At Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, our elephants are more than a herd. They’re a family.
Five calves. Five mothers. One multigenerational group living and growing together.
From the beginning, the Omaha Zoo made a different choice: to care for elephants in a way that honors their deep social bonds. Births happen with the full herd present. Mothers, calves, and companions remain side by side, just as they would in the wild.
No other zoo in the nation has built and sustained a herd like this.
As this family grows, so do their needs. Elephants depend on space, choice, and the ability to move freely within their social groups. In the years ahead — especially as young males mature — our current habitat will no longer provide the flexibility required to support the herd at its best.
The Elephant Lagoon Expansion ensures we can keep families together, provide space for growing elephants, and support natural behaviors and long-term well-being.
This is not about adding more elephants. It’s about protecting the ones we have, and the bonds they share.
Thanks to generous supporters, the majority of funding for the Elephant Lagoon Expansion is already in place.
Additional gifts will help sustain what comes next: supporting the ongoing care, habitat operations, and long-term success of this extraordinary herd.
Your support ensures this space continues to thrive for years to come.
For our elephants. For our community. For the next generation of memories.
