Take a look back at some of these old photos of animals at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is in the holiday spirit, gifting free admission to kids 12 and under starting Sunday.
Free admission for kids, which is being offered for the fifth year, runs through Friday, Dec. 31.
Up to six children can be admitted free with each paid adult.Ìý
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The promotion is part of the zoo's "12 Days of Giving." For the past 12 days, prizes were awarded to visitors in person or on social media. Some of the gifted items included zoo ornaments and stuffed animals as well as animal experiences.Ìý
The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the Lied Jungle closing at 3 p.m. and other exhibit buildings closing at 5 p.m. The zoo is closed on Christmas Day.Ìý
Photos: 50 of our favorite shots of Omaha zoo creatures through the years
The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium introduced a week-old female giraffe on March 23, 2012. The calf was the first born at Omaha's zoo since 2007 but the 29th overall since 1979. Giraffe calves are usually six feet tall and 150 pounds at birth.ÌýWithin an hour of birth, calves are usually up and nursing.
JAMES R. BURNETT/THE WORLD-HERALD
A vampire bat is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo & AquariumÌýon Oct. 29, 2013. The zoo teamed up with Iowa State University to find the best food for vampire bats, which each need about 2 tablespoons of blood a day.Ìý
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
An African lion rests at the Henry Doorly Zoo on a hot summer day in July 1971.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Five baby rockhopper penguin chicks were on display at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
An emperor angelfish swims at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Twin white-handed gibbons sit in their mother's lap on Friday, June 10, 2011, in the Henry Doorly Zoo's Lied Jungle. The rare twins were born on April 13, 2011.
DANIELLE BEEBE/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nicole Linafelter feeds a sleepy African lion cub at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, Jan. 4, 2012. The runt of the litter, the cub had been removed from her mother's care, and Linafelter, a veterinary technician, was one of the people caring for the then-week-old cub.Ìý
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Little Joe, a 450-pound lion, is seen on Aug. 9, 1950. Sold to Omaha Parks and Recreation by Council Bluffs poundmaster Chris Christensen, Little Joe didn't like his cage. He lunged at passers-by, sweeping his paw at the shadows of onlookers.
JOHN SAVAGE/THE WORLD-HERALD
Incoming first-graders at Bancroft Elementary and zoo day camp students got a sneak peek at the new Zoo Academy and Children's Adventure Trails at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on June 29, 2017.
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Elephants make their public debut at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.
REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
Gail Yanney and Dr. Lee Simmons have their hands full while holding a python at at zoo benefit. Guests took turns petting the python during the Zoofari VII Fundraiser at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Sept. 11, 1989.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Black-handed spider monkeys climb in their habitat at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Two red-fronted macaws fly on Thursday, June 15, 2017, at the opening of the Holland Meadowlark Amphitheater at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The area will be used for live bird shows, held three times a day and featuring 15 species of birds.
SARAH HOFFMAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
In the Desert Dome, Zachery Torres, a sophomore at Omaha South High School, cleans the glass around the turkey vulture exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A klipspringer hangs out in its enclosure at the Henry Doorly Zoo's new African Grasslands exhibit on Friday, May 27, 2016.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Spider monkeys rest in the lagoon area at the Henry Doorly Zoo's new African Grasslands exhibit on Friday, May 27, 2016.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A group of female impala are seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Lions Johnny and Sandy are seen on Aug. 12, 1965. The lions were featured in the Zoo's Who that year.Ìý
ROBERT PASKACH/THE WORLD-HERALD
An Amur tiger cub shows the start of his fangs on Aug. 18, 2016, at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The cubs were vaccinated and chipped during their debut that morning.
MEGAN SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
A pair of vampire bats are seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Oct. 29, 2013. The zoo teamed up with Iowa State University to find the best food for vampire bats, which each need about 2 tablespoons of blood a day.Ìý
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Mfisha nuzzles one of her baby lion cubs at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, March 29, 2013.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
W.W. LairdÌýsays a final goodbye to a pair of lion cubs on Sept. 21, 1967. When the Clyde Brothers Circus came to Hastings, W.W. Laird, a friend of circus man Howarad Suesz, noticed a sick lion. She took it to the vet, but the animal died. Suesz asked Laird to take the 5-week-old lion cubs, Freckles and Speckles, to make sure they didn't get sick. The cubs became too large to be in the Lairds' home, so Laird donated the cats, then 4 1/2 months old, to the Henry Doorly Zoo.Ìý
WORLD-HERALD FILE PHOTO
Nicole Linafelter holds a sleepy African lion cub at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, Jan. 4, 2012. The runt of the litter, the cub had been removed from her mother's care, and Linafelter, a veterinary technician, was one of the people caring for the then-week-old cub.Ìý
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A male African lion is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
A klipspringer calf roams its new home at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium's Desert Dome on Monday, March 25, 2013.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A white-handed gibbon baby peeks out at its surroundings while its mom swings along at the Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Oct. 24, 2003. The baby was born Sunday, October 5. Gibbons, the smallest of the apes, live in small family groups consisting of the mated pair and their immature offspring.
