoo be named after her late husband, Henry Doorly. * 1965: The Omaha Zoological Society was reorganized as a nonprofit organization, and the first phase of the zoo, which included bear grottos, gorilla and orangutan buildings, and Ak-sar-ben Nature Kingdom, was dedicated. * 1968: The inaugural run of

was in July, and the

Eugene C. Eppley Eugene C. Eppley (April 8, 1884 – October 14, 1958) also known as Gene, was a hotel magnate in Omaha, Nebraska. Eppley is credited with single-handedly building one of the most successful hotel empires, by the 1950s the largest privately owned h ...

Pachyderm Hill opened in November on the old baseball diamond site. * 1972: The Ak-Sar-Ben waterfall was constructed; in August, the Owen Sea Lion Pavilion opened, complete with a new concession building, public restrooms, and a gazebo where an old public

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

was located. * 1973: Owen Swan Valley and the Primate Research Building were completed. * 1974: A new diet kitchen and educational classrooms were completed. * 1977: The Cat Complex was added. * 1979: The hospital and nursery opened. * 1981: The giraffe and hoofstock complex opened. * 1983: The Lee G. Simmons Free-flight Aviary was completed. * 1984: A saltwater aquarium opened in what had been the museum. * 1985: The gorilla and orangutan buildings were completely renovated and named in honor of the Owen family; Richard Simmons cut the ribbon. * 1986: World-Herald Square was completed, and the First Tier Wolf Woods, maintenance building, and hay barn were relocated to the northeast. * 1987: The Mutual of Omaha

Wild Kingdom ''Wild Kingdom'', also known as ''Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'', is an American documentary television program that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and it was revived in 2002. The show's second ...

Pavilion, the visitor services area US West Plaza, and a new main entrance were finished. * 1988: Construction began on the Lied Jungle, and the zoo was selected for the endangered black-footed ferret breeding program. The zoo's greenhouse was built near the maintenance shop. * 1989: Durham Family's Bear Canyon was added; Doorly's Pride (a heroic bronze sculpture of a pride of 12 lions) was installed in the entry plaza area, and the zoo received the AAZPA Bean Award for its long-term gaur propagation efforts. The black-footed ferret building was constructed. * 1990: Dairy World featuring a children's petting zoo, educational exhibits, and concession area, was added, and the world's first ''in vitro''-fertilized tiger was born. * 1991: The Birthday House for children's birthday parties and education classes was finished; the world's first artificially inseminated tiger was born at the zoo. * 1992: The Lied Jungle opened on April 4, with the attached Durham's TreeTops Restaurant and Education Center. Simmons Plaza near the main entrance was completed. * 1993: The old aquarium was closed and construction of the new aquarium began. The zoo received two AAZPA awards: the Conservation Award for the black-footed ferret management program and the Significant Achievement Award for the Lied Jungle. The world's first artificially inseminated gaur calf was born. * 1994: The Union Pacific Engine House for the Omaha Zoo Railroad was added. * 1995: The Walter and Suzanne Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium was opened. The zoo had more than 1.6 million visitors, and land was acquired for an off-site breeding facility and drive-through park. Construction began on the IMAX 3D Theater, and the zoo participated in the propagation of the world's first ''in vitro'' gorilla birth (Timu was born at the Cincinnati Zoo). * 1996: The Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research was completed, and Timu, the world's first ''in vitro'' gorilla moved to Omaha's zoo. * 1997: The Lozier

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...

theater was finished. * 1998: The

Garden of the Senses A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

, the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari ( west at Nebraska's I-80 Exit 426 near Ashland), and a new diet kitchen were completed, and construction began on a new pathology laboratory and keepers lounge. * 1999: Sue's Carousel was added, construction began on the world's largest desert dome, and the zoo hosted a temporary Komodo dragon exhibit. * 2000: The new North Entrance Plaza was completed, featuring a new gift shop, warehouse, entrance plaza, and visitor gazebo. The zoo joined the Okapi Species Survival Program, allowed it to be one of 14 zoos in North America to display rare okapi; a traveling koala exhibit visited the zoo. * 2001: Cheetah Valley, and new bongo and tree kangaroo exhibits were constructed, and the zoo hosted a traveling white alligator exhibit. * 2002:

Desert Dome Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and educ ...

was finished, and construction began on Hubbard Gorilla Valley. * 2003: Kingdoms of the Night, featuring various nocturnal habitats, opened beneath the Desert Dome. * 2004: Hubbard Gorilla Valley was opened, and a tower with two high-capacity elevators were added to take visitors from the main level of the zoo near the Desert Dome down 44 ft. to Hubbard Gorilla Valley. * 2005: The Hubbard Orangutan Forest opened in two phases in May and August; a giraffe feeding station opened in the spring; and construction began on an addition to the Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research. * 2006: A new Guest Services building and two additional gates at the main entrance were added; the Hubbard Research wing expansion to the Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research opened in July; and the Budgie Encounter was finished. * 2007: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Pavilion was transformed into the Exploration Station, and construction on the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion began. * 2008: The Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion opened; and construction on a Madagascar exhibit began. * 2009: Skyfari, a chairlift connecting the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion to the old African rangeland exhibit area. * 2010: Expedition Madagascar opened. * 2012: Scott Aquarium reopened after renovations, Rosenblatt Stadium demolished by the zoo, and the zoo renamed Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. * 2013: A new gift shop opened, the

facility was remodeled, and the Infield At The Zoo and Gateway to the Wild exhibits were completed. * 2014: Stingray Beach opened to the public. The seasonal interactive exhibit, located by Sue's Carousel, allows visitors to touch and feed cownose, Atlantic and Southern

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...

Camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...

rides, also located by Sue's Carousel, opened to the public. Construction on Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's largest project, the African Grasslands, begins." * 2016: Six African elephants arrived at the zoo from

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

to escape a drought on March 11. On May 27, African Grasslands opened after two years of construction. This, coupled with Memorial Day weekend, caused what local media dubbed "Zoopocalypse". Within two hours of opening the zoo saw over 8,000 visitors enter the main gates; a normal Sunday sees 4–5,000 people all day. Hours later, the entrance count was up to over 20,000 people. * 2018: Bay Family Children's Adventure Trails opens. * 2020: Owen Sea Lion Shores Attraction opened on September 4. * 2021: Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Expedition: Madagascar and Hubbard Orangutan Forest underwent extensive renovations and reopened July 3.

Major exhibits

African Grasslands

After six years of planning and three years of construction, the 28-acre, $73 million African Grasslands exhibit opened to the public May 27, 2016, over the zoo's former eastern boundary area and Pachyderm Hill exhibits. In 2017, Warren the African elephant unexpectedly died. He was the only male of the six African elephants that arrived at the zoo from Eswatini. In May 2019, the Birmingham Zoo's male African bush elephant Callee joined the herd of five female elephants to breed with them. In January 2022, two baby elephants, Eugenia and Sonny, were born to two of the females, Kiki and Claire respectively. In March 2022, the zoo announced a third female was pregnant and expecting to give birth in March 2023. Species include: *

African bush elephant The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body ...

* Reticulated giraffe * Southern white rhinoceros * Grant's zebra * Ostrich *

Meerkat MeerKAT, originally the Karoo Array Telescope, is a radio telescope consisting of 64 antennas in the Meerkat National Park, in the Northern Cape of South Africa. In 2003, South Africa submitted an expression of interest to host the Square Kilom ...

Klipspringer The klipspringer (; ''Oreotragus oreotragus'') is a small antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of its genus and subfamily/tribe, the klipspringer was first described by German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimm ...

* Rock hyrax *

White-throated monitor The white-throated monitor (''Varanus albigularis albigularis'') is a lizard found in southern Africa. They are usually gray-brown with yellowish or white markings, and can reach up to in length. They are found in Southern Africa, northwards to ...

* Crested guineafowl *

African pygmy goat The American Pygmy is an American list of goat breeds, breed of achondroplastic goat. It is small, compact and stockily built. Like the Nigerian Dwarf, it derives from the West African Dwarf (goat), West African Dwarf group of breeds of West Af ...

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

* Cheetah *

Impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Germa ...

* Lesser kudu * Sable antelope * Bongo * Okapi *

Pink-backed pelican The pink-backed pelican (''Pelecanus rufescens'') is a bird of the pelican family. It is a resident breeder in the swamps and shallow lakes of Africa and southern Arabia; it has also apparently extirpated in Madagascar. Taxonomy The pink-backe ...

Asian Highlands

A new exhibit built on previously undeveloped space, the Asian Highlands area is a $22 million, 8-acre recreation of the highlands of central Asia, including India and China, designed to simulate a mountain ascent, featuring species native to the region as well as a Yeti Camp, acting as a hub for visitors with themed food and gift options, and a Kid's Discovery Trail. The first phase of the exhibit opened in the spring of 2018 and the second phase opened in the spring of 2019. Species in the exhibit include: * Indian rhinoceros *

Père David's deer The Père David's deer (''Elaphurus davidianus''), also known as the ''milu'' () or elaphure, is a species of deer native to the subtropical river valleys of China. It grazes mainly on grass and aquatic plants. It is the only extant member of ...

* Red panda *

White-naped crane The white-naped crane (''Antigone vipio'') is a bird of the crane family. It is a large bird, long, about tall, and weighing about , with pinkish legs, a grey-and-white-striped neck, and a red face patch. Distribution The white-naped crane br ...

* Sichuan takin *

Chinese goral The Chinese goral (''Naemorhedus griseus''), also known as the grey long-tailed goral or central Chinese goral, is a species of goral, a small goat-like ungulate, native to mountainous regions of Myanmar, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and poss ...

* Chinese muntjac * Tufted deer *

Sloth bear The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss ...

* Snow leopard * Siberian tiger

Butterfly and Insect Pavilion

The Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion opened in 2008. The Pavilion is a total-immersion exhibit located between the Scott Aquarium and the Giraffe Complex. Viewed from the sky, the exhibit resembles a winged insect. The building features several exhibits: * Butterfly Conservatory: The area features -high glass sidewalls to allow the maximum amount of light inside the exhibit. Natural light, large trees, rocks, and water elements simulate a natural habitat and help stimulate natural butterfly behaviors. * Conservation Promenade: Located in the Butterfly Conservatory, the promenade winds past waterfalls and over streams, through vegetation, and loops around the giant Amazon water lily pool. The pool features a stilt root tree supporting a floating walkway through the roots for a close view of the giant South American water lilies. Species of butterflies and moths include the blue

morpho The morpho butterflies comprise many species of Neotropical butterfly under the genus ''Morpho''. This genus includes more than 29 accepted species and 147 accepted subspecies, found mostly in South America, Mexico, and Central America. ''Morph ...

zebra longwing ''Heliconius charithonia'', the zebra longwing or zebra heliconian, is a species of butterfly belonging to the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of ''Systema Natura ...

