Foster any animal and you’ll help Cheyenne Mountain Zoo continue to provide outstanding care. Whether given as a gift or used to celebrate a favorite species, symbolic adoptions come with a variety of benefits only adoptive parents can enjoy.
Ways to adopt your favorites:
- Digital Adoption – ($35) choose any Zoo animal from the full list provided below.
- Group Adoption – ($35+) pick a herd, chatter or family for your classroom or group, offered for certain featured animals below.
- Traditional Adoption – ($50+) choose any Zoo animal from the full list provided below.
- Wild Adopt Gift Packages – ($65) includes a cuddly plush, offered for many featured animals below.
- Gift any Adoption – ($35+) gifting any adoption is offered during check-out.
Note: Weather Permitting. Maximum four(4) person limit per reservation for Orangutan Encounters.
Every day of the year, conservation is at the center of the inspiration and work at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. As 2018 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on some of CMZoo’s conservation contributions this year. We hope you’ll be inspired to take action, big or small, to join us in the important work of conserving endangered species for generations to come.
One way to support wildlife conservation (while learning a lot and having a great time) is by visiting the Zoo! Through CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, guests contribute to conservation around the world, simply by visiting the Zoo. For each paid admission to the Zoo, 75¢ is directly allocated for conservation programs including safeguarding African vultures, rescuing frogs in Panama, protecting wild orangutans, restoring the population of black-footed ferrets, saving wild giraffe, increasing the population of endangered Wyoming toads and helping to protect African elephants and rhinoceroses. Each year, Quarters for Conservation allows Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to contribute $500,000 to these conservation efforts and more.
Learn more about Quarters for Conservation here and continue reading to learn about some of 2018’s conservation highlights.
Operation Twiga
Giraffe conservation was given a generous boost from many helping hands when Operation Twiga continued in 2018 with Operation Twiga III in Uganda. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff and other concerned conservationists took part in translocating endangered Nubian giraffe to a safer location, where they could establish new herds and maintain the important genetics of their subspecies. Additionally, the operation generated more critical health data which will feed research that helps conservationists understand disease management and threats facing all giraffe in the wild.
During Operation Twiga III, the team was able to capture and move a total of 14 giraffe from Murchison Falls National Park, where oil drilling is set to begin, to their new home in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Tsavo Trust
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation has allowed us to send more support to Tsavo Trust – a field-based non-profit organization in Africa that uses aerial surveillance and on-the-ground field efforts to protect wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in Kenya. The organization was founded to help protect the last of the “big tuskers,” which are likely the last viable genetic pool of African elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds each. The park is also home to a number of black rhino sanctuaries established by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KSW) and supported by the Zoological Society of London. The black rhino is critically endangered, due primarily to illegal poaching for their horns.
In partnership with the Kratt Foundation in August, CMZoo sent $53,333 to support ongoing anti-poaching aerial surveillance efforts, bringing the total contribution to $145,000. These funds also helped complete the construction of Tsavo Trust on-site staff housing. This donation means Tsavo Trust can continue to monitor and protect roughly 16,000 miles of land that is vital to the survival of these endangered species.
Black footed-ferrets
In mid-September, four kits and four adult black-footed ferrets (BFF) were moved to a preconditioning center outside of Fort Collins, Colo., where biologists observe the ferrets to ensure they can hunt, avoid predators and shelter themselves to survive without human intervention and continue to increase the endangered species’ population when they’re introduced into the wild.
Since the 1981 discovery of a small population of BFFs in Meeteetse, Wyoming, conservationists launched a black-footed ferret recovery plan which continues to increase the population. Numbers fluctuate, but recent reports estimate 350 BFFs are thriving in the wild, thanks to this program.
Protecting wild orangutans
Palm oil is widely used in many products, ranging from food to cosmetics, but is grown in just a few countries throughout the world. This includes much of Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to orangutans and other unique species. As the demand for palm oil has increased globally, Indonesia’s and Malaysia’s natural rainforest has decreased in size as a result of unsustainable slash-and-burn clearing to make way for more palm oil crops. This loss of habitat threatens the survival of many native species.
CMZoo is committed to educating the public about the use of sustainable palm oil, providing guidance about which companies are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, which means they are committed to using sustainably produced palm oil in their products. In September, CMZoo’s palm oil team traveled to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums annual conference to share knowledge and resources. CMZoo’s palm oil app has been named as a reliable guide for information on sustainable palm oil in many publications and forums, including most recently by National Geographic.
African vultures
Vulture conservation has been a focus at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for nearly a decade, and while strides have been made toward protecting them, this critically important species still hovers on the brink of extinction. They need our help more than ever.
This year, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums voted to include African vultures as one of their SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) projects, thereby creating an opportunity for more united conservation efforts. Currently, 12 zoos across the country are committed to partnering with African conservation organizations in order to address the African vulture population crisis. As part of this group, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo supports Vulpro in their efforts to re-introduce African vultures to their wild habitat through one of our Quarters for Conservation legacy projects.
