In 2019, Omaha’s zoo was ranked the number two zoo in America. It just so happens that it’s within weekend road trip distance of my home in Denver, CO. That inspired my plan to visit all of the top 10 zoos in America. Given my one day visit, I can safely say that it belongs on that list.
The layout of the ticket windows and the entrance was great. It didn’t feel at all crowded even going in on a holiday weekend. Moving in, the first thing I saw was the entrance to the Lied Jungle on the left. Entering into it, I was transported to another world.
It was easily the best indoor jungle I’d ever visited. Even though a trained eye could spot dividers between various animals, the whole place felt like one habitat in which all its residents could comingle. I was greeted by free-flying fruit bats and a family of gibbons. The stairs to the lower level were a little hidden, but I was glad to have found them, as the trip around the dirt path downstairs was just as magical as the top loop.
Passing from there into their African area, I was amazed by the amount of green. It makes sense given the climate, but it felt so good seeing the hoofstock packs roaming in green fields. The path further toward the cats led to a beautiful pack of cheetahs lounging in the sun, and a lion habitat that I can’t help feel made for some very happy lions. The goat pen was a great opportunity for interacting with animals, and the care staff there was very friendly and conversational.
Next stop was the Asian Highlands. While I was unfortunately about a week too early to see the entirety of it, but what I did get to see was the beautiful red panda yard with the beautiful red panda, Tofu. I was a little less impressed with the one-horned rhino yard, but I would be excited nonetheless to come back and see the entirety of the Asian Highlands exhibit.
Expedition Madagascar and the open aviary were both pretty standard zoo fare, but they were enjoyable nonetheless. Moving into the great apes building, I enjoyed the variety of views available for each habitat. I never felt like I was missing something because of a habitat’s design.
The desert dome was another area I was very much looking forward to. The overall sense of being in a desert was pretty great, but the narrow-pathed design was disappointing. One family with a stroller was all it took to grind movement to a halt, and once you’re in a line you just want to move past it, making enjoying the animals difficult to say the least. The lower level in the dark was a fair bit better. The bayou portion in particular was very unexpected and a lot of fun.
The only exhibit that was truly disappointing was the cat building. It was pretty apparent that it was one of the oldest parts of the zoo and soon to be replaced. Thankfully there was only one Amur Tiger still there in what basically amounted to a cage. My hope is that it was there for quarantine purposes and not as a primary habitat anymore.
There was only one other disappointment for the day and that was the food in the Lied Jungle restaurant. The restaurant itself was incredible in terms of design, but the food was… bad. The Omaha Steakburgers tasted steamed and the frozen fries left a lot to be desired. If it hadn’t been for the view into the jungle through lunch, I’d have probably been disappointed enough to speak to guest relations about it.
Like I said above, despite a few niggling things, it really is one of the best zoos I’ve ever seen. If I lived near Omaha, it would be an easy membership, and I’d likely support it through volunteering as I do here in Denver. Highly, highly recommended (just make sure you eat at one of the other restaurants there; even if they’re not great, they certainly can’t be worse than the food in the Jungle cafe.).
The Zootographer 