The zoo is hopeful for a brighter 2021:
'One cautious step at a time.' After year of hardships, Omaha zoo looks to the future
'One cautious step at a time.' After year of hardships, Omaha zoo looks to the future
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium News 2021
- Thread starter MidwestFan
- Start date
The article mentions a new boardwalk and new netting in the Simmons Aviary, a permanent stingray exhibit, as well as a $7 million project for the Hubbard Gorilla Valley complex. For many small American zoos, a $7 million enhancement would be a record-breaking event, but for Omaha it's a single sentence in an obscure news article.
The Scott Aquarium has added two critically endangered sunflower sea stars to their cold water sharks and rockfish tank. Tweet link posted for pictures of them.
https://twitter.com/OmahaZoo/status/1349448860561793024?s=20
https://twitter.com/OmahaZoo/status/1349448860561793024?s=20
Visited the zoo on Saturday and just visited the indoor exhibits, a couple updates I noticed:
- The African Wild Cats and Bat Eared Foxes switched enclosures in the Desert Dome which makes seeing the foxes much more visible, however making the wild cats harder to spot.
- The Red-billed Hornbills were not on display in the first reptile cave in the Desert Dome, not sure they are still at the zoo.
- There is a male prehensile tailed porcupine in the Springhaas and Greater Bushbaby exhibit in Kingdoms of the Night that has been added.
- In talking to the keeper about this, he was separated from his two daughters in the South America exhibit in KOTN, has two additional offspring off-exhibit, and a couple more in other zoos. Found that interesting he has produced so many offspring.
- The Amethystine Python exhibit in the wet bat cave has been made into another Vampire Bat exhibit. The Vampire Bat exhibit in the dry bat cave is still there.
- The new white alligator exhibit in the Swamp of KOTN looks to be almost completed, they have added the netting near the guests that mimic the other gator exhibits in there.
- One of the two Alligator Snapping Turtles the zoo has was in this exhibit by itself at the time as the old alligator snapping turtle exhibit was not signed and vacant the last couple times I've visited.
- The other Alligator Snapping turtle was in the American Crocodile exhibit at the end of KOTN. Not sure which one is Gigantor, the zoo's female.
- There is now a Boyd's Forest Dragon in the Lied Jungle in the Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs and Splendid Tree Frog exhibit, had not seen that in there before and noticed the name to glass. Pretty cool looking lizard that I can post a picture of if any one would like.
- Noticed that one of the Pygmy Hippos was removed from the larger Congo exhibits that has the Diana Monkey, DeBrazza Monkey, and occasionally the Wolf's Guenon. This must be the one that was relocated to another zoo.
Had family in town this weekend that are healthcare workers so they had free admission to the zoo today. Significant development over from the past week in that the Malayan Tapir and Francois Langur exhibit is getting a renovation done.
This looks to have been needed for a year or two now as the “trees” in there had cracks forming and some 2x4s were installed to help support them but and add additional “climbing enrichment”. Hopefully they are also making the stairs they put in for the tapirs to access the upper portion built into the rock work while they take the time to do this. They recently did this in the other tapir exhibit so it would make sense. They had a set of wooden stairs for the last several years so the tapirs could get up there.
This looks to have been needed for a year or two now as the “trees” in there had cracks forming and some 2x4s were installed to help support them but and add additional “climbing enrichment”. Hopefully they are also making the stairs they put in for the tapirs to access the upper portion built into the rock work while they take the time to do this. They recently did this in the other tapir exhibit so it would make sense. They had a set of wooden stairs for the last several years so the tapirs could get up there.
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Claire the African elephant is pregnant:
Five years of elephants: Omaha zoo announces calf expected next year - KTVZ
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its elephants’ arrival from Swaziland, in South Africa, with an announcement that the herd is growing — by one.
Dennis Pate, zoo president and CEO, announced Thursday morning that hormone work with the elephants has paid off, and one of the African elephants, Claire, is expecting.
She is about halfway through the pregnancy and due around this time next year, Pate said. Zoo workers have been able to see some toes of the infant on an ultrasound, he said.
Callee, the father, was a welcome addition to the herd, Pate said, with all the female elephants taking an interest in him, and vice versa. With this pregnancy, Callee “is now a proven breeder,” Pate said.
Five years of elephants: Omaha zoo announces calf expected next year - KTVZ
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its elephants’ arrival from Swaziland, in South Africa, with an announcement that the herd is growing — by one.
Dennis Pate, zoo president and CEO, announced Thursday morning that hormone work with the elephants has paid off, and one of the African elephants, Claire, is expecting.
She is about halfway through the pregnancy and due around this time next year, Pate said. Zoo workers have been able to see some toes of the infant on an ultrasound, he said.
Callee, the father, was a welcome addition to the herd, Pate said, with all the female elephants taking an interest in him, and vice versa. With this pregnancy, Callee “is now a proven breeder,” Pate said.
The sire came from Swaziland, too, correct? If so, the calf will be of completely new blood for the population.
~Thylo
~Thylo
The sire is Callee, the son of the very prolific and well represented Jackson.
That's disappointing 
Was only one male imported from Swaziland?
~Thylo
Was only one male imported from Swaziland?~Thylo
Only 1 young bull was brought to Omaha with that import, Warren, and as noted, be died.That's disappointing
~Thylo
Sire is Callee, came to Omaha from Birmingham Zoo in 2019. He was captive born at Pittsburgh Zoo and is from the Jackson lineage (Jackson is his father). This will be Callee's first calf.
Thank you both for the information. 
Not as big of a genetic achievement then but still good news for the overall population.
~Thylo
Not as big of a genetic achievement then but still good news for the overall population.~Thylo
Stingray Beach Opens:
Omaha zoo previews new permanent home for Stingray Beach
The exhibit opens to the public at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Stingray Beach is currently home to 31 stingrays, with eight more coming in soon that were born at Henry Doorly. The exhibit will eventually be home to about 50 stingrays, Pate said.
The stingrays have been part of the zoo for about five or six years. Previously, the new stingray site was a metal building for picnics near the former sea lion pool.
The new Stingray Beach site and the sea lion pool mark the final parts of the zoo’s master plan, Pate said.
Future Plans:
The zoo has lots more plans, he said, but are still working out details with its board of directors and aren’t ready to share — though he did say there is a new flamingo exhibit opening in the months ahead as well as a renovated gorilla exhibit.
Omaha zoo previews new permanent home for Stingray Beach
The exhibit opens to the public at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Stingray Beach is currently home to 31 stingrays, with eight more coming in soon that were born at Henry Doorly. The exhibit will eventually be home to about 50 stingrays, Pate said.
The stingrays have been part of the zoo for about five or six years. Previously, the new stingray site was a metal building for picnics near the former sea lion pool.
The new Stingray Beach site and the sea lion pool mark the final parts of the zoo’s master plan, Pate said.
Future Plans:
The zoo has lots more plans, he said, but are still working out details with its board of directors and aren’t ready to share — though he did say there is a new flamingo exhibit opening in the months ahead as well as a renovated gorilla exhibit.
Visited the zoo yesterday and a couple notes:
- Work is still ongoing in the Lied Jungle on the Malayan Tapir/Francois Langur exhibit.
- One of the three Malayan Tapirs at the zoo was in the African monkey island exhibit where the Diana and DeBrazza's Monkey usually are and where a pygmy hippo used to be.
- Looks like the Boyd's Forest Dragon will get its own terrarium where the Quince Monitors used to be. The glass has been newly stenciled.
- The path between the Aviary and Gorilla Valley is closed from Today, April 26th to Friday, April 30th to do construction on the exterior of the Gorilla building. When I walked by yesterday, the entrance has been completely revamped and routed, will be interesting to see the final product. Website says Gorilla Valley and Orangutan Forest opening in July.
- Aviary construction still ongoing, doesn't look particularly close to being done.
- Didn't notice it before, and maybe its been down awhile, but the old iron fencing that was pretty tall around the old lion exhibit of the Cat Complex was taken down.
Do you have any pictures of these new developments?
Sadly I did not as I was with my family group and it was a particularly busy day at the zoo so I was trying to keep my family together through the crowd. This is in regards to the path between the Aviary and the Gorilla building. It is a bottleneck these days with the Sea Lion exhibit being really popular.
The Aviary more or less has the netting all lifted quite high off the ground as all the new boardwalks are installed. Those look to be getting closer to being done, but a lot of the landscaping is not in place and is pretty much just exposed soil in most places.
The entrance to the Gorilla Valley now is at grade, used to be a number of stairs, mainly to make it ADA accessible. It also comes out at an angle towards the Sea Lion exhibit. Columns were in place on both sides of the path for what seems to be in place for a canopy of some sort. I'm interested to see what has become of the old Gorilla holding building as in prior months the facade was completely gutted. This in the last couple years has housed Sulawesi crested macaques and various African monkeys, but I'm not sure this area will be accessible to visitors after the renovation. To me it looks like after they patched up the front of this old building they will hide it behind vegetation and plantings. Next time I go to the zoo (hopefully in the next week or so) I can grab a photo when the path re-opens.
The only photo I got was of the tapir in the African exhibit in the Lied Jungle. The tapir exhibit renovation didn't look too different than my photos above, except a lot of the scaffolding has been taken down.
It is currently closed. Has not reopened since the pandemic. They aren’t doing any construction work in there, so it has to be due to COVID. The Wild Kingdom Pavilion hasn’t reopened either for same reason.
@Wyman You asked and you shall receive..
Here are some photos you requested of construction activities I got yesterday.
Lower Gorilla Valley Entrance, Aviary, Cat Complex, and Malayan Tapir Exhibit renovation.
Walkways around Cat Complex are being removed. Really happy they built the rock work for the tapirs to have full access to above area as before they had a makeshift wooden staircase to get to the upper area.
Here are some photos you requested of construction activities I got yesterday.
Lower Gorilla Valley Entrance, Aviary, Cat Complex, and Malayan Tapir Exhibit renovation.
Walkways around Cat Complex are being removed. Really happy they built the rock work for the tapirs to have full access to above area as before they had a makeshift wooden staircase to get to the upper area.
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It was announced today that the Bay Family Children's Adventure Trails will re-open this Saturday and Sunday, then open the next two weekends. Then fully re-opened on May 28th.
While not much in the way of animal exhibits in here except for domestic goats, black-tailed prairie dogs, squirrel monkeys, and budgies, it is a good sign that yet another previously closed area of the zoo is opening once again.
While not much in the way of animal exhibits in here except for domestic goats, black-tailed prairie dogs, squirrel monkeys, and budgies, it is a good sign that yet another previously closed area of the zoo is opening once again.