Halloween is over, but the Bats still linger.

    Yes, Halloween is over.  But, beneath the Henry Doorly Zoo’s Desert Dome, the spirit of the holiday lingers on.  Down into the darkness, that is the realm of the “Creatures of the Night”, you will enter a world of darkness alive.   Here you will walk into dark and deep reddened caverns, where creatures fly close and nearby.   How close is up to you.  Just do not poke your fingers through the netting.  They seem to be attracted to the movement!

Perhaps the darkness hides more than you think. Such as this family of bats.

Red glow in the darkness.

Wild Elk roaming in Nebraska

   You might think you have to head to the mountains to see a herd or even a sing Elk roaming around.  If however you take a little safari to the Henry Doorly Zoofari, you can see Elk, and much more.  So if you happen to be in Omaha or perhaps Lincoln Nebraska, take a short drive down I-80 to the zoo’s outdoor drive through safari in the midlands.

 

Feeling a little Blue?

If you are feeling a little Blue, the Omaha Zoo has just what you need.  What could make you feel better than watching the “Blue Monkey’s” in the Henry Doorly Zoo’s Lied Jungle!

Blue Monkey

Summer is not gone everywhere.

 

   Though the summer months have already passed us by, there still remains a place you can visit where it is summer all year long.  I am referring to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo’s Lied Jungle.  Inside the giant dome roof you can escape the seasons and step onto the equator to visits jungles from around the world.  Once you enter the Lied Jungle, there are no long flights or weeks at sea to travel the worlds equator, stopping at each continent, to see the wonders of the local jungle.  Here, each jungle is only a few minutes away. 

   So, once the snow starts to fly, I know where I will go to get away.  And it will not take airline tickets or security checks in order to do so!

Even more common wildlife can be seen at the zoo.  Here some Turkeys entertain all who are interested.

People under Rhino.

Kind of makes you feel like, just a bit lower, and that Rhino just might be cleaning the bottom of your shoes, doesn’t it?

People over Rhino

The Dome as seen from near first base.

   This weekend we had the fun of partaking of the College World Series game between Mississippi and Texas.  As most of you already know, Texas pulled out a win with a series of walks in the bottom of the ninth inning.  As much fun as watching the game was, I could not help but see the dome of the Henry Doorly Zoo’s Desert Dome poking up high overtop right field.   Yes, even from a seat only about 5 up from the in-field next to first base, we were able to spot about a third of the dome glisining in the sunsets fading rays of the afternoon.  And to think that in few years we could very well be standing in almost the same spot and be viewing something totally new.

   After the College World Series moves to downtown Omaha, it will be interesting to see what plans sprout and grow in what is to become the new seeding ground for Henry Doorly Zoo.

College World Series next to the Zoo.

   This is the big week of the College World Series Baseball here at Omaha.  Omaha’s Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium is located right next door to the Henry Doorly Zoo.   This will be one of the last years that the games are played in this location, as there is a new stadium being build on the north side of the downtown area.  Though there are many years of baseball history, the the expense of moving to a new stadium is controversial, I for one am happy that the Zoo will be gaining some more acreage.

    Almost each years for that past decade, the Zoo has been adding on with new building, new exhibits and attractions.  Each weekend, you will find a huge overflow of vehicles parked over in the Rosenblatt parking lot.  This of course means that during this and the next weekend, you can forget about finding a parking spot to go visit the Zoo.  The good side of this, is that many new people get to learn that there is a great zoo located next to the ball park.  Perhaps they will take an extra day or two to visit it and learn what those of us have learned.

    As things change here in Omaha, and baseball relocates closer to downtown, I look forward to seeing what great things will grow into the footprint of the Rosenblatt.  We will likely see the site transformed into something which will not only provide weekend excitement, but activities to be experienced year round, rain or shine, snow or blue skies.  I look forward to seeing and sharing with each of you the future sights at the Henry Doorly Zoo.