We got to the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium promptly at 9, when it first opened, only to discover that while the zoo may open at 9, the skytram, train, concessions, and the enclosed exhibits don't open until 10 or 10:30. So, we walked through the zoo.
The grounds are beautiful and meticulously kept.
But we soon discovered that the zoo in in the process of a $74M renovation. It will be amazing when it is finished, but right now, some parts of it are just muddy and messy.
Fortunately, the seal pool is outside. This little guy is just waking up and going through the morning scratching ritual. The other seals, swimming wildly around the pool, were wide awake and too fast for us to catch a decent picture.
The rhino just stood and watched the train (which had finally started running). I guess he was a little wary of the steam toots, horns, and such.
Off to the exhibits! But the wee ones were slowly waking up - just a bit sleepy still. This one tried her best to watch us.
This fellow didn't even try,
These little guys were NOT sleepy!
Outside, a Fosse lazed like a cat. He would yawn and stretch and re-position himself, but he definitely was still in a nap mode. Fosse are tree climbers - their claws turn 360 degrees so they can climb both up and down trees with ease.
Next, the ape exhibition area. Like most of the animal exhibit areas, this one has 2 areas - an inside place where they can go and an outside play, exercise area. They are free to roam while the human sightseers are generally consigned to an inside route with watching glass. Which is good! Because it was hot,hot, hot. This zoo is a great place to visit even on a hot (or cold) day!
One of the big Silverback Gorillas sat quietly, watching his domain. He is huge and beautiful.
The "outside walkthrough" of a small monkey area had opened - this is a totally fenced in area (top, too - these rascals climb and jump!) but leaves the monkeys free roam a large area with natural plants, etc. In fact, all plants in this wonderful zoo are live - no plastic here! Anyway, we mere humans get a nice raised deck to walk through the enclosure and see the little guys up close.
The lemurs congregated as usual.
This lemur just wanted to cross the road. It was a bit too far to jump, so he just ambled over. As he passed me, his tail brushed my arm - very soft!
Our next area was an equally open/fenced aviary. Beautiful flamingos, necks still tucked in the morning sun.
Pink Spoonbills, like we've seen along the ICW in FL, but much closer
These big gray fellows are called Screamers - we heard why!
Back through another section of the ape area - this big Silverback had just too much and was off to hide away in his tree trunk.
This sad looking fellow just sat with his back against the window. It makes you think about how the zoo really isn't the place for them - as much as we love seeing them, they really belong in the wild.
And how big ARE these guys? Here is a back to back shot of Luke and one of the apes sitting against a window.
Done with the big apes and off to the big cats! These large felines have similar enclosures - out of both outside and inside space. And being cats, and being early afternoon, they were mostly doing what cats do - napping.
Or trying to keep their eyes open
Or yawning
Or, as this big Snow Leopard, sleeping flat on their backs, legs high in the air.
The polar bear lazed in the shade beside his pool
The Sunrise bear - named for the sunrise or sunset on his chest - just looked silly.
This was hard to catch through the fencing and the water, but the puma lapped lazily at the water running down the front of her enclosure entrance. Big pink tongue....
The Desert Oasis was next - again, a huge dome, totally enclosed, giving the opportunity to create a desert atmosphere and allow free access to walk around.
We loved this little deer of some sort. Look carefully at her feet, on the right of the picture. A mercat is digging furiously at a hollow log.
A dove has nested in one of the cacti.
The aquarium was next. We didn't get any really good pictures because of the reflections of the glass, the fast moving fish, and the hoards of visitors (especially children)
There is a nice walk through, with the aquarium on both sides and above.
This moray eel came out pretty well.
Next area - the rain forest. It was a beautiful creation of a rain forest, again with the animals and birds allowed full freedom of the area. A lovely 3 story high waterfall.
And bats....the hundreds and hundreds of bats seemed restless, flying around a bit. It was feeding time. Out came the poor girl with 3 trays filled with fruit - there were fruit bats - and the frenzy began! We couldn't begin to catch them - these blurs are flying frenzied bats.
They swooped around us, brushed us softly, and created wind swirls when they passed. FOOD! This is grainy - but LOOK at the size of this one reddish bat hanging upside down at the feeder at least a foot long body, 2 ft wing span!
Fruit has been snagged!
Monkeys were in this area, too. This gibbon is just gazing about.
Do you think these tails just might help with balance and swinging from tree to tree???
And snakes - lots of snakes. Fortunately for everybody, they are ALWAYS in glass cages.
And there was more. An insect building and a butterfly building. A totally dark "creatures of the night" building with all sorts of nocturnal animals. A swamp - lots of crocs and alligators and turtles. An IMAX theater. The movie was sorta so-so, but it sure felt good to sit down for 45 minutes by 3 p.m. The giraffes and elephants have been relocated until the new extension has been completed in 2016. No pics of these areas as it was either too dark for good pictures or our camera batteries were actually dead. We spent the entire open to close at the zoo and could have spent more time there. And you know what? It was only $16!!!! If you are in Omaha, GO! If not, make a trip! It was awesome!
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