, and

painted ladies In American architecture, painted ladies are Victorian and Edwardian houses and buildings repainted, starting in the 1960s, in three or more colors that embellish or enhance their architectural details. The term was first used for San Francisco ...

. Microhabitats are displayed along the Conservation Promenade featuring endangered amphibians the Zoo is currently working with in response to the global amphibian crisis. Visitors must stop in a mirrored room to check for butterflies before exiting. * Chrysalis Hatching Room: A area where butterflies and moths in their chrysalis or cocoon stage will be brought in from all over the world. Inside, they are carefully hung in hatching chambers where visitors can watch them complete their metamorphosis into flying insects. The entry hallway leading into the insect wing contains several displays, such as a locust colony and a

Halloween moon crab ''Gecarcinus quadratus'', known as the red land crab, whitespot crab, Halloween crab, moon crab, Halloween moon crab, mouthless crab, or harlequin land crab, is a colourful land crab from the family Gecarcinidae. Distribution ''Gecarcinus quadr ...

, along with interactive learning opportunities. * Insect Zoo: This area has a high glass sidewall on top of a solid wall to allow more intensive exhibit work. Individual micro-habitats are home to ants, spiders, scorpions, walking sticks, mantids, centipedes, roaches, beetles and other creatures. In the center of this room, two bird exhibits house other exotic species such as tropical hummingbirds. * Lower Level: Features two rooms, approximately , used for rearing butterflies and culturing insect colonies. Another room is used to maintain plants that are being rotated through the butterfly display. A frog breeding and rearing facility houses the most threatened amphibians. The rooms can be viewed through windows from the Giraffe Observation Walk that circles the building and allow Zoo visitors a look behind the scenes. This same path has numerous native butterfly gardens.

Desert Dome

The Desert Dome opened in April 2002 at a cost of $31.5 million (includes Kingdoms of the Night). It is one of the world's largest indoor

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

s at around 42,000 ft² (0.96 acres; 3,900 m²). Beneath the Desert Dome is the Kingdoms of the Night, and both levels make up a combined total of . The Desert Dome has geologic features from deserts around the world: Namib Desert of southern Africa,

Red Center Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and i ...

of Australia, and the Sonoran Desert of the southwest United States. Animals include: Cape Thick-knee at the Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska (2006-09-30)

Cape Thick-knee at the Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska (2006-09-30)

African wild cat The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species native to Africa, West and Central Asia up to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in 2022. In Cyprus, an African wi ...

Bat-eared fox The bat-eared fox (''Otocyon megalotis'') is a species of fox found on the African savanna. It is the only extant species of the genus ''Otocyon'' and considered a basal canid species. Fossil records indicate this canid first appeared during th ...

Common dwarf mongoose The common dwarf mongoose (''Helogale parvula'') is a mongoose species native to Angola, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia and East Africa. It is part of the genus ''Helogale'', along with the Ethiopian dwarf mongoose. Ch ...

Spotted thick-knee The spotted thick-knee (''Burhinus capensis''), also known as the spotted dikkop or Cape thick-knee, is a wader in the family Stone-curlew, Burhinidae. It is native to tropical regions of central and southern Africa. Description The spotted thic ...

Cape cobra The Cape cobra (''Naja nivea''), also called the yellow cobra, is a moderate-sized, highly venomous species of cobra inhabiting a wide variety of biomes across southern Africa including arid savanna, fynbos, bushveld, desert and semi-desert reg ...

* Inland taipan *

Rough-scaled death adder The rough-scaled death adder (''Acanthophis rugosus'') is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. Habitat They are native to northern Australia The unofficial geographic term Northern Australia includes those parts of Queensla ...

Lace monitor The lace monitor or tree goanna (''Varanus varius'') is a member of the monitor lizard family native to eastern Australia. A large lizard, it can reach in total length and in weight. The lace monitor is considered to be a least-concern species ...

* Perentie *

Bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

* Burrowing owl * Collared peccary * Gambel's quail * Greater roadrunner *

Ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

* Swift fox * Turkey vulture *

White-nosed coati The white-nosed coati (''Nasua narica''), also known as the coatimundi (), is a species of coati and a member of the family Procyonidae (raccoons and their relatives). Local Spanish names for the species include ''pizote'', ''antoon'', and ''te ...

Arizona black rattlesnake ''Crotalus cerberus'' is a venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States. It is known as the Arizona black rattlesnake, black rattlesnake, and several other common names. Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. 2 vol ...

Santa Catalina rattlesnake The Santa Catalina rattlesnake (''Crotalus catalinensis'') is a species of pit viper endemic to Isla Santa Catalina in the Gulf of California just off the east coast of the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Like all other pit vipers, it is v ...

* Sidewinder * Mexican beaded lizard * Laughing kookaburra * Tawny frogmouth In addition to being one of the world's largest indoor deserts, the Desert Dome's geodesic dome is also the largest 'glazed' geodesic dome. The dome is above the main level and in diameter. The 1,760

acrylic Acrylic may refer to: Chemicals and materials * Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound * Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity * Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...

windows with four shades (some clear) were placed to allow maximum shade in the summer and maximum light in the winter to reduce energy costs. File:Central Bearded Dragon.jpg,

Central bearded dragon The central bearded dragon (''Pogona vitticeps''), also known as the inland bearded dragon, is a species of agamid lizard found in a wide range of arid to semiarid regions of eastern and central Australia. Taxonomy ''Pogona vitticeps'' was fi ...

