Happy Early Christmas to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium! In the first week of December, they were gifted with the hatching of Zoo's first Mexican giant horned lizard offspring. They’re the second institution accredited by The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, behind the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, to breed this species.

They’re currently raising six of these little giants!

Sound up for some chirp-tastic cheetah content!

Omaha, Neb. (Dec. 6, 2022) – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium proudly announces the birth of four Cheetah cubs on November 4. 2022. The four cubs were born to mother Clio and father Refu at the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. 

“These cubs are a great example of the collaboration benefits among zoos,” said Dr. Jason Herrick, Vice President of Conservation and Animal Health for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. “Not long ago, cheetahs were considered one of the more difficult species to breed in zoos. Over the last couple of decades, the members of the National Cheetah Breeding Center Coalition, including our Wildlife Safari Park, have worked together to really figure out how to breed cheetahs.”

On the 22nd day, of the second month, in 2022, two gosh darn cute baby elephants could be seen romping together at last! Presenting Eugenia and Sonny, the two Elephant calves born in January at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo! Happy belated Twosday, ev’rybody!

📹: Becca Wyatt, lead elephant keeper at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Under Kiki’s watchful eye, her calf continued exploring the calf training area at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo last week!

Each day, she becomes more and more interested in her environment, especially smaller enrichment items she can push and move at her age, such as a firehose cube.

Getting used to this space also means getting more comfortable on the scale. The calf’s natural curiosity—and the trusting bond mom has with our keeper staff—has her freely walking about the scale’s surface.

📹: Jillian Voss, senior elephant keeper

Omaha, NE (January 7, 2022) - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is excited to announce Kiki, an 18-year-old African elephant, gave birth to a calf at 11:33 a.m. today. Mom and calf are doing well. The gender and weight of the calf are unknown at this time. The calf is the first elephant born at the Zoo. Learn more in the video description.

Animal Care Staff implemented a 24-hour watch for Kiki Thursday, January 6, when they noticed a continual drop in her progesterone levels, indicating labor would take place soon.

Kiki delivered the calf with all females in the herd present. At this time, the Elephant Family Quarters will remain closed to the public to allow Animal Care Staff time to observe bonding, maternal behaviors and nursing.

Callee, the father, is 21 and joined Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium in 2019. The Zoo is awaiting the arrival of a second African elephant calf also due this winter.
Visitors will have the opportunity to reserve a timed ticket to see the calf with the herd in the Elephant Family Quarters once reopened.

Updates about the elephants and timed ticketing will be provided via media alerts and the Zoo’s social media pages as additional information becomes available.

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top five zoos, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is an independent not-for-profit organization accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo is recognized nationally for its conservation, animal care and exhibit design. As a leader in conservation, the Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research focuses on areas to benefit animal husbandry and species conservation including conservation genetics, conservation medicine, reproductive sciences and comparative nutrition. More information is available at www.OmahaZoo.com.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is celebrating the successful rehabilitation of two snow leopard cubs from Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Illinois. The one male and one female cub were born on August 4, 2020, and sent to Omaha about two months ago to receive treatment for “swimmer’s syndrome,” a congenital condition in which the cub is unable to tuck his legs beneath the body to walk normally. The cubs received physical therapy three times a day, seven days a week, and now can walk and run normally.

Photo Credits: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is proud to announce the birth of two Snow Leopard cubs on May 22.

When they were one month old, the male and female cubs weighed just over five pounds. The cubs’ parents are Rosemary and Pasha. Rosemary is 5-years-old, weighs approximately 78 pounds, and has lived at the Zoo since 2015. Pasha is 10-years-old, weighs approximately 106 pounds, and arrived at the Zoo in 2012.

Dad can currently be seen by guests in the Asian Highlands exhibit. This pair also had a cub named Victoria in 2017. Victoria recently went to live at the Binder Park Zoo near Battle Creek, Michigan.

Snow Leopards are listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. There are only an estimated 2,700 - 3,300 Snow Leopards left in the world. The main threats facing them include loss of habitat, retaliatory killing from predation on livestock, and illegal trade in furs, bones and other body parts.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a dedicated member of the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP), a program that works to maintain a genetically stable assurance population of Snow Leopards in zoos. Research conducted by the Zoo’s nutrition and reproductive physiology departments has provided valuable information to the Snow Leopard SSP that is helping to improve the care and management of these amazing cats around the world.

