Lions, Bears and Top of the World...Oh My!

Living in Omaha, I've always know The Henry Doorly Zoo was a great place to visit and spend time with family and friends, but now it's even on top of the world.

Well according to  the Travel website TripAdvisor named Omaha’s zoo the world’s best in its Travelers’ Choice awards for Zoos and Aquariums. The rankings used data from millions of user reviews to select 275 winners worldwide, according to a press release.

“It’s pretty incredible,” said Omaha Zoo CEO and executive director Dennis Pate. “The last time we got one of these (TripAdvisor rankings), it was for the U.S. Now, for the world, that’s pretty over the top.”

The website took into account quantity and quality of reviews over a 12-month period, using an algorithm to rank them. As of Tuesday, the Henry Doorly Zoo had more than 1,500 reviews on the website, with all but about 50 grading “very good” or “excellent.”

TripAdvisor spokesperson Julie Cassetina said reviews were particularly high for the zoo’s Desert Dome and other indoor exhibits.

“Some zoos have the most acreage or animals or the largest budgets or most employees,” Pate said, “but for me the big test is that people have a good time and that they learn something when they come to Omaha.”

The Henry Doorly Zoo is currently four years into a 10-year, $174 million master plan. Renovations at the zoo’s entrance were recently completed. Phase 1 of African Grasslands — the largest project in the zoo’s history at $70 million and more than 28 acres — began this spring.

Behind Omaha in the rankings was the San Diego Zoo. Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz, Spain; St. Louis Zoo and Singapore Zoo rounded out the top five.

Omaha’s zoo is one of nine U.S. zoos in the top 25. The survey also ranked aquariums, though Omaha’s zoo did not appear in the top 10.

Here’s the top 10 zoo rankings:

1. Henry Doorly Zoo (Omaha)

2. San Diego Zoo (San Diego, California)

3. Loro Parque (Puerto de la Cruz, Spain)

4. St. Louis Zoo (St. Louis, Missouri)

5. Singapore Zoo (Singapore)

6. Chester Zoo (Chester, England)

7. Prague Zoo (Prague)

8. Tiergarten Schoenbrunn—Zoo Vienna (Vienna)

9. Bioparc Valencia (Valencia, Spain)

10. Gramado Zoo (Gramado, Brazil)

See the full list here