File:Collared Peccary.jpg, Collared peccary File:Greater Roadrunner at Henry Doorly Zoo.jpg, Greater roadrunner

Expedition Madagascar

Expedition Madagascar opened May 7, 2010, and has many animals including lemurs, straw-coloured fruit bats, and giant jumping rats. The building allows visitors to learn about an area considered one of the top hotspots for biodiversity because it is home to the largest number of endemic plant and animal species. Each exhibit is linked to ongoing projects in Madagascar and conservation efforts that the zoo's Madagacar Biodiversity Partnership has been active in since 1998. It underwent extensive renovations in 2021, while the exhibit was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and reopened in July 2021. Animals in the exhibit include: *

Ring-tailed lemur The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the ''Lemur'' ge ...

Red ruffed lemur The red ruffed lemur (''Varecia rubra'') is one of two species in the genus ''Varecia'', the ruffed lemurs; the other is the black-and-white ruffed lemur (''Varecia variegata''). Like all lemurs, it is native to Madagascar. It occurs only in the ...

* Black-and-white ruffed lemur *

Grey mouse lemur The gray mouse lemur (''Microcebus murinus''), grey mouse lemur or lesser mouse lemur, is a small lemur, a type of strepsirrhine primate, found only on the island of Madagascar. Weighing , it is the largest of the mouse lemurs (genus ''Microceb ...

Mongoose lemur The mongoose lemur (''Eulemur mongoz'') is a small primate in the family Lemuridae, native to Madagascar and introduced to the Comoros Islands. These arboreal animals have pointed faces, long, bushy tails, dark-brown upper parts, pale bellies, a ...

* Aye-aye *

Collared lemur The collared brown lemur (''Eulemur collaris''), also known as the red-collared brown lemur or red-collared lemur, is a medium-sized strepsirrhine primate and one of twelve species of brown lemur in the family Lemuridae. It is only found in sou ...

* Common brown lemur *

Fossa Fossa may refer to: Animals * Fossa (animal), the common name of a carnivoran mammal of genus ''Cryptoprocta'' endemic to Madagascar * ''Fossa'', the Latin genus name of the Malagasy civet, a related but smaller mammal endemic to Madagascar Pla ...

Malagasy giant rat The Malagasy giant rat (''Hypogeomys antimena''), also known as the votsotsa or votsovotsa, is a nesomyid rodent found only in the Menabe region of Madagascar. It is an endangered species due to habitat loss, slow reproduction, and limited ra ...

* Radiated tortoise

Garden of the Senses

Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska, USA-20Oct2011

The Garden of the Senses opened in spring 1998 at a cost of $1.8 million. The garden houses plants, fountains, birds, and a giant

sundial A sundial is a horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat ...

. There are over 250 species of

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s, perennials trees, roses and other flowers, butterfly-friendly plants, and

trellis Trellis may refer to: Structures * Trellis (architecture), an architectural structure often used to support plants (especially vineyards) * Trellis drainage pattern, a drainage system Technology * Trellis (graph), a special kind of graph used ...

es. The birds include

macaw Macaws are a group of New World parrots that are long-tailed and often colorful. They are popular in aviculture or as companion parrots, although there are conservation concerns about several species in the wild. Biology Of the many differe ...

s, South American parrots, and Australian cockatoos.

Hubbard Gorilla Valley

The Hubbard Gorilla Valley is a gorilla exhibit named after Dr. Theodore Hubbard (a cardiologist from

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

). It opened on April 8, 2004, at a cost of $14 million. Prior to being expanded and rebuilt, the Hubbard Gorilla Valley was the Owen Gorilla House. It underwent extensive renovations in 2021, while the exhibit was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and reopened in July 2021. Some of the animals included are: * Western lowland gorilla * Mantled guereza * Wolf's mona monkey *

Diana monkey The Diana monkey (''Cercopithecus diana'') is an Old World monkey found in the high canopy forests in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and western Côte d’Ivoire. Named for its white brow which is said to resemble the bow of the Roman goddess Diana, thi ...

* Abyssinian ground hornbill *

Yellow-backed duiker The yellow-backed duiker (''Cephalophus silvicultor'') is a forest dwelling antelope in the order Artiodactyla from the family Bovidae. Yellow-backed duikers are the most widely distributed of all duikers. They are found mainly in Central and West ...

* Black crowned crane * Red River Hog File:Diana Monkey.jpg, A

File:Mantled Guereza.jpg, Mantled guereza File:Western Lowland Gorilla.jpg, Western lowland gorilla File:Wolf's Mona Monkey.jpg, Wolf's mona monkey File:Cattle Egret.jpg,

Cattle egret The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard it ...

Hubbard Orangutan Forest

The Hubbard Orangutan Forest opened in two phases during 2005; the first phase was opened in May, and the second phase opened in late summer at a cost of $8.5 million. The first phase is the outdoor habitat that includes two -tall, Banyan trees interconnected with vines enclosed by a

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

netting. It underwent extensive renovations in 2021, while the exhibit was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and reopened in July 2021. A waterfall is named after Claire Hubbard, the Orangutan Forest's primary donor. The second phase, the indoor habitat has 3,126 ft² (0.07 acres; 290 m²) which, as of spring 2022, has been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two displayed animals are primates which include the following: *

Bornean orangutan The Bornean orangutan (''Pongo pygmaeus'') is a species of orangutan endemic to the island of Borneo. Together with the Sumatran orangutan (''Pongo abelii'') and Tapanuli orangutan (''Pongo tapanuliensis''), it belongs to the only genus of great ...