JEFF BEIERMANN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Zoo visitors crowd around an exhibit to see a baby gorilla at the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1996.
KILEY CHRISTIAN CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
Sepilok, a Bornean orangutan, holds her baby at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Swans swim through the steam rising off their heated pond at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Dec. 15, 2009.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A lined day gecko sits on a branch in the new Madagascar exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on April 29, 2010.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female Amur tiger cub, born June 22, 2010, is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Aug. 20, 2010.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A baby male Francois langur, born August 11, 2010, is seen on Oct. 15, 2010, at the Henry Doorly Zoo.
JAMES R. BURNETT/THE WORLD-HERALD
Matt Simon holds up his 2-year-old son, Simon, to get a better view of Wgasa, a Bornean orangutan, as he enjoys a Valentine's Day treat at the Henry Doorly Zoo Tuesday Feb. 14, 2012. Zoo employees put treats out for the animals, including heart-shaped frozen Kool-Aid.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Fish swim at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
When Penelope, a pink Yorkshire hog, takes a dip in the water tank at the Henry Doorly Zoo, there's no doubt that the other animals have to wait their turn. Watching an impatient Rasputin the goat are Mr. and Mrs. Jeome Paulsen and their 1 1/2-year-old daughter, Jennifer, in August of 1969.
ROBERT PASKACH/THE WORLD-HERALD
West Coast sea nettles float in the water at the new Ocean Drifters exhibit, which features five species of jellyfish, at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Penguins jump in and out of the water at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Preston, an Amur leopard, shows his fangs while in his exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Oct. 19, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female Amur tiger, born June 22, 2010, tries to sneak up on her mother Tiksi at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Aug. 20, 2010.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A pygmy hippopotamus calf, born Feb. 22, 2013, is seen with its mother in the Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday April 18, 2013.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A fossa pup does target training with Ryan Sears, supervisor at Expedition Madagascar, at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday April 25, 2013.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Chimps Tamba, left, and Pedro are seen at the zoo in 1959. Pedro was purchased from the Detroit Zoo as a mate for Tamba in 1958. The mischievous chimps got on well; the two were known to break into cages and let the other monkeys out.
YANO MELINGAGIO/THE WORLD-HERALD
A mountain chicken frog is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013.
BRYNN ANDERSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A young gray tree frog, native to Omaha, is shown at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013.
BRYNN ANDERSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
An adult male South African bullfrog is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013.
BRYNN ANDERSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Casey the gorilla is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1974.
WORLD-HERALD FILE PHOTO
Macaws perch on branches after feeding onÌýJan. 29, 2011, as thousands of people took advantage of the Henry Doorly Zoo's Community Free Day.
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Sam the giraffe is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on July 29, 2008.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female sea lion touches noses with a pup in the Sea Lion Pavilion at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, July 2, 2015. Two sea lion pups were born June 6 and June 8.
REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
Dr. Lee Simmons and zoo workers unload a crate holding one of the new tigers brought to the Henry Doorly Zoo for the white tiger breeding program in August of 1978.
ROBERT TAYLOR/THE WORLD-HERALD
A meerkat is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Two western diamond-backed rattlesnakes are seen inside Rattlesnake Canyon, a $125,000 new addition inside the Desert Dome, on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014. Rattlesnake Canyon is the home of 13 animals, including eight species of lizards and two species of snakes.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
This photo, published in The World-Herald in 1980, was accompanied by the following caption: "The female gorillas have joined the corps of TV widows. Like a husband intent on boob-tube football, Casey, patriarch at the Henry Doorly Zoo, studies the sitcoms and soap operas on a television outside of his cage. It's part of an experiment, a zoo spokesman said. If the Nielsen ratings people called Casey, the would find he likes to see women, the 'Flinstones' and any other kind of action, a staff member said."
ROBERT PASKACH/THE WORLD-HERALD
An Egyptian goose is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Zebras are seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Marina, a white rhino, walks in a pen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Dr. Lee Simmons is seen with a Siberian tiger named Nikolai in March of 1977. The tiger was a longtime loan from the Forest Park Zoo in St. Louis.
RICH JANDA/THE WORLD-HERALD
Two white storks are seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
White-faced whistling ducks are seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
A white stork ambles abut the men's restroom near the sea lions' pool at the Henry Doorly Zoo in November of 1985. Since the restrooms were not needed for visitors in the wintertime, the storks and other animals spent the winter months in them.
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A spur-winged goose is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Lee Simmons III, 9, and an unnamed baby gorilla console each other during a bout of chicken pox in April of 1971.ÌýThe baby gorilla was kept at Henry Doorly Zoo director Lee Simmons' home after coming down with the childhood disease. Lee's children both had it too.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A sable antelope rests in its exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo's new African Grasslands exhibit on Friday, May 27, 2016.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Giraffes explore their new enclosure at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, June 2, 2016.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Two African lion clubs relax with their mother on Sept. 11, 1971, at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The male cubs were born Aug. 16, 1971.