In addition to efforts taking place on Zoo grounds, Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium supports the Snow Leopard Trust, an organization working out in the field within Snow Leopard habitat. Snow Leopard Trust focuses primarily on community education directed toward improving the relationships between herders and big cats by creating incentives for the community to protect Snow Leopards and their ecosystem. To learn more about Snow Leopard Trust’s mission, visit: www.snowleopard.org

The Bison herd at Wildlife Safari Park in Ashland, Nebraska grew this summer. A calf was born on May 27 and visitors can now see the auburn-colored calf roaming the ‘Bison Plains’ with mom and the herd.

Bison calves turn dark brown a few months after birth---the same time their characteristic hump and horns start to grow.

Photo Credits: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo/Wildlife Safari Park

Since its opening in 1998, Wildlife Safari Park has played a key role in conserving Bison and educating the public about the critical challenges impacting the native species—the national mammal of the United States. Wildlife Safari Park currently has 33 Bison, including the new calf.

Wildlife Safari Park offers four miles of drive-through North American wildlife viewing from the comfort of your own vehicle. Wildlife Safari Park visitors can see a variety of animals in their natural habitats, including more than 60 American Elk spread across the 50-acre Elk Meadow and a 10-acre wetlands area with American White Pelicans. Visitors can explore the newest exhibit, Prairie Dog Town, and see other animals, such as: White-tailed Deer, Trumpeter Swans, Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes (who came to Wildlife Safari Park this past April).

Visitors can take advantage of the nice weather and explore two miles of hiking trails, which pass Wolf Canyon, home to six grey wolves and three American black bears. At the Hands-on-Corral, kids of all ages can interact with their favorite farm animals, such as pygmy goats and chickens.

Visit www.OmahaZoo.com for more information.

Visitors to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium can now see two new Sea Lion pups at the zoo’s Owen Sea Lion Pavilion.

The first pup was born June 12 to nine-year-old Gemini. Another was born on June 18 to Coco, who was born at Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium in June 2009. The sexes of the pups are currently unknown.

The California Sea Lion pups and their mothers are currently on exhibit with the father of both pups, 15-year-old Chino. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium currently has eight Sea Lions: two males, four females and the two new pups.

Photo Credits: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Visitors noticed that a significant amount of water has been drained from the Sea Lion’s pool. According to the zoo, this was done in preparation for the birth of the pups and will remain at a lower depth until both pups have learned to swim in deeper water. The zoo follows this routine each year in anticipation of pupping season. Mothers begin teaching their pups how to swim as early as a few days old by pulling them into the water for a short period of time for several days, each time getting farther and deeper into the water.

In 2020, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will open Owen Sea Lion Shores, a new sea lion habitat that will include elements such as natural boundaries, underwater viewing and state-of-the-art holding facilities complete with a diet prep area and holding pools. The area will include a natural beach, which will allow females to give birth on land and gradually introduce their pups to the water as they would in their natural habitats.

An integral part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Sea Lions includes the management of genetic diversity within the zoo network’s population. The SSP evaluates the population status and makes breeding recommendations. There are typically 15-20 breeding recommendations annually for Sea Lions, however, that changes based on the population status.

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) are commonly found along the coastlines of the Pacific Northwest region. Males can weigh between 700 to 1,000 pounds while females can weigh between 200 to 250 pounds.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium hatched a Cape Thick-knee Chick on March 14. The chick, which is the first since 2015, can be seen in the Desert Dome with its parents.

Although the species is free ranging, they spend most of their time in the Australian section of the zoo’s Desert Dome. This is the first chick for the adult pair who arrived at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in 2017.

Photo Credits: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Cape Thick-knee breeding pairs typically raise one to two chicks at a time. They are very protective parents who will go to great lengths to protect their young. The birds will sometimes perform dramatic “injury displays” to lure predators away from their nest. Both parents take an active role in feeding their chicks.

The Cape Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) is native to southwestern and southern Africa within savannas, dry grasslands and thorn scrub areas. The species primarily feed on insects, such as crickets, grasshoppers and mealworms, but will also eat small mammals and lizards.