François' langur François' langur (''Trachypithecus francoisi''), also known as Francois' leaf monkey, the Tonkin leaf monkey, or the white side-burned black langur is a species of lutung and the type species of its species group. It is one of the least studied ...

* Siamang

Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium

The

Walter Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

and Suzanne Scott Aquarium, a public aquarium, opened on April 1, 1995, at a cost of $16 million. The building has and contains a total of of water.Henry Doorly Zoo
Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium
Retrieved 18 January 2014 The exhibit was first renovated in 2011, and opened again on April 5, 2012. It is one of the largest in-zoo aquariums in the world. It features displays of aquatic habitats from polar regions, temperate oceans, the flooded

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

, and coral reefs. The shark tank features a

shark tunnel A shark tunnel (or aquarium tunnel, acrylic tunnel and exhibit tunnel) is an underwater tunnel that passes through an aquarium, typically with sharks and related aquatic life. They are usually made of thick acrylic glass. Most aquarium tunnels ar ...

at the bottom of the -deep tank. This tank features sharks,

s, sea turtles, and coral reef fish. An additional is attached to the public portion and institutes a holding and quarantine tank. Other tanks include multiple species of jellyfish, a Giant pacific octopus and open-ocean schooling fish. Another addition is a touch tank which allows visitors to feel the textures of various

starfish Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish ...

, shells and possibly a chain catshark or one of its empty eggs. The only freshwater display is of the Amazon rainforest that includes fish, invertebrates, turtles, and a toucan. The aquarium features aquatic animals from around the world, including: *

Atlantic puffin The Atlantic puffin ('), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean; two related species, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin is found in the northeastern ...

* Tufted puffin * Southern rockhopper penguin * King penguin * Gentoo penguin * Porcupinefish * Moray eel * Sharks *

Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...

Green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...

* Loggerhead sea turtle * Jellyfish * Giant Pacific octopus * Red-bellied piranha * Toco toucan * Giant gourami *

Pacu Pacu () is a common name used to refer to several species of omnivorous South American freshwater serrasalmid fish that are related to the piranha. Pacu and piranha do not have similar teeth, the main difference being jaw alignment; piranha hav ...

* Amazon catfish File:Tufted Puffin.jpg, Tufted puffin File:Penguins at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.jpg, Gentoo penguins File:Turtle in Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo.jpg, Sea turtle

Kingdoms of the Night

The Eugene T. Mahoney Kingdoms of the Night opened beneath the Desert Dome in April 2003 at a cost of $31.5 million (includes Desert Dome). Kingdoms of the Night is the world's largest nocturnal animal exhibit at 42,000 ft² (0.96 acres; 3,900 m²). Both the Kingdoms of the Night and the Desert combine to a total of . The Kingdoms of the Night features a wet cave (with a deep aquarium), a canyon, an African diorama, a eucalyptus forest, a dry batcave, and a

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

. The swamp is also the world's largest indoor swamp. The Kingdoms of the Night logo is a sign that has owl eyes. Some of the animals found at the Kingdom of the Night include: *

* Aardvark * African brush-tailed porcupine *

Naked mole-rat The naked mole-rat (''Heterocephalus glaber''), also known as the sand puppy, is a burrowing rodent native to the Horn of Africa and parts of Kenya, notably in Somali regions. It is closely related to the blesmols and is the only species in th ...

* Common vampire bat * Egyptian fruit bat * Seba's short-tailed bat *

Alligator snapping turtle The alligator snapping turtle (''Macrochelys temminckii'') is a large species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. The species is native to freshwater habitats in the United States. ''M. temminckii'' is one of the heaviest freshwater turtles in ...

* American alligator, including a leucistic individual (one of less than 13 in the world) * American crocodile * North American beaver * Freshwater crocodile * Spectacled caiman * Northern greater galago * South African springhare *

Gray-handed night monkey The gray-handed night monkey (''Aotus griseimembra'') is a species of night monkey formerly considered a subspecies of Gray-bellied night monkey of the family Aotidae. Its range consists of parts of Colombia and Venezuela. The exact classificati ...

Hoffmann's two-toed sloth Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (''Choloepus hoffmanni''), also known as the northern two-toed sloth is a species of sloth from Central and South America. It is a solitary, largely nocturnal and arboreal animal, found in mature and secondary rainf ...

* Prehensile-tailed porcupine * Nine-banded armadillo * Southern three-banded armadillo *

Blind cave fish The Mexican tetra (''Astyanax mexicanus''), also known as the blind cave fish, blind cave characin, and blind cave tetra, is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae of the order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to ...

* Short-beaked echidna * Tammar wallaby

Lied Jungle

The Lied Jungle opened on April 4, 1992, at a cost of $15 million. It is one of the largest indoor

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

exhibits in the world; it occupies an tall building that spans and is located just inside the main entrance. This exhibit allows visitors to look out from behind a -tall waterfall. Inside are 123,000 ft² (2.82 acres; 11,400 m²) of floor space, of which 61,000 ft² (1.4 acres; 5,670 m²) are planted exhibit space; 35,000 ft² (0.8 acres; 3,250 m²) are a display management area; and 11,000 ft² (0.25 acres; 1,020 m²) are an education area. Visitors can walk along a trail on the floor of the jungle, as well as on a walkway around and above the animals. As of spring 2022, the ground trail has been closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both levels are split into sections by continent, including Asia, Africa, and South America. Along both trails, about 90 species can be found, including: * Black howler * Blue monkey *

Colombian spider monkey The Colombian spider monkey (''Ateles fusciceps rufiventris'') is a subspecies of the Black-headed spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in Colombia and Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic o ...

