Walk on the bottom of the ocean and come nose to nose with sea turtles as sharks circle above you in the 70-foot shark tunnel at the Henry Dooly Zoo Scott Aquarium. Photo courtesy of the Henry Dooly Zoo
Henry Dooly Zoo ambassadors make sure visitors get up close and personal to animals. Photo courtesy of Henry Dooly Zoo
zoo—but that’s precisely the case. In 2014, Trip Advisor proclaimed Henry Doorly Zoo the “world’s best zoo,” topping San Diego and Spain’s Loro Parque, based on an algorithmic assimilation of millions of reviews for 275 major zoos worldwide. Internationally renowned for its leadership in animal conservation and research, Doorly is equally acclaimed for its visitor appeal. It is Nebraska’s top paid attendance attraction and has welcomed nearly 26 million visitors during its 42-year existence. It is home to several of the largest zoo exhibits in the nation and the world. Its Cat Complex is the largest of its kind in North America, Kingdoms of the Night is the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit, the Lied Jungle is one of the world’s largest indoor rain forests, and the Desert Dome houses the world’s largest indoor desert.
1,800-acre Safari Park in Escondido, 30 miles north of the city, it is clear that the San Diego Zoo protects and exhibits more animals than any zoological organization in the world. Popular exhibits at Balboa Park include African Rocks, a new exhibit in 2017 that highlights the biodiversity of Africa with six different habitat exhibits; Northern Frontier with its polar bears and reindeer; Elephant Odyssey, featuring both African and Asian species; and Panda Canyon, home to a pair of giant pandas. San Diego is one of only four zoos in the country to exhibit these loveable creatures—and was the first in the world to produce a giant panda through artificial insemination. Safari Park was designed to help breed endangered species and has seen some 20,000 animals born within its borders—including 176 rhinos, one of the world’s most endangered large mammals. https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org – 619-231-1515
www.omahazoo.com – 402-733-8401 San Diego Zoo – San Diego, California
It would be safe to say that San Diego is America’s best- known zoo and it certainly ranks among the two or three finest and most respected zoos in the world. If one were to combine the 3,700 animals of 650 species living at the 100-acre Balboa Park facility with the nearly 3,000 beasties representing 300 species roaming the zoo’s
EIGHT GREAT AMERICAN ZOOS
COAST TO COAST SUMMER MAGAZINE 2019
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