Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium has secured its first elephants since Shenga left for Cleveland in 2011. That news is so big it’ll stand up to 12 feet tall.
Visitors to zoos of Omaha’s caliber — consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 — expect to see the world’s largest land mammal, all 2 to 7 tons of it.
“Word that the Omaha zoo has worked out a deal with southern Africa’s Swaziland to save and secure six elephants is a boost for us all.”
Read more here:
http://www.omaha.com/opinion/world-herald-editorial-news-from-zoo-is-really-big/article_6bf72003-a7b1-5d14-bd78-2f4f668efe79.html
“In Swaziland, game officials suffering through severe drought planned to cull elephants to focus scarce food and water on endangered black rhinos. Fewer than 5,000 of the rhinos exist, compared with about 420,000 elephants in Africa. Three zoos — in Omaha, Wichita and Dallas — offered to take 18 elephants from the parched preserve. The three zoos also combined to contribute about $1.1 million for rhino conservation. That’s a win for all involved.”
