Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
The Henry Doorly Zoo is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It began in 1894 as the Riverview Park Zoo; in 1963, Margaret Hitchcock Doorly – wife of Henry Doorly – donated $750,000 to the zoo with the stipulation that the zoo be renamed after her late husband. Today, it is considered by many to be one of the top zoos in the United States; in May 2004, it was voted by Reader's Digest as the best zoo in America.
The zoo features several major exhibits including:
- The Lied Jungle opened in 1992. At 123,000 square feet (5,700 m²) with 61,000 square feet of planted exhibit space, it is the world's largest indoor rainforest. The jungle allows visitors to walk along a trail on the floor and on a walkway above the animals. Approximately 90 animal species can be found at all levels, from forest floor to highest canopy, including pygmy hippos, macaws, and an array of fish. Visitors can view the indoor jungle through 90 feet of floor-to-ceiling windows at the Durham's TreeTops Restaurant, which is next to the Lied Jungle.
- The Scott Kingdom of the Seas Aquarium opened in 1995. It features water dwelling animals from around the world, including puffins, penguins and a plethora of fish. A 70 foot (21 m) long tunnel allows visitors to walk beneath the ocean floor. The tank is 17 feet (5 m) deep and holds 850,000 US gallons (3,200 m³) of salt water. Visitors can see sharks, rays and coral reef fish.
- The Garden of the Senses opened in 1998. The garden is filled with over 250 different species of herbs, perennials and trees, along with blankets of roses and flowers, several bronze animal sculptures, an enormous sundial, butterfly friendly plants, trellises, pools of water and brightly colored birds from South American parrots to Australian cockatoos.
- The Desert Dome opened in 2002; it is the world's largest indoor desert. It has geologic features that represent deserts from around the world, including the Namib Desert of southern Africa and the Sonoran Desert of the southwest United States. Animals from each desert represented are on display, including meerkats, bearded dragons and prairie dogs.
- The Kingdoms of the Night opened beneath the Desert Dome in 2003. Kingdoms of the Night is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit. It features dozens of nocturnal animals including bats, alligators, flying squirrels, a beaver lodge and feathertail gliders.
- The Hubbard Gorilla Valley opened in 2004. This exhibit used to be known as the Owen Gorilla House until it was remodeled. The valley gives the gorillas a larger outdoor habitat, while allowing visitors a close-up view of the creatures.
- The Hubbard Orangutan Forest opened in May 2005. It is a new exhibit that provides a better home for orangutans than the former Owen Orangutan House.
The zoo has a world class genetics research program that has discovered several new species. The world's first "test-tube" gorilla in-vitro fertilization resides at the zoo. The gorilla was created and born at a zoo in Ohio with sperm frozen by the Henry Doorly reproductive research team. It is now the world's largest gorilla sperm bank.
The zoo also features Simmons Aviary, the world's second-largest free-flight aviary, Lozier IMAX theater, and many other exhibits. Other exhibits include the Cat Complex, Cheetah Valley, Durham Family Bear Canyon, and a petting zoo.
The Omaha Zoo Railroad, a narrow gauge steam-powered train ride, carries visitors on a circular sweep through the grounds. There is also a road tram which makes four stops throughout the zoo, and a carousel on which visitors of all ages can ride handcrafted recreations of wild animals.