Henry Doorly Zoo- Lied Jungle 1/3

The Lied Jungle at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.

World's Largest Indoor Rainforest

This exhibit is the largest of its kind in the world. Covering 1.5 acres directly inside the main gate, the Lied Jungle has 123,000 square feet of floor space with 61,000 square feet of planted exhibit space, 35,000 square feet of display management area and 11,000 square feet of education space. The Lied Jungle is 80 feet tall about the same as an eight-story building.

The Environment

The Lied Jungle was Omaha Zoo's first total immersion exhibit. Guests see, touch, smell, hear and become part of the natural rainforest environment while observing animals that are free ranging or contained behind water and rock barriers. Visitors young and old will journey through three different rainforest habitats from Asia, Africa and South America, seeing the lush vegetation and animals native to the area. Along the journey they'll find medicinal plants, giant trees, seven large waterfalls, cliffs and caves. Most of the rockwork, as well as the larger trees, are manmade to enhance durability and aesthetics. Materials used to create the manmade rockwork and trees include fiberglass, cement and metal frameworks. All man-made amenities are blended with live plants and animals to almost make the difference unidentifiable. The Lied Jungle's roof, constructed of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, provides natural sunlight to penetrate the rainforest and generate growth.

The sense of actually experiencing life in a rainforest is enhanced in a variety of ways. To simulate the humidity of this ecosystem, fine mist falls from tall trees. Mechanical devices not native to a jungle, such as air ducts, filters and light fixtures, are hidden in the walls and rocks. Experience jungle life through the eyes of a bird through the jungle canopy or through the eyes of an otter or pygmy hippo by wandering the jungle trail. From either vantage point, the plant life is diverse ranging from towering bamboo and large fig trees to delicate under story plants and orchids. Approximately 90 animal species can be found at all levels, from forest floor to highest canopy.

Asian Rainforest

The Asian forest features a swaying suspension bridge leading to a nocturnal cave with small animal exhibits. Some of the inhabitants of Asia include the Malayan tapir, clouded leopards, gibbons, small-clawed otters, Francois langurs and giant Indian fruit bats. Most of the plants found in the Asian section of the Lied Jungle originated in Old World Rainforest. Many have become important to commerce such as the Coconut Palm, Rattan Palm, Cinnamon tree, Black Pepper, Teak tree, Kapok tree or the Ylang Ylang tree, Pongam tree and many species of Bamboo. Epiphytes you may find in Old World tropics such as Staghorn ferns and Phaleonopsis orchids are found in the Asian rainforest.

African Rainforest

Upon entering the African rainforest, visitors encounter a variety of monkeys and birds as well as Goliath herons and pygmy hippos. Different rainforest experiences can be had watching the animals from a bird's eye view from the Jungle canopy, or by getting eye to pygmy hippo eye through the underwater viewing cave along the Jungle trail. Along with the animals, visitors can enjoy unique plants from the African forests such as: Tamarind tree, Cola nut tree, African oil palm, African tulip tree, Travelers palm and African sausage tree. Some species are indigenous only to the island of Madagascar such as the Spindle palm, Triangle palm, Travelers palm and Angraecumorchids.

South American Rainforest

The third area, the jungle of South America, is highlighted by a 50-foot waterfall, Nebraska's second tallest waterfall. Visitors walk behind this waterfall before ascending to Danger Point to view the entire rainforest from above. Spider monkeys share an island with a family of tapirs and squirrel monkeys. The black howler monkey moat provides a home for huge South American red-tailed catfish, pacu and arapaima. The Royal palm, the largest palm in the building, is found in the South American rainforest section, along with a Chocolate tree, Allspice tree, Guava, Chicle tree and South American Mahogany tree. The South American section of the rainforest houses many Philodendron and epiphytic orchids.

Education and Conservation Awareness

The major purpose of the Lied Jungle is not only recreation, but education and conservation awareness. Rainforests play a vital role in the quality of life on earth. They are disappearing at the alarming rate of 50 - 100 acres a minute. That's an area the size of Massachusetts each year. The Lied Jungle contributes to the visitor awareness that this ecosystem, so foreign to Nebraska, that effects the quality of our lives in the heartland.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Lied
• Jungle
• Henry
• Doorly
• Zoo
• Omaha
• Nebraska
• monkeys
• snakes
• birds
• orchids
• lizards
• hippos
• turtles
• fish

[GregandCarrot]

@benjerman982 i usually go there once a month.sometimes twice a month

[benjerman982]

@GregandCarrot well if u havnt been there in a while, i heard there making a new exibit, i live here so i stay tuned in on this stuff

[chocolatelover081]

ive been there and somene got there camera droped in thee water hahaha

[GregandCarrot]

@zenoist2 it is cool. i like the lied jungle the most.

[zenoist2]

this place looks pretty cool.

exoensive I bet.