In humans, physical activity not only benefits physical health but mental health as well. At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the training and enrichment the animals can choose to participate in are also beneficial.
Research has shown that kids who have moderate physical activity in their day show increased attention, comprehension and learning ability, as our sponsor, Children’s Hospital Colorado explains in this article. The same is true for animals, which is why CMZoo keepers and trainers make daily enrichment and training a priority for the animals in their care, all with positive reinforcement.
“When we provide specific opportunities for animals to be physically active, we often see their overall activity level increase, even outside of the opportunities that we are providing,” said Rick Hester, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo animal behavior programs manager.
Emmett, CMZoo grizzly bear, consistently did a stretch on his own during interactions with keepers, which bears in the wild sometimes do.
“Emmett would sit down and hold his back legs with his front paws,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal care manager. “We saw him doing it so often that we started to incorporate it into his regular training and demonstrations, so our guests can see those natural behaviors. We call it the ‘yoga bear.’”
Over time, CMZoo grizzly bear, Digger, saw Emmett being rewarded for this behavior, and began imitating it, which his keepers of course rewarded.
Guests can see Emmett and Digger doing “yoga bear,” presenting their teeth for keepers to check and offering different parts of their bodies through a safe barrier, where keepers can perform health assessments and decide whether the bears might need veterinary care.
“Most of us know when our dog is excited to head out on a walk in the park, or is nervous about walking into the vet clinic,” said Hester. “Our animal keepers work hard to build trusting relationships with the animals in their care, so they also pick up on those insights from the animals.”
The African lion pride recently showed their keepers that a new and unusual enrichment activity got their approval, says African Rift Valley Keeper, Diana Miller, who has worked with the lions for six years.
“The lions absolutely love bubble baths, and we didn’t realize that until this year,” Miller said. “It surprised us, because we know they don’t usually like getting in the water. But, because we recognize their behaviors, we realized pretty quickly that it was different when bubbles were involved. They absolutely love it. We know they love it, because they play enthusiastically for a long time whenever when we offer them the bubble bath enrichment, and it’s really fun for guests to see.”
For a full schedule of demonstrations and training sessions, visit www.cmzoo.org/shows.
- Meet & Greets – unique animal interactions year-round, with any one of our smaller animals listed below.
- Animal Encounters – connect with amazing animals and their Keepers, plus options to feed many of the animals listed.
- V.I.P. Tours – behind-the-scenes exclusive animal experiences that make memories for a lifetime!
Once in a lifetime Opportunities
Select your unique experience from the following options:
Encounters
Opportunities to connect with amazing animals and their Keepers and a chance to feed any one of the animals below.
Note: All Encounters do not have any age restrictions unless otherwise noted, however children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost:
Tour prices are dependent upon the season.
Member discount: $50 off total tour cost. Group must have at least one active Zoo member on the tour to receive discount.
Summer ( May – August ) : $2,250 for up to (5) five people
Fall ( September – November ) : $2,000 for up to (5) five people
Winter ( December – February ) : $1,750 for up to (5) five people
Spring ( March – April ) : $2,000 for up to (5) five people
Zoo members give $75,000 to projects in Colorado Springs and worldwide
Colorado Springs, Colo. – Each year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members vote to select which CMZoo staff-championed conservation projects will receive funding. This year, $75,000 was allocated to support projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Kenya, Laos, Vietnam, and right here, in Colorado Springs.
Since 2015, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo member conservation grants have provided $375,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide. These funds are contributed directly by the Zoo’s members, as a part of their membership fees.
“This funding allows us to stay nimble in supporting frontline conservation efforts,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “Our legacy conservation partners, which receive support through our Quarters for Conservation funding, receive our long-term support. These staff-championed member-vote projects can support more emergent needs, like Save Vietnam’s Wildlife’s immediate need to care for 168 pangolins rescued from illegal wildlife trade.”
CMZoo members voted for their choice of eight nominated projects in March. The three projects that received the most votes received the full funding requested. Taking member votes and other indicators into consideration, a committee of CMZoo staff members determined how to distribute the remainder of the annual contribution.
“Our members are invested in these conservation efforts,” said Emmaline Repp-Maxwell, CMZoo membership manager. “This vote provides them the opportunity to help decide which projects receive funding that their membership fees support. By helping members connect with a specific cause, they realize their impact, and hopefully continue to take an interest in that cause. We work to help people make connections that inspire them to take action.”