WORLD-HERALD FILE PHOTO
A giraffes explores its new enclosure at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, June 2, 2016.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Casey the gorilla is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1976.
WORLD-HERALD FILE PHOTO
A bongo chews cud in its exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo's new African Grasslands exhibit on Friday, May 27, 2016.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A bongo is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
A white-throated monitor is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
An African pygmy goat eats hay at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
A peacock walks through the foliage of the Bailey Wye garden at the Henry Doorly Zoo's new African Grasslands exhibit on Friday, May 27, 2016.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
An African spurred tortoise is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Children loved to pet Big Ben, a Clydesdale draft horse at the Henry Doorly Zoo in May of 1972. Ben, who was donated to the zoo, would move toward kids, then hold perfectly still until they petted him. “I guess you might say he’s a spoiled Big Ben,†said Mike July, a curator.
SEBI BRECI/THE WORLD-HERALD/
A polar bear didn't mind the huge crowds at the Henry Doorly Zoo on July 25, 2009.
JAMES R. BURNETT/THE WORLD-HERALD
Senior keeper Ryan Whisney holds a baby snow leopard while veterinarian Trent Shrader looks at her claws during an exam inside the cat complex at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A gorilla munches on lettuce at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 29, 2018.
SARAH HOFFMANN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Ray Hernandez and his daughter Marina, 2, of Omaha, look out from the bubble at a yawning gorilla at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERAL
Darla Tipton, 9, of Lincoln, thought she had hypnotized a rooster at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo inÌýAugust of 1971 after she stroked his back and pointed to a pebble in front of his beak. When the rooster failed to move after several seconds of staring at the pebble, Darla got down to eye level with the bird. The rooster suddenly flapped its wings and kicked up dust in all directions as it half ran, half flew to another section of the zoo.
SEBI BRECI/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female cassowary from New Guinea is seen on July 12, 2002. The aggressive four-foot bird, along with another female, had been joined with a male in hopes of breeding.
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Orangutans Tondelayo, left, and Fu Manchu look for raisins in the hay in January of 1982.
RICH JANDA/THE WORLD-HERALD/
A Philippine crocodile is seen on May 10, 1999, at the Henry Doorly Zoo.
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A gerenuk is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on May 19, 2000. Nicknamed the gazelle-giraffe, gerenuks are unique in their ability to stand on their hind legs to reach leaves; other antelope cannot. They do not eat grass.
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A gaur is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on May 10, 1999.
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Henrietta, one of two white rhinos at the Henry Doorly Zoo in May 1999, awaits in her pen for construction on the rhinos' outdoor area to be completed. The rhinos were soon to be joined by three more rhinos from South Africa. Zookeepers hoped that a more herd-like situation would be more conducive to breeding.Ìý
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A mother rhino and her baby relax in their watering hole at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Aug. 2, 1999.
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A Wyoming toad is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on May 10, 1999.
BILL BATSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A thirsty Fu Manchu, an orangutan, gets a drink of water from a sprinkler at the Henry Doorly Zoo on July 31, 1970.
ROBERT PASKACH/THE WORLD-HERALD
Caiman are seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005.
JEFF BUNDY/THE WORLD-HERALD
Butterflies sit on oranges at the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion at the Henry Doorly Zoo on May 9, 2008.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A jaguar yawns while in its exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Aug. 29, 2002.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Amoi, a 7-month-old female orangutan, is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003.
LAURA INNS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A pair of male cheetahs,ÌýMsasa and Nyika, were among the zoo's newest arrivals in May 2001.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
George, a white tiger, was transferred from the nursery to a cage with two orange tigers on Sept. 5, 1980, at the Henry Doorly Zoo.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female Jaguar, born Oct. 31, 2003, at the Henry Doorly Zoo, is seen on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003.
LAURA INNS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A naked mole rat from the nocturnal exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo is seen on March 12, 2003.
RICH JANDA/THE WORLD-HERALD
A male gibbon, born Oct. 5, 2003, at the Henry Doorly Zoo, is seen on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003.
LAURA INNS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A baby gentoo penguin, born in December 2014, explores its exhibit on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Dr. Lee Simmons, at left, greets a pair of gorilla twins arriving at the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1984.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Koalas are among the billion-plus animals displaced, injured or killed in the Australian fires.
THE WORLD-HERALD
A red panda named Tofu hangs out in the cat complex at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A lion at the Henry Doorly Zoo tries to keep cool on July 15, 1996.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD HERALD
An Australian frilled dragon is seen on March 8, 2002, at the Henry Doorly Zoo's Desert Dome.
RICH JANDA/THE WORLD-HERALD
A gorilla named Timu seems to be in a state of contemplation while in his exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Nov. 7, 2002.
RICH JANDA/THE WORLD-HERALD
An African lion rests at the Henry Doorly Zoo on July 18, 1969.
YANO MELANGAGIO/THE WORLD-HERALD
Everett Gormley, 6, of Omaha, watches as a polar bear takes a leisurely dip on Sept. 24, 2007, at the Henry Doorly Zoo.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
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