Common squirrel monkey Common squirrel monkey is the traditional common name for several small squirrel monkey species native to the tropical areas of South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern ...

* De Brazza's monkey *

Red-backed bearded saki The red-backed bearded sakiBonvicino, C. R., Boubli, J. P., Otazú, I. B., Almeida, F. C., Nascimento, F. F., Coura, J. R. and Seuánez, H. N. (2003). ''Morphologic, karyotypic, and molecular evidence of a new form of Chiropotes (primates, pithec ...

* Pygmy hippopotamus * Wolf's mona monkey * Blue-and-yellow macaw * Scarlet macaw * Luzon bleeding-heart * Nicobar pigeon * Pied imperial pigeon * African pygmy goose * Hamerkop *

Javan pond heron The Javan pond heron (''Ardeola speciosa'') is a wading bird of the heron family, found in shallow fresh and salt-water wetlands in Southeast Asia. Its diet comprises insects, fish, and crabs. The Javan pond heron is typically 45 cm long ...

* Sunbittern *

Lowland paca The lowland paca (''Cuniculus paca''), also known as the spotted paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from east-central Mexico to northern Argentina, and has been introduced to Cuba and Algeria. The animal is cal ...

* Malayan tapir * Indian crested porcupine *

Müller's gibbon Müller's gibbon (''Hylobates muelleri''), also known as the southern grey gibbon, is a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. Taxonomy Formerly, the western grey gibbon (''H. abbotti'') and eastern grey gibbon (''H. funereus'') were consi ...

White-handed gibbon The lar gibbon (''Hylobates lar''), also known as the white-handed gibbon, is an endangered primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. It is one of the better-known gibbons and is often kept in captivity. Taxonomy There are five subspecies of ...

Asian small-clawed otter The Asian small-clawed otter (''Aonyx cinereus''), also known as the oriental small-clawed otter and the small-clawed otter, is an otter species native to South and Southeast Asia. It has short claws that do not extend beyond the pads of its web ...

Spotted-necked otter The spotted-necked otter (''Hydrictis maculicollis''), or speckle-throated otter, is an otter native to sub-Saharan Africa. Description The spotted-necked otter is a relatively small species, with males measuring from nose to rump, and weigh ...

* White-faced whistling duck * Indian flying fox *

Blood python ''Python brongersmai'' is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. Common names Common names for ''P. brongersmai'' include blood python, Brongersma's short-tailed python, Malaysian blo ...

Yellow anaconda The yellow anaconda (''Eunectes notaeus''), also known as the Paraguayan anaconda, is a boa species endemic to southern South America. It is one of the largest snakes in the world but smaller than its close relative, the green anaconda. No subs ...

* Arapaima * Electric eel *

Ocellate river stingray The ocellate river stingray (''Potamotrygon motoro''), also known as the peacock-eye stingray or black river stingray, is a species of freshwater stingray in the family Potamotrygonidae. It was the first species to be described in the family and ...

Mekong giant catfish The Mekong giant catfish (''Pangasianodon gigas''; th, ปลาบึก, , ; km, ត្រីរាជ /''trəy riec''/; vi, cá tra dầu), is a large, threatened species of catfish (order Siluriformes) in the shark catfish family (Pang ...

red ruffed lemur The red ruffed lemur (''Varecia rubra'') is one of two species in the genus ''Varecia'', the ruffed lemurs; the other is the black-and-white ruffed lemur (''Varecia variegata''). Like all lemurs, it is native to Madagascar. It occurs only in the ...

s, and black-and-white ruffed lemurs used to be on display in the Lied Jungle, but were moved to the Expedition Madagascar exhibit upon its opening in 2010.

Notable points

Visitors to the jungle can view the indoor jungle through of floor-to-ceiling windows at the Durham's TreeTops Restaurant, which is next to the jungle. A portion of the electrical power needed for the jungle is provided by natural gas

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...

s. The jungle has won several awards, including "Single best zoo exhibit in the country" in 1994 by the '' Family Life Magazine''; "Significant Achievement Award for Exhibit Design" in 1993 by the

American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in ...

; "Top ten designs in the world" in 1992 by '' Time'', and "Top eight US engineering accomplishments" in 1992 by the National Society of Professional Engineers File:Blue Monkey.jpg, Blue monkey File:Common Squirrel Monkey.jpg, Common squirrel monkey File:Black Howler Monkey.jpg, Black howler monkey File:Malayan_Tapirs.JPG, Malayan tapir (with calf)

Owen Sea Lion Shores

The Owen Sea Lion Shores opened on September 4, 2020, costing $27.5 million. The one-acre exhibit replaced the Durham Family Bear Canyon, and the smaller Owen Sea Lion Pavilion. It features a 275,000-gallon saltwater pool with natural wave chambers, shallow beaches for young pups learning to swim, fish feeders that release fish and calamari at random times and places in the exhibit encouraging hunting behavior, a shaded seating area with a capacity of up to 170, and an underwater viewing cavern. The exhibit features two species: California sea lions and harbour seals.

