Last Trip to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo

I cannot even begin to tell you how much this zoo has meant to me. When we first arrived back in 2010, we hadn’t been to zoos in many years because we lived overseas. The Henry Doorly Zoo looked quite a bit different 13 years ago…as they are always under construction it seems, to grow the zoo and make the place bigger and better for the animals and the people who come to see them. I remember taking the three kids to see the zoo and it was AMAZING. We went back the next weekend, we loved it so much. It was our go-to place when we were bored and Rich was out of town with the Air Force. Both Tim and Joe went through phases of wanting to be zoologists. They grew up with Zoboomafoo (and the Kratt brothers) and Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter…and then Jeff Corwin…another biologist who was on TV during their childhood. They grew up loving animals…wild and domesticated. When Joe died, we became patrons of this wonderful zoo in his name. I renewed with the awe of the animals and realized I felt very close to Joe and his spirit when I am at the zoo. I usually go by myself…sometimes with Lily tagging along to photograph the animals. When I am alone, I almost always will see a cardinal…even at other zoos in other states. I feel like Joe is letting me know he is there with me enjoying the animals.

This was my last trip to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo for the time being. I signed up for a behind-the-scenes encounter with an adult cheetah. There were 6 of us in the class and we went to an open-air auditorium and got to see a male cheetah. So cheetahs in Omaha….there are several groups evidently. There is a female and her siblings who are the wild ones on display at the zoo. One of these wily cats actually escaped their enclosure a month or two ago. She was kind enough to just patiently be corralled by the zookeepers back to her enclosure. There is another group of adult cheetahs who live at the zoo but are not on display. This was who we met on this day. At the Wildlife Safari (in Ashland, NE – part of the Omaha Zoo but located about 30 minutes away) they have a cheetah breeding program. It is not on display at all but is a breeding program in that large area. I am actually going to see the baby cheetahs tomorrow morning (yay!) at a separate behind-the-scenes encounter. But back to May 10th…I got a chance to see a very large male cheetah. He had two zookeepers with him and had two separate leashes on for the safety of everyone. Evidently, he is a larger male. He was able to purr on demand (and rewarded with meat). He was a sweetheart. He meowed and sounded like a tiny house cat. We all laughed so hard every time he meowed as it was so high pitched and tiny sounding. After we got to ask questions to the zookeepers, we were released to walk around the zoo prior to it opening. That was interesting to see the zookeepers getting the areas ready for the animals to be brought outside in their enclosures. They were cleaning and mowing, and spreading around food and toys for them to play with. I also spent a lot of time at the elephant enclosure. Duh. I just am so in love with those baby elephants! There is Mopani, the youngest male, born in March, and then Sonny and Eugenia, who are now 17 months old. They were born two weeks from each other. All three of the babies are half siblings. They have the same dad with different moms. There is another two elephant moms pregnant now. There will be another little one born in late summer and then another in the spring of 2024. I have a photo or two of the very pregnant elephant in the herd. She is the matriarch of the herd’s daughter. The matriarch is the one due in the spring. I will be surprised if this little one doesn’t come early, because mom is already very wide. With her ears out and flared…it barely covers her sides. You’ll see the photos below. The three little ones were in rare form. It was a hot day and Mopani’s mom, Lolli, was trying to teach him how to roll in the mud hole. Mopani wasn’t having it. He did get stuck there, and momma had to use her trunk to help him out. She is such an attentive mom. The toddlers had the zoomies and were all over the place. They are so close in age and are always together. They are pretty tolerant of their little half brother, but at times, they seem to tire of him trying to be “with the big kids”. There is 14 months between the older two and Mopani….but you can see the size difference. Mopani still has a lot of “baby fuzz” on him. Sonny and Eugenia are getting more smoothy and wrinkly like their parents. I may have to make a special trip back to see the next little one. Capturing photos with the three littles is amazing….four would be amazing. Five would just be CRAZY. So I will have to see if I can come visit. The dad of all these cutie pies is Callee, and he was moved to Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, KS….another one of my favorite zoos. I guess having gotten 5 female elephants here pregnant, they thought he should take his virile self to another group of ladies. Anyhow, here are some of the cute photos I was able to capture about a month ago. Enjoy!