In addition, these birds have been part of our annual membership vote the past three years. We are proud to say that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has donated nearly $67,000 to vulture conservation to date.
Wyoming toads
CMZoo made favorable strides in the management of endangered Wyoming toads in spring and early summer as CMZ experienced a robust egg-laying season, followed by the release of hundreds of year-old toads into the wild. Wyoming toads are currently listed as “extinct in the wild” by The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
On May 30, our CMZoo staff released more than 200 head start toads into the wetlands of the Laramie Basin of Wyoming. At the same time, 856 head-start toads were released by Saratoga National Fish Hatchery and around 50 were released by the Leadville National Fish Hatchery.
Head-start toads develop from tadpoles hatched the previous year. This year’s breeding season at CMZ began June 4 when, after hibernating for 35 days, 11 pairs of adult Wyoming toads were put together in the breeding center. Nine of the pairs produced fertile egg strands, which included 14,822 eggs!
The work continues, as we grow our conservation programs and educate the public about how they can help support efforts to protect wild species.
– Cheyenne Mountain Zoo supports newly passed principles and criteria for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil as progress in the fight again deforestation –
November 16, 2018, Colorado Springs, CO – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was among those who voted “Yes” on passing the ratified Principles & Criteria (P&C) during 2018’s Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) conference in Malaysia this week. The new P&C is the result of months of extensive public and stakeholder consultation representing environmental NGOs, social NGOs, retailors, consumer goods manufacturers, palm oil traders, and oil palm growers.
Supported by many environmental organizations, the new P&C includes important environmentally friendly steps forward such as regulation on High Conservation Value areas, use of the High Carbon Stock Approach toolkit, no planting on peat regardless of depth, and banning fire as a method for land preparation. The new P&C also includes strengthened requirements on labor rights such as decent living wages and housing, and strengthens the RSPO’s commitment to not condoning child or trafficked labor.
These updated environmental policies are important because:
- High Conservation Value areas are biologically diverse areas home to rare and endangered species, ecosystems and habitats. These areas also act as an important resource for local communities and can have cultural and historical significance.
- The High Carbon Stock Approach toolkit incorporates the latest scientific research, feedback from on-the-ground trials, and new topics and input from working groups on best practices to identify and protect tropical forests.
- Peatlands are a “carbon sink” for the planet that store billions of tons of organic carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, a heavy contributor to the changing global climate. Peatlands are also important ecosystems that are home to many unique species of plants and animals.
- No longer allowing fire as an acceptable method for land preparation will prevent significant biodiversity and carbon loss as well as prevent the emission of dangerous pollutants that can worsen air quality and cause harm to human health.
The newly adopted environmental and social criteria marks ongoing improvement in the certified sustainable palm oil supply chain. The not-for-profit RSPO is the largest sustainable palm oil certifying scheme and takes a holistic approach to improving the supply chain by bringing all stakeholders together. Currently the RSPO has more than 4,000 members worldwide who have committed to producing, sourcing, and promoting sustainable palm oil. Certified sustainable palm oil is the best way to protect the environment, along with the people and wildlife who live there. When grown sustainably, palm oil is the best option as oil palms produce four-to-ten times more oil than other edible oil crops such as coconut, olive, sunflower and rapeseed. Boycotting palm oil will increase the demand for less eco-friendly vegetable oils and can worsen deforestation and cause it to spread to other parts of the world.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has been a member of the RSPO since 2010 and takes an active role in North America as a leader in the sustainable palm oil movement. The Zoo works to educate consumers on the importance of choosing sustainable palm oil and then connects them with companies who could be doing better to demand change. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo also manages a free app that consumers can utilize during shopping trips to discover which companies are working to conserve endangered species such as orangutans, tigers and rhinos. Those who wish to support orangutan-friendly companies can find the app by searching “Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping” in the app store and looking for the green orangutan, or by visiting the Zoo’s Orangutans & Palm Oil page.
About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s only mountain zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s hope that 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 just ten operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s orangutans are having a swingin’-good time, thanks to a newly renovated exhibit. Several new features take them to heights they would frequent in the wild.
The new structures and features, including new platforms, hammocks, tree structures, sway poles and fifty-foot-long ‘vines’ constructed of fire hose, overlook the city of Colorado Springs from above the main Zoo parking lot. Primate World keepers teamed up with the CMZoo horticulture and maintenance crew to bring this dream habitat to life. It’s designed to keep our orangutans stimulated, strong and enriched.
“We knew we wanted an area that would provide them with opportunities to mimic wild orangutans’ natural behaviors in forests,” said Eleanor Knox, Australia native and Primate World senior animal keeper. “It’s really exciting that we’ve been able to create a space with structures that allow them to climb high, jump, swing around and relax.”
