The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's African Grassland exhibit opens to the public Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. KMTV got a sneak peak Thursday morning as animals were going on display.
The 28 acre exhibit costs $73 million dollars. Zoo Director Dennis Pate says about half of all of the species in the exhibit will be on display when it opens.
"We're trying to do the right thing for the animals in letting them out. They're {visitors} not going to see complete mixed exhibits early on because we need to take some time to get them {animals} in, but they are going to see a completely transformed eastern end of the zoo that I think they're going to love," he said.
Pate says some animals, take the giraffes, are very skittish to sounds, new places, and slick muddy spots.
"We wouldn't want rain and lighting and slippery conditions to be their first impression of a new home."
In addition to watching the weather, zoo staff is closely watching the animals that have already been put out on display. Crested guinnea fowl, sables, bongos, klipspringers, and African spurred tortoises are adjusting to their new homes, with curators and zoo keeps near by.
"Oh they love it," Jessi Krebs, Curator of Reptiles and Small Mammals, said.
Each habitat offers a different situation. As the klipspringers run around their new habitat, zookeepers sit atop rocks with nets, in case one jumps up and gets out.
Joining the prey animals soon, in different parts of the exhibit, include two cheetahs from a zoo in Texas and a family of five lions from Omaha.
"There's two females that are sisters, and three cubs," Pate said.
A large feature of the entire exhibit: fencing and perches that provides the animals opportunities to see the sprawling Grasslands and other animals there. It provides psychological enrichment to the animals, Pate says.
He added that extra care goes in when introducing new predators to their home.
"When you're putting a predator like a lion in, there's a lot of extra care that goes in. Things like checking jump distances and things they may or may not be able to climb, and modifying those."
For more on the new exhibit omahazoo.com.