Simmons Aviary

The Simmons Aviary opened in 1983, and is the world's third-largest free-flight aviary. It is home to about 500 birds from around the world. The Aviary is long and rises to at the center. The structure is covered with of two-inch nylon mesh that is supported by a system of cables and poles. The use of nylon instead of wire is a unique concept to modern aviaries. In this exhibit, visitors see American flamingos, black crowned cranes, scarlet ibises,

hadada ibis The hadeda ibis (''Bostrychia hagedash'') is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Altho ...

es, northern bald ibises,

straw-necked ibis The straw-necked ibis (''Threskiornis spinicollis'') is a bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. It can be found throughout Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. Adults have distinctive straw-like feathers on their neck ...

es, hamerkops,

cattle egret The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard it ...

snowy egret The snowy egret (''Egretta thula'') is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, , which is a diminutive of , 'heron'. The species name ''thula'' is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, app ...

s, roseate spoonbills, Inca terns, ducks, black-necked swans and white storks.

The Wild Kingdom Pavilion

Situated inside the zoo's main entrance, the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Pavilion was completed in the spring of 1987. The building currently houses reptiles, insects, amphibians, and small mammals, while also providing business offices, a 312-seat multimedia auditorium, and classrooms. The Wild Kingdom Pavilion has been partially transformed into the Exploration Station exhibit, serving as a safari-themed “Trail Head” where visitors begin their “wild” adventure at Omaha's zoo. Mutual of Omaha's Exploration Station includes a detailed interactive map of the zoo and video previews of major attractions, as well as information on the History of the Zoo. The center of the Pavilion features a -high netted tree, with free-flying birds. Below the tree includes water displays with turtles, archer fish, and more. The building's original public area, or living classroom, contains what is known as the Small Animal Collection. This area houses part of the zoo's reptile collection, as well as a large number of invertebrates. The animal collection represents the tremendous diversity in the animal kingdom, and includes tarantulas, turtles, snakes, hedgehogs, and other small animals.

Other exhibits

The zoo also features Lozier theater, Glacier Bay Landing, Stingray Beach, and the a

Budgie Budgie may refer to: Arts * Budgie (album), ''Budgie'' (album), the debut album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie * Budgie (band), a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff * Budgie (musician) (born 1957), English drummer * Budgie (TV series), ''Bu ...

Encounter in the Adventure Trails section.

African penguins

Show of a bay with African penguins and fish. *

African penguin The African penguin (''Spheniscus demersus''), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. Like all extant penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiff ...

Retired exhibits

Cat Complex

The Cat Complex opened in 1977 at a cost of $2.5 million. The complex had 11 indoor enclosures and 10 outdoor enclosures with a claimed capacity of up to 100 cats. The building was the largest cat-breeding and management facility in North America. The Cat Complex was awarded the "Edward H. Bean Award" (1994) for tiger husbandry by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is known worldwide for its work in the field of artificial insemination of large cats. The zoo's 15-year master plan, composed in 2010, called for the elimination of the Cat Complex along with the overhauling of several other exhibits. Going forward, animals at the zoo are grouped not by their genetic relatives, but by regions of the world. The exhibit was closed permanently in 2019 and demolished in 2022 as the cats located in the Cat Complex were relocated to new exhibits in the African Grasslands and Asian Highlands, or at other zoos and sanctuaries. The complex contained nine species from the family

Felidae Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the ...

: * Amur leopard (''Panthera pardus orientalis'') *

Cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

(''Puma concolor'') * Fishing cat (''Prionailurus viverrinus'') *

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

(''Panthera onca'') * Snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') *

African lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...

(''Panthera leo'') * Bengal tiger (''Panthera tigris tigris'') * Indochinese tiger (''P. t. corbetti'') * Siberian tiger (''P. t. altaica'')

Durham Family Bear Canyon

The Durham Family Bear Canyon opened in 1989 at a cost of $1.4 million. The canyon had a large tank for polar bears. Having previously housed four bear species - the

Polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear specie ...

, the

American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), also called simply a black bear or sometimes a baribal, is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bear ...

, the Sun bear and the Spectacled bear, it was closed and demolished in 2018 to make room for Owen Sea Lion Shores.

Red Barn Park

The Red Barn Park was a petting zoo that opened in 1966. It included numerous domesticated animals including goats and cattle and was particularly noteworthy because of the large red barn that could be found in the area. It was demolished in 2018 and replaced with the Glacier Bay Landing area which opened in the spring of 2019. Many of the animals found in the exhibit were transferred to the Children's Adventure Trails.

Conservation

Amphibian Conservation Area

The zoo's Amphibian Conservation Area opened following the 2005 release of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Global Amphibian Assessment, as in-depth status report on the world's 8,000-plus known frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians, which declared amphibians as the most significantly threatened group of vertebrates in the world. The mission of the behind-the-scenes area, which is not accessible to visitors, is to address wild amphibian decline by continually advancing conservation efforts through evolving welfare, reproduction, collaboration and reintroduction. The 3,800 square-foot facility features 13 temperature-controlled rooms, a specialized wastewater treatment system, insect culturing area and thorough disinfecting protocols to ensure the entire space remains pathogen-free. With only three full-time keepers, the Amphibian Conservation Area has supported the release of more than 121,000 amphibians to date.

