One of the Elephant Habitats Panoramic

Thanks for all the photos of the new exhibits. How did you like African Grasslands (and more specifically, the elephant exhibit)?

Overall the complex is nice. I've been to Heart of Africa in Columbus when it opened and I would compare them the same. While Columbus's is a majority of just a big Savanna exhibit. Omaha's is broken up into the Giraffe mixed species yard and elephants mixed species yard. They are still acquainting the animals together so most weren't together yet. The giraffes were mixed with ostrich, impala, and a stork. Eventually the rhinos will be mixed with them as well. As for the elephant exhibits they were all good with plenty of space most of the grass was gone from one of the habitats but the others had plenty still. There were mature trees in most of the habitats. I would rank Omaha's over Columbus in terms of their African areas.

How many elephant yards does Omaha have in this complex?

There are two outdoor habitats with public viewing and then some behind the barn. One of the keepers said that the elephants have been having access to every area at all hours of the day with the keepers able to watch on camera when they go out. She said one night they left the barn at 8 pm and came back in at 1:30 am with the only evidence of them even being outside was a tree stripped of some bark.

Interesting that they have 24 hour outdoor access. Not too many zoos do that these days (not with public yards, anyways).

Reid Park Zoo does with their elephants (and with many of their other animals).