OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Horrific images of devastation are flooding the media as firefighters work to battle widespread blazes across Australia. Here in Omaha, the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is pledging two donations to help groups giving care to animals in need of emergency care.
"Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is greatly concerned about the devastating impact of the bushfires on Australian wildlife and their habitats," says the zoo's Vice President of Conservation Cheryl Morris. "We are committed to supporting Australia’s zoos working on the front lines of this fight to care for injured wildlife. Currently their needs are primarily financial to provide the emergency veterinary care required. We will continue to monitor their situation over the coming weeks and months to assist in the care, preservation and restoration following this devastation."
The zoo will be sending two donations of $2,500 each to Zoos Victoria and WIRES to help and says it will continue to find ways of giving aid.
The zoo is home to the following Australian species:
Mammals
Yellow-footed rock wallaby • Tammar wallaby • Short-beaked echidna
Birds
Chestnut teal • Australian wood duck • Tawny frogmouth • Kookaburra • Masked lapwing • Star finch • Owl finch • Long-tailed finch • Galah • Budgie • Cockatiel • Sulfur-crested cockatoo • White cockatoo
Reptiles and Amphibians
Rough-scaled python • Lace monitor • Centralian python • Brown tree snake • Rough-scaled death adder • Common death adder • Collett's snake • Woma python • King brown snake • Coastal taipan • Prickly gecko • Kimberley rock monitor • Perentie monitor • Cunningham's skink • Eastern pygmy spiny-tailed skink • Green tree python • Magnificent tree frog • Amethystine python • Banded knob-tailed gecko • Australian freshwater crocodile • Australian snake-necked turtles • Krefft's River turtle • Red-bellied short-necked turtle • Fly River turtle • Blue-tongued skink • Frilled dragon • Bearded dragons
Fish
Pot-bellied seahorse • Old wife • Ornate cowfish • Morwong • Stripeys • Crested weedfish
