Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium News 2023

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The two elephants being born this year will bring the herd’s total to 10 individuals. I think that’s the most elephants at any AZA facility in North America right now. I know Disney’s Animal Kingdom has 9 though.

It looks like Omaha will be at a dozen African Elephants by early 2024, as long as the upcoming pregnancies don't have any problems. It would be interesting to note how many elephants they can hold at the zoo, as they'll have the largest African Elephant herd in North America.
 
It looks like Omaha will be at a dozen African Elephants by early 2024, as long as the upcoming pregnancies don't have any problems. It would be interesting to note how many elephants they can hold at the zoo, as they'll have the largest African Elephant herd in North America.

The herd will also be a multigenerational herd come 2024 became with Ommas pregnancy Jayei is now an expecting grandmother too.
 
It looks like Omaha will be at a dozen African Elephants by early 2024, as long as the upcoming pregnancies don't have any problems. It would be interesting to note how many elephants they can hold at the zoo, as they'll have the largest African Elephant herd in North America.
What a comeback honestly. I don't think many expected this a decade ago with Omaha's aging cows.
 
Speaking of this elephant birth. I realized that the average of of 4 elephant births in US every 2 years has been exceeded greatly. Last year 4 Asian and 2 African elephants were born. This year there has already been 1 Asian and 1 African born with a 2nd African due in summer. 2022 & 2023 are great years for elephant conservation.

2024 is going to be another big year for African Elephants both for Omaha and the United States.
 
Omahas cows though are fairly young still though. Lolly is 13 and Omma is 12, Clair is 15, Kiki is 19, and the oldest is Jayei being 29.
None of these cows were at Omaha a decade ago, back when they only had some post-reproductive cows which is what @MonkeyBat was referring to ;)

On that note, I completely agree that this is certainly a very impressive comeback! It’s wonderful how fast Omaha’s herd has grown in the last couple years. We can only hope the success they are having right now doesn’t die down 10-15 years from now when Eugenia, and Callee’s future daughters start hitting breeding age.
 
None of these cows were at Omaha a decade ago, back when they only had some post-reproductive cows which is what @MonkeyBat was referring to ;)

On that note, I completely agree that this is certainly a very impressive comeback! It’s wonderful how fast Omaha’s herd has grown in the last couple years. We can only hope the success they are having right now doesn’t die down 10-15 years from now when Eugenia, and Callee’s future daughters start hitting breeding age.

my apologies. Then I agree that’s an impressive comeback the zoos made! Especially now that the United States has another proven breeding cow that’s breeding in Ommas case. Dallas however seems to be catching up to Omaha slowly but surely!
 
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Finally got to visit the zoo for the first time this year, got a nice bunch of updates.

In the Desert Dome:
  • There has been some height added to the Plover exhibit just before the Klipspringer area.
  • There are now Bush and Rock Hyrax in the old African Wildcat exhibit above the Klipspringer exhibit.
  • The stream in front of the Dwarf Mongoose exhibit has been converted to a sand dig pit the length of the enclosure.
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  • The Centralian Pythons and Lace Monitors have swapped exhibits in the first cave.
  • There are a couple of the young new Perentie that are in the Taipan exhibit.

Kingdoms of the Night:
  • Lots of new signage that looks pretty great. It looks like these were installed at the end of last year.

Hubbard Gorilla Valley:
  • Our long mystery if the zoo still has Agile Gibbons has been answered, there were a pair in the Rock Hyrax/Angolan Colobus/Blue Monkey exhibit. Looks like they will be a part of the new Orangutan area.

Asian Highlands:
  • There is some work going on in the White Naped Crane Exhibit. Section of fence removed to get equipment in.
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African Grasslands:
  • The Spurred Tortoise exhibit has had a small animal quarters building built into it.
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  • In news that will make @StoppableSan happy, a new playground is on the way next to the giraffe feeding. While this playground is not taking the spot of a current exhibit, I have always thought the area was perfect for a smaller exhibit that could have had Black-Footed Cat, or possibly a Serval if done right. I guess it was not to be.
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Scott Aquarium:
  • The Amazon exhibit at the end of the aquarium has gotten a dress up with a ton of additional plants, all the fish were off exhibit today. Looks really nice.
IMG_7170.JPG


Lied Jungle:
  • Most of the roof is covered by tarps, doesn't look like it re-opening is imminent.
  • The sign out front had some language on it that was previously not really mentioned in any of the zoo's postings to its website or socials, it mentions that "Exhibit Enhancements" are included. Color me intrigued on to what this entails.
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Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Pavilion:
  • Only 4 of the 12 wall terrariums are occupied at the moment. Most terrariums in the building are occupied by Prehensile-Tailed Skink.
  • There are two new species in here though: Cross River Puffer and Cairo Spiny Mouse.

Bonus picture today, who says you can't get gorillas off the ground! :p

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Finally got to visit the zoo for the first time this year, got a nice bunch of updates.
  • In news that will make @StoppableSan happy, a new playground is on the way next to the giraffe feeding. While this playground is not taking the spot of a current exhibit, I have always thought the area was perfect for a smaller exhibit that could have had Black-Footed Cat, or possibly a Serval if done right. I guess it was not to be.
View attachment 613852

Aww, how thoughtful! (And just in time for April Fools Day, you shouldn't have! :p)

All jokes aside, I actually don't mind playgrounds if a zoo utilizes its space well and prioritizes its projects in a way that makes sense. Incidentally, Omaha did it well with the Bay Family Children's Adventure Trails, along with the kopje fossil area and the Foggy Forest in Asian Highlands.
 
Finally got to visit the zoo for the first time this year, got a nice bunch of updates.

In the Desert Dome:
  • There has been some height added to the Plover exhibit just before the Klipspringer area.
  • There are now Bush and Rock Hyrax in the old African Wildcat exhibit above the Klipspringer exhibit.
  • The stream in front of the Dwarf Mongoose exhibit has been converted to a sand dig pit the length of the enclosure.
View attachment 613811
  • The Centralian Pythons and Lace Monitors have swapped exhibits in the first cave.
  • There are a couple of the young new Perentie that are in the Taipan exhibit.

Kingdoms of the Night:
  • Lots of new signage that looks pretty great. It looks like these were installed at the end of last year.

Hubbard Gorilla Valley:
  • Our long mystery if the zoo still has Agile Gibbons has been answered, there were a pair in the Rock Hyrax/Angolan Colobus/Blue Monkey exhibit. Looks like they will be a part of the new Orangutan area.

Asian Highlands:
  • There is some work going on in the White Naped Crane Exhibit. Section of fence removed to get equipment in.
View attachment 613828


African Grasslands:
  • The Spurred Tortoise exhibit has had a small animal quarters building built into it.
View attachment 613834
  • In news that will make @StoppableSan happy, a new playground is on the way next to the giraffe feeding. While this playground is not taking the spot of a current exhibit, I have always thought the area was perfect for a smaller exhibit that could have had Black-Footed Cat, or possibly a Serval if done right. I guess it was not to be.
View attachment 613852


Scott Aquarium:
  • The Amazon exhibit at the end of the aquarium has gotten a dress up with a ton of additional plants, all the fish were off exhibit today. Looks really nice.
View attachment 613853


Lied Jungle:
  • Most of the roof is covered by tarps, doesn't look like it re-opening is imminent.
  • The sign out front had some language on it that was previously not really mentioned in any of the zoo's postings to its website or socials, it mentions that "Exhibit Enhancements" are included. Color me intrigued on to what this entails.
View attachment 613860


Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Pavilion:
  • Only 4 of the 12 wall terrariums are occupied at the moment. Most terrariums in the building are occupied by Prehensile-Tailed Skink.
  • There are two new species in here though: Cross River Puffer and Cairo Spiny Mouse.

Bonus picture today, who says you can't get gorillas off the ground! :p

View attachment 613872
Sad to hear the African Wildcat is gone, although not a surprise as I knew it was old. :( Bush Hyrax is certainly an excellent replacement though! :)
 
Zola gave birth to a healthy female calf on Sunday, March 19th: Giraffe Calf Born at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

“Despite a normal delivery, Zola did not show the expected level of maternal care towards her calf. Out veterinary and animal care teams have stepped in and are providing around-the-clock care for the calf.”

On April 2nd, the zoo announced her name, Hope.

We've been filled with so much "hope" lately. So much, that we made it her name. Meet Hope everybody! Hope's caretakers were inspired by long-time... | By Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | Facebook

On April 7th, the zoo announced that on March 3rd, (0.0.50) black widow spiders hatched for the first time at the facility.

The zoo also announced that between February and March, (0.0.2+?) giant Asian mantises and (0.0.2+?) blue-feigning death beetles hatched at the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

On April 26th, the zoo announced that they released (0.0.221) Salt Creek tiger beetle larvae in a restored saline wetland in Lancaster County, Nebraska.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
 
Even though I have already asked this question before in the zoo’s 2022 news thread. I still ask if anyone that is more familiar with this zoo, would happen to give an insight as to how many Black-and-Rufous Elephant Shrews (Rhynchocyon petersi) are currently kept on display?

I am also curious about their names and dates of birth, mainly because Omaha is the one major zoo with this species that I do not have any information about for my elephant shrew population thread.
 
There are now Bush and Rock Hyrax in the old African Wildcat exhibit above the Klipspringer exhibit.
Is Omaha the only place with yellow-spotted rock hyraxes other than the Edmonton Valley Zoo (they claim to have one, anyway) in North America?
 
Some minor updates from today's short visit.

Expedition Madagascar:
  • First exhibit now features a pair of Blue Eyed Black Lemur (former Mongoose Lemur)
  • Giant Jumping Rat sign has been removed, Gray Mouse Lemur was still in exhibit
  • The main lemur exhibit now rotates two groups of lemurs
    • First Group has Ring Tailed, Common Brown, and Mongoose
    • Second Group has Ring Tailed, Red Collared Brown
Asian Highlands:
  • The zoo appears to either have Red Panda off exhibit or is temporarily out of Red Panda, the sign has been removed from the Muntjac exhibit and have been no show for my last two visits
We ate at the Treetops Cafe and got to look into the Lied Jungle, the roof work is continuing, with progress made around to the South American side of the building. Various small changes were visible from the Cafe however.

A new rope has been installed for the White Handed Gibbon to access a cliff edge next to the glass of the Treetops Cafe. One individual like to sit up by dining guests. There is also a newborn White Handed Gibbon that was visible clinging to its mother, would have been born in the last month or so.

89 New Rope.JPG

I didn't have my good camera with me on some visits to get a decent photo of the Philippine Crocodile exhibit from above without the net, but got one today from the Cafe view. Before I got this photo, did see it swim casually in its pool out of view. Note that some of the areas in the landscape bed were trimmed down quite a bit, this used to be full of foliage that would normally make the croc exhibit invisible to the untrained eye. The narrow portion between the croc exhibit and the water to the left of the photo is the final tunnel of the floor portion of the jungle that features underwater croc views.

90 Philippine Crocodile Exhibit From Above.JPG

We didn't do the full zoo today and our visit was cut short due to it being full of ALL of the elementary school field trips that occupied the zoo today. Wasn't much time for lingering.
 

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