The top three 2019 Member Conservation Vote winners, which will receive full funding, are:
African Lions – $3,000
A continued partnership, the Ewaso ‘Lion Kids Camp’ educates Kenyan children of pastoral families in ways to avoid lion predation of their livestock. Without the help of local communities, African lions could be extinct in the wild within 20 years. This funding will help support a youth camp designed to connect these children to the local wildlife and nature, encouraging them to protect and champion big cats.
Pollinator Gardens for Five Local Schools – $15,000
Pollinators, like butterflies, birds and bees, are incredibly important to a healthy habitat and help fertilize many of the plants, fruits and vegetables we enjoy. This program helps to teach students the importance of protecting pollinators by building a garden they nurture and grow. In 2018, members voted to support three Colorado Springs schools’ pollinator gardens, which are being established now, in 2019. Because CMZoo members voted this project in the top two for the last two years, CMZoo will offer an additional two grants, for a total of five new gardens, for $3,000 each. The region from which applicants may be considered will be expanded to include communities that neighbor Colorado Springs.
Mountain Tapir – $26,566
Found in Columbia, Ecuador and the far north of Peru, only 2,500 mountain tapir remain in the wild. CMZoo is one of two zoos in North America that this species calls home. A continuation of past monitoring projects, these funds would support the radio collaring of five additional tapirs in the wild, and collaboration with community education programs. This project, based in Ecuador, has already yielded important information regarding the movement, behaviors and territory of this critically endangered species. That data is vital in proving which areas of wilderness need protection if this species is to survive.
The remainder of the $75,000 grant fund was distributed to support three additional projects:
Save Vietnam’s Wildlife’s Emergency Pangolin Care – $5,000
Found in Africa and Asia, pangolins are the most trafficked animals in the world. Because they are also threatened by deforestation, all eight species of the pangolin are considered threatened with extinction (two of which are critically endangered). Save Vietnam’s Wildlife focuses on the recovery and release of native species confiscated in the illegal wildlife trade. This contribution is allocated for emergency funding to assist in the care of 168 recently confiscated pangolins, the largest group confiscated to date. These funds will help provide veterinary care until the pangolins are re-released.
Okapi Conservation Project – $15,000
Found in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and one of the most biologically diverse areas in all of Africa, okapi have only been known to science since 1901. Threatened by habitat destruction, mining, poaching and civil unrest, there may be as few as 10,000 left in the wild. Through the Okapi Conservation Project, this funding would support a community outreach program for World Okapi Day to promote local education and co-existence between okapi, their habitat and local villages. This project is co-supported by four other zoos.
Project Anoulak – $11,250
Based in the Annamite Mountains of Laos, Project Anoulak works to conserve and study wildlife in the Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area. One of the most important and biodiverse forests left in the region, it is threatened by unsustainable harvesting and farming practices, as well as illegal poaching. This funding will purchase the equipment needed to continue their critical conservation monitoring and research.
Of the $100,000 of conservation funding annually raised through membership revenue, $25,000 goes to Quarters for Conservation legacy projects and $75,000 goes to annual Member Conservation Vote grants.
About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2019, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #6 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #5 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 233 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of the few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.
Since 2015, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Member Conservation Grants has provided $300,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide. Last year, members voted to fund projects from Central Asia to right here in Colorado. Once again, it is time for members to help CMZoo decide which staff-championed conservation projects will receive full funding.
It also allows the Zoo to support immediate needs that might not fit into our annual Quarters for Conservation donations. One such member-elected conservation effort was providing emergency care for radiated tortoises that had been confiscated from the pet trade in Madagascar. The emergency pangolin project up for vote this year is another example.
“These conservation grants help our Zoo support really impactful conservation projects around the world,” said Dr.Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs, and head veterinarian at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “Most of the projects have a connection to species that live at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and often involve wildlife that are on the brink of extinction.”
A team of CMZoo employees forms the committee that spends months reviewing the staff-nominated conservation projects to select proposals with the greatest potential impact. The committee narrows the number of applicants down to a small group for the member vote. This year, there are eight projects for members to consider.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for members to make a direct positive impact in the wild because they get to vote on which grants get fully funded,” said Emma Repp-Maxwell, CMZoo membership manager. “It’s also a way for our staff to get support for conservation projects in our back yard and around the world.”
The three projects that receive the most votes will be fully funded. CMZoo will determine how to distribute the remainder of the annual $75,000 Member Conservation Grants among the remaining five projects.