Recovery Program Impact

Wyoming Toad * Population status: Extinct in the wild with one population remaining in a few release sites in the Laramie Basin of Wyoming. * Recovery program involvement: Active since 1992. The zoo maintains the studbook for the Wyoming Toad Species Survival Plan. * Contribution to the species: 31,000-plus individuals released with releases planned annually Western Boreal Toad * Population status: Since 1994, the species has declined across much of the western United States, extending north to Alaska with a genetically distant and declining population at southern Utah's Paunsaugunt Plateau. * Recovery program involvement: 1995 - Present * Contribution to the species: 3,877 individuals released with releases planned annually Eastern Hellbender * Population status: North America's giant salamander is found across 15 states, including northeastern Mississippi, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, Tennessee, western North Carolina, western Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, eastern Illinois, southern Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, western Maryland and southern New York with a distinct declining population occurring in east-central Missouri. * Recovery program involvement: 2012 - 2017 * Contribution to the species: 91 individuals released Puerto Rican Crested Toads * Population status: Critically endangered with only 1,000 - 3,000 remaining in the wild. It is the only toad native to Puerto Rico. * Recovery program involvement: 1998 - Present * Contribution to the species: 80,000-plus individuals released with releases planned annually Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog * Population status: Endangered with two distinct populations in southern California's Sierra Nevada Mountains * Recovery program involvement: 2017 - Present * Contribution to the species: 800-plus individuals released with releases planned annually Dusky Gopher Frog * Population status: The most critically endangered frog species in the United States and presently known to only survive in Mississippi's Harrison and Jackson Counties. At one point, possibly less than 75 adults remained in the wild. * Recovery program involvement: 2008 - Present (Zoo has had animals since 2004.) * Contribution to the species: 792 individuals released with releases planned annually Amphibian Rescue and Translocation Program for Native Species * Status: Ground-breaking construction projects, day-to-day exhibit maintenance, weather events and other unforeseen circumstances can put amphibians native to the area in harm's way. After discovering a population of American toads living on grounds, Zoo staff routinely survey the entire property in search of these and other amphibian species, sometimes in the early stages of life, who need care or need to be relocated to a safer environment to thrive. * Species involved: Include but not limited to: American toad, Woodhouse toad, the chorus frog, plains leopard frog and eastern tiger salamander. * Recovery program involvement: 2012 - Present * Contribution to the species: 3,480 individuals released

Research

The Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research is a world-class research center at the zoo. The center has discovered several new species. The world's first ''in vitro''-fertilized ("test-tube") gorilla resides at the zoo. The world's first artificially inseminated tiger was born in Omaha in 1991, followed by the world's first artificially inseminated gaur. The original facility was constructed in 1996. In 2006, it underwent a $6 million expansion which brings the total space to . The research center focuses on six areas: * Education and technology transfer * Conservation medicine * Molecular genetics *

Reproductive physiology Reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) is a surgical subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology that trains physicians in reproductive medicine addressing hormonal functioning as it pertains to reproduction as well as the issue of in ...

* Horticulture * Nutrition

Mouse lemurs

A study led by Edward Louis, a conservation geneticist at the zoo, identified three new mouse lemurs (

Simmons' mouse lemur Simmons' mouse lemur (''Microcebus simmonsi'') is a species of mouse lemur known only from Betampona Special Reserve, Analalava Special Community Reserve near Foulpointe, and Zahamena National Park in Madagascar. The species is named in honor of ...

Mittermeier's mouse lemur Mittermeier's mouse lemur (''Microcebus mittermeieri'') is a species of mouse lemur known only from Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve in Madagascar. Mittermeier's mouse lemur is one of the smallest mouse lemurs, but is larger than Madame Berthe's ...

, and Jolly's mouse lemur) with the first named after Lee Simmons, the zoo's director.Three New Lemurs Discovered, Add to Madagascar's Diversity
National Geographic News, June 26, 2006.

Rides and transportation

Railroad

The

is a , narrow gauge train that loops through the zoo. The railroad began operations on July 22, 1968, after the track was laid down by the Union Pacific railroad. The train operates with one of two oil-powered steam locomotives. Riva is about twice as powerful (although is almost 80 years older) as the #119 and is regularly used on weekends when more visitors are present. The #119 is the original locomotive for the zoo. A new diesel locomotive arrived in September 2008. This diesel is a 2-axle Plymouth locomotive and is used for switching operations of the passenger cars and other railroad-related projects. File:Omahazoo119.jpg, 1968 #119 File:OmahaZooRiva.jpg, 1890 "Riva", CFR #395-104 File:virgielocomotive0533.jpg, "VIRGIE"

Tram

The tram is a trackless tram that drives on the walkway paths around the zoo. It has four stops: * By the Desert Dome (top of the hill) * Between the elephant/zebra yard and pygmy goat corral * By the playground near the sea lions * Between the carousel and Alaskan Adventure splashpad

Skyfari

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium opened the Skyfari in 2009. It is an aerial tram that runs from one stop at the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion to the lion platform. It goes over the African veldt ( ostriches and

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

s), cheetahs, the railroad tracks, the Garden of the Senses, the koi lagoon, and the

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

Carousel

is available on which visitors can ride handcrafted recreations of wild animals. In 2021, it was moved to the Glacier Bay area which, as of spring 2022, is closed undergoing extensive renovations.

Educational programs

The zoo offers many educational programs. The activities include school-involved programs, special "edzoocational" programs, zoo internships, animal-adoption, and volunteer work. Several programs include field trips, guided tours, educator workshops, Little Lion's Preschool, and two-way internet video conferencing to bring the zoo to the classroom. The edzoocational programs are educational programs that are taught in a nontraditional way. These programs include overnight camp-outs at the zoo, scouting programs, summer camps, birthday parties, and on-site speakers.

References

External links

*
The Essential Henry Doorly Zoo Guide and iPhone App

Gorilla breaks window
{{authority control Zoos in Nebraska Organizations based in Omaha, Nebraska Parks in Omaha, Nebraska 1894 establishments in Nebraska Tourist attractions in Omaha, Nebraska Aviaries in the United States Insectariums Aquaria in Nebraska Buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska