Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
April 24, 2005

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is the finest zoo of the 40 or so that I have visited in the US and Canada. It was a good zoo when I was last there in 1999 but with the addition of large new exhibits, it is even more impressive.

3 & 1/2 hours is only enough time to visit some of the zoo's highlights: The Gorilla Valley  is a two acre space in which the Gorillas and park visitors interact. The enormous Scott Aquarium includes a glass tunnel where you can walk through an 850,000 gallon coral reef tank. The Lied Jungle is the world's largest indoor tropical rainforest. The Desert Dome features a 30 ft. tall sand dune, dynamic sandfall, hummingbird canyon and a 55 ft. tall central mountain.

Three things stood out during my visit:

A polar bear floating on its back throwing a ball into the air and interacting with the children watching through the nearby glass.

The subterranean Kingdom of the Night which fills the level beneath the desert dome. I reached the dark, central hollow cavern with its bat exhibits and a spire reaching up 100 feet when there were no children around. The space is particularly effective when it is quiet.

A female baby gorilla which was born just 2 weeks before my visit. Its mother was the  world's first test tube gorilla.



Jelly fish tank is in constant movement - like the world's largest lava lamp

hammer head shark, sting ray

Henry Doorly Zoo Desert Dome
Desert Dome is 120' tall and 250' across

polar bear

polar bear

polar bear

polar bear

new born female gorilla
16 day old female gorilla
 

page 1   page 2   page 3

Copyright 2005-2008 by Keith Stokes   Keith's other trips