Stranded in the Sahara! Send HELP!

Oh, my bad! It’s just the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo Desert Dome. 😂 Silly me! 😉

If you’ve never been in a desert, you will feel like you have when you visit the Omaha zoo’s Desert Dome. One of the things that I like best about the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha is the immersive nature of all the exhibits. This includes one of my favorite exhibits - the Desert Dome. You will really feel like you have been transported to the desert when you enter the dome.

In fact, the Desert Dome was voted the best zoo attraction in the country based on USA Today’s annual survey. The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo was voted #1 zoo for the second year in a row. Can you say “AWESOME zoo?!?” It rocks!

The exhibits in the desert dome are divided into multiple deserts around the world. Animals, plants and birds from those areas are represented in the exhibits. In addition, when you walk in the dome, you will see a giant red sand dune that lets you know you are in for a treat.

Insider tip: You will also feel the temperature go up about 10+ degrees. Peel off your jackets when you see the sand dune!

Taller than it looks! ⬆️

The exhibits have changed throughout the years, but some things remain the same. There is always something unique in many of the exhibits. For example, on my most recent trip to the Desert Dome I really enjoyed the bat-eared foxes. They were just adorable. I also enjoyed the variety of free-flying birds and the waterfalls which accompany the exhibits. While I am a little squeamish with all of the small exhibits with snakes, I am starting to appreciate them more. They really do have an important role to play in our ecosystems. There were also several reptiles that were showing off when I was there and they were very endearing, believe it or not.

Look at those ears, baby! 😯😂😉⬆️

Ok, maybe he’s a little cute…from this angle! 😏 ⬆️

What a handsome dude! He was totally posing for me! 😉

On that visit, I discovered the klipspringer would only face me with its backside, which I found curious and somewhat humorous given that what it was focused on was a back wall. I even took some photos of a family in front of that exhibit with (you guessed it) the klipspringer backside in the pictures. I guess that was its best side that day! 😂 I also noticed nearby that the dwarf Mongooses were perched on rocks and turning their little bodies the same way, sort of like a synchronized little dance. They were adorable and made me smile.

The Burrowing Owl kept turning his head around and giving me funny looks, like it wondered what I was staring at. It kind of looked at me like “How rude!” The Collared Peccaries were chilling and taking a nap. The various ducks floating on their small pond are always fun to watch. The African Wild Cat was gorgeous. I had not seen him before. A large black bird that reminded me of a Squishmallow totally cracked me up. Even the coati (who usually hides when I’ve been there) was active and fun to watch.

This look made me laugh. He and another burrowing owl were trying to enter a hollow log together. He seemed to be saying, “A little privacy, please! How rude!” 🤣

Just snoozin!’ 😴

Nice, big sleepy kitty!

He’s checking out his reflection. 😊⬆️

The bottom line is the Desert Dome is awesome! And that’s only half of the building. The entire lower floor is a huge attraction called Kingdoms of the Night with all sorts of nocturnal animals. More on that later! In the meantime, here’s a few more photos.