News

This time of year, as we reflect upon what we’re thankful for, we always include the fact that Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is consistently ranked among the best zoos in the world. But more than that, we are thankful for the generous support of our donors and patrons who support our mission of conservation and education and help make the zoo what it is.

At Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, we love our animals from all over the world, but there is a special place in our hearts for the ones who are from right here on the Great Plains.

There is a Zambian proverb that says, “Your feet will take you away from home, but your stomach will always lead you back.”

To hear Dr. Lee G. Simmons (Doc), chairman of the Omaha Zoo Foundation board, talk about the hospitality he and his wife Marie have enjoyed on their recent trips to Zambia, this explains why they’re hosting a safari to the country next June.

If you’ve visited Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium on any given day this month, you may have noticed the paths lined with creatively-carved jack-o-lanterns and a few other nods to the Halloween season.

Big things are in the news at the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari. How big? Try about 56,000 pounds. That’s the average weight of an adult American bison (1,400 pounds) times 40, which is how many live at the park.

On Friday, September 15, the Omaha Zoo Foundation hosted our most successful Zoofari to date.

“As a team, we really feel a bond with lions,” says Sharon Bargas, digital marketing and content strategist for Quin Global, an international manufacturer of adhesive and tool systems, on the company’s decision to sponsor the African lion pride at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

Imagine sitting in Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s beautiful new Meadowlark Theatre, watching the birds and their trainers interact with and educate zoo visitors about our various species of birds.

Have you ever wondered what happens to the trees and branches OPPD has to cut down because they are too close to power lines? Lately, many of them are coming right here to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to help feed our animals.

When an event is called “Night of the Tiger,” you can bet there’s going to be some glamorous drama. And Zoofari 2017 certainly delivered.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s Director’s Award was established to honor zoo staff who completed projects in 2016 that had a notable positive impact on zoo operations and/or the guest experience; or showed significant costs savings or added tangible value to a process or park operation or animal husbandry in general. While certainly this positive impact relates to our grounds and living inhabitants of our zoo, it may surprise some to learn that it also extends to our stuffed animals – 170,374 of them, to be exact.

This month, students of all ages, pre-K-12, started the 2017-’18 academic year in Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s brand new education center.