Our mission is to support Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, starting in our own community – but extending far beyond. The Zoo seeks to conserve and protect wildlife and natural habitats around the world. To develop and provide the best possible animal care. To educate the next generation of humans who love the wild. Here are just a few of these stories.

Training the New Generation of Zoo Veterinarians.

Dr. Taylor Yaw, Vice President of Science and Animal Health, believes veterinary medicine represents the core and heart of the Zoo’s mission. It’s no surprise, then, that the Zoo’s proposed new Bill and Berniece Grewcock Animal Hospital, slated to open in fall 2025, gets him excited about the future.

“We have a world-class veterinary team,” says Dr Yaw, “so let’s give them a world-class hospital to work in.”

Of the many benefits that the new hospital will bring to the Zoo, one of the most important will be the capability to train and teach the next generation of veterinary professionals, including veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

Explains Dr. Yaw, “I think it’s going to be a hub in the Midwest where everyone will want to train. A facility where people from around the world and many different backgrounds can come together.”

The key to training students will be technologies that take into account the unique challenges of practicing veterinary medicine in a zoo setting. This includes camera systems and other viewing technologies that allow students to observe and learn safely, both at the zoo and from remote locations.

“The new animal hospital will be designed so students can actually see what’s going on in the treatment room and in the surgical room,” continues Dr. Yaw. “So veterinary students don’t have to be in the treatment room with a tiger or other dangerous animal. They can stand on the outside and have a firsthand view of the procedure.”

Once the new hospital is completed, the Zoo expects to start hosting students from across the nation, who will spend anywhere from four to six weeks at the hospital.

Explains Dr. Yaw, “In the future, when I travel to another zoo and visit its veterinary hospital, I want to see internship residency certificates from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. That will be amazing.”

Secure the Future of Rhinos.

In Africa and Asia, a rhino is poached every 10 to 12 hours. This sad fact, among many other environmental threats, is why the work of Dr. Monica Stoops and her team at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is so vitally important.

“Currently, our rhino populations are not sustainable,” explained Dr. Stoops, the Zoo’s Director of Reproductive Sciences. “We are working to change that, so future generations can see rhinos 100 years from now.”

Dr. Stoops oversees the Zoo’s managed breeding programs, which are critical for the survival of threatened and endangered species, including several species of rhinos. The Zoo is working to transform how certain animal populations can become more genetically and demographically viable.

For rhinos, a major complicating factor in strengthening their populations is that rhinos have lengthy pregnancies of about 16 months. Also, a female can only reproduce every three years. Because of this, there is a need to bolster the female rhino population. To that end, Dr. Stoops and her team have developed a sex-sorted artificial insemination program that is biased to produce more female calves.

“This does not replace natural breeding,” said Dr. Stoops, “but is a way to help support the overall population.” Marshall, the Zoo’s first Indian rhino calf, was a result of natural breeding. However, through the sex-sorted artificial insemination program,

Marshall’s mom Hilary should have a female calf next time. When that happens, it will be another success story in the ongoing conservation efforts of the dedicated teams at the Omaha Zoo.

Education Extends Far Beyond the Classroom.

At Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, education lies at the heart of our mission to inspire, educate, and engage people to become lifelong stewards of animals and their habitats.

Under the leadership of Jocelyn Harrison, Vice President of Education, the Zoo’s Education Department reaches learners of all ages, both on and beyond Zoo grounds. From our preschool and kindergarten classrooms to the high school Zoo Academy, students from nine Omaha-area school districts attend school here each day. While completing core coursework, they also explore STEM, conservation, and real-world science side by side with Zoo experts.

 But education at the Zoo extends far beyond the classroom. Through year-round camps, community outreach programs, and engaging on-grounds interpretation, our educators connect with visitors in meaningful ways, whether during a sea lion demonstration, a hands-on campout, or a simple conversation in the aquarium. Each year, these experiences reach tens of thousands of students and nearly a million guests, sparking curiosity and compassion for wildlife.

 Even play becomes a learning opportunity at Bay Family Children’s Adventure Trails, where children explore nature through imaginative, hands-on play that nurtures a lifelong bond with the natural world.

 Through education, exploration, and play, we’re cultivating curiosity and compassion in every learner. Little by little, these moments of discovery can grow into a shared commitment to care for the world around us.

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