Of the $100,000 of conservation funding annually raised through membership revenue, $25,000 goes to Quarters for Conservation legacy projects and $75,000 goes to these annual conservation grants.
“Our Zoo members are directly helping wildlife and make these conservation grants possible,” said Repp-Maxwell. “Every vote for these grants and every visit is directly helping our Zoo help wildlife.”
Learn about the individual staff-championed projects up for members’ consideration below, and click here to find out about becoming a Cheyenne Mountain Zoo member.
2019 CMZoo Member Vote Conservation Projects
African Lions – $3,000
A continued partnership, the Ewaso ‘Lion Kids Camp’ educates Kenyan children of pastoral families in ways to avoid lion predation of their livestock. Without the help of local communities, African lions could be extinct in the wild within 20 years. This funding would help support a youth camp designed to connect these children to the local wildlife and nature, encouraging them to protect and champion big cats.
Project Anoulak (white-cheeked gibbon, Asian otter, saola, etc.) – $11,250
Based in the Annamite Mountains of Laos, Project Anoulak works to conserve and study wildlife in the Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area. One of the most important and biodiverse forests left in the region, it is threatened by unsustainable harvesting and farming practices, as well as illegal poaching. This funding will purchase the equipment needed to continue their critical conservation monitoring and research.
Golden Lion Tamarin – $16,466
Urban expansion in their native Brazil has reduced golden lion tamarin habitat by 98 percent. While re-introduction programs have been successful, the survival of this species will rely on habitat restoration, protection and expansion. Through a local partner, these funds will support the planting and care of two acres of forest for three years. By connecting fragmented forests in protected areas and working with local communities, golden lion tamarins’ population and habitat will continue to grow and succeed.
Mountain Tapir – $26,566
Found in Columbia, Ecuador and the far north of Peru, only 2,000 mountain tapirs remain in the wild. CMZoo is one of two zoos in North America that this species calls home. A continuation of past monitoring projects, these funds would support the radio collaring of five additional tapirs in the wild. This project, based in Ecuador, has already yielded important information regarding the movement, behaviors and territory of this critically endangered species. That data is vital in proving which areas of wilderness need protection if this species is to survive.
Saola Working Group – $5,000
Found in the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam, the saola, nicknamed the ‘Asian unicorn,’ is one of the rarest large animals on earth. Scientifically discovered in 1992, their main threat is not deforestation, but commercial poaching and snare hunting. Because not much is known about this elusive species, this funding will purchase 25 camera traps to continue to monitor and research the forests they call home.
Pollinator Garden for Local Schools – $9,000
Pollinators, like butterflies, birds and bees, are incredibly important to a healthy habitat and help fertilize many of the plants, fruits and vegetables we enjoy. For the second year in a row, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will provide pollinator grants to three local elementary schools for $3,000 each. This program will help teach students the importance of protecting pollinators by building a garden they nurture and grow.
Pangolins – $5,000
Found in Africa and Asia, pangolins are the most trafficked animals in the world. Because they are also threatened by deforestation, all eight species of the pangolin are considered threatened with extinction (two of which are critically endangered). Save Vietnam’s Wildlife focuses on the recovery and release of native species confiscated in the illegal wildlife trade. They are seeking emergency funding to assist in the care of 168 recently confiscated pangolins, the largest group confiscated to date. These funds would help provide veterinary care until they are re-released.
Okapi – $6,000
Found in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and one of the most biologically diverse areas in all of Africa, okapis have only been known to science since 1901. Threatened by habitat destruction, mining, poaching and civil unrest, there may be as few as 10,000 left in the wild. Through the Okapi Conservation Project, this funding would support a community outreach program for World Okapi Day to promote local education and co-existence between okapis, their habitat and local villages. This projected is co-supported by four other zoos.
Art Colors Life.
Zoo Keepers work with the animals that enjoy painting as a form of enrichment. Some animals paint year-round, like our orangutans and elephants, while others simply try it out. Special edition artwork is produced on unique occasions by an individual animal or a combination of animals contributing to the final piece. Methods and processes therefore vary by species, and all are a part of enrichment for the animal(s).
Unique Benefits of Special Edition Art:
– Painting enriches the animal’s lives and stimulates their minds.
– Each animal has its own individual style of painting.
– These are one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork.
– Proceeds from sale of Special Edition Art go toward the care of all the animals at the Zoo.
Support your favorites with digital, traditional, gift package, and group adoptions. Gifting any adopt choice is available by simply completing the gift area at checkout.