Young orangutans, like almost four-year-old Bornean orangutan cutie Ember, have a lot of energy and like to jump, climb and swing, while mature males, like her dad Tujoh, like to spend time resting and relaxing outside. The design that the team put together allows the CMZoo orangutans to enjoy all kinds of activities.
“Our main goal was to get them up off the ground so they can move around like they would in the wild,” said Knox. “In the forests in southeast Asia, most orangutans stay up high in the trees. Our group of new bright green sway poles mimics large bamboo forests. Orangutans will climb up them and move around between them. They’ll even use their two sets of ‘hands’ to climb up high, while holding on to two different poles.”
Orangutans have famously enormous wingspans and superhero-strong arms. An adult orangutan can stand five feet tall and stretch seven feet from fingertip to fingertip. Their impressive reach, upper body strength and long, curved hands and feet make them the ultimate acrobats.
“Another cool feature in the new orangutan yard is the feeder ball,” Knox said. “Orangutans are capable of climbing way up high and hanging down precariously to get their food. Having four ‘hands’ makes it easy to do that.”
The vibrant yellow and green feeder balls are hollow spheres with various-sized holes through which the red apes can retrieve their snacks. One of the feeders hangs from cable at the end of a twelve-foot-high pole with a four-foot curved end.
“It’s another piece of the yard that’s mentally and physically stimulating for them,” Knox said. “That’s the way they’d get their food in the wild. They can climb up high, swing or climb past the curve at the top of the pole and reach down to retrieve the snacks we put inside the ball.”
It’s not all swinging, jumping, trapezing and climbing, though.
“They spend a lot of their time lazing around. Especially our big males,” Knox said. “They’re not super active by nature. You wouldn’t think it watching our ‘wild child,’ Ember, but orangutans have one of the slowest metabolisms next to sloths.”
Along with the fun spaces intended for high-energy activities, the team incorporated several composite decking platforms, hammocks and relaxation spaces to accommodate the orangutans’ much-needed down time.
“We found a big sphere and cut it in half, then attached some fire hose to make a dome swing,” Knox said. “Our big Bornean orangutan male, Tujoh, loves it. He lounged in there for a good while the other day. Hadiah [Ember’s mom] has had a go in it, too, and they just kind of relax and hang out.”
Sumatran orangutan Sumagu also seems to enjoy the new exhibit. Keepers say she and her baby Kera enjoyed one particularly sunny platform so much, they were starting to think Sumagu had decided to move in permanently.
Before turning it over to the orangutans, Primate World keepers tested the area.
“We had a bit of a practice and tested out the new yard activities ourselves,” Knox said. “All of the bolts and connectors have to be super locked down because they’re so smart that they’ll undo whatever they can. We have to make sure it’s all tight. We had good fun out there.”
The new habitat means orangutans will get to participate in new behaviors and demonstrations, which the orangutans have already started learning.
“They’re starting to learn a bunch of new behaviors that we’ll be able to share with guests during demonstrations when the weather warms up,” Knox said. “We’ll be highlighting all of their natural behaviors, like climbing and doing big ‘Tarzan swings’ to show what they’d do in the wild. They can go up on the high platforms, grab onto a piece of hanging fire hose ‘vine’ and off they go.”
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo orangutan enrichment trainings and demonstrations take place every day at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Knox says on warm winter days, they’ll be practicing their new moves for everyone to see.
— Baby Sumatran orangutan is the third offspring for Sumagu —
Colorado Springs, CO – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of a baby Sumatran orangutan, born at 9:28 p.m. last night. The baby is the third offspring for 30-year-old mom, Sumagu (soo-mah’-goo), and 27-year-old dad, Baka (bah’-kuh).
Mother and baby are in their regular exhibit in Primate World, which will be open for guests. Depending on where Sumagu decides to spend time, she and the baby may or may not be visible to guests.
Mother and baby appear to be healthy and bonding well, so the Zoo’s staff has not intervened to determine the sex of the baby or any other details. The baby was clinging strongly to Sumagu within minutes after birth. Sumagu came over to animal and vet staff to take some fruit, and they could tell she had done a great job cleaning the baby up quickly. She then spent some time rearranging her nest after the birth. The pair have also been observed successfully nursing.
Sumagu’s two previous offspring were both males – Makan, born in January 2003 and Godek, born in February 2009. Both of them now make their homes at other Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos.
The Zoo’s last orangutan born was Bornean orangutan Ember, who is now 3 1/2 years old. Orangutans are pregnant for an average of 245 days, or a little over eight months.
In the wild, orangutan fathers do not usually participate in raising offspring, but they tend to do well in zoos where there isn’t competition for food and mates. Baka revealed great fatherly instincts with his previous two offspring. Staff are hopeful this will be the case with this new little one, but just to be sure, he will be kept separated from mom and baby for a short time.
Sumagu and Baka’s wild Sumatran orangutan counterparts are critically endangered. Non-sustainable palm oil production is fueling destruction of the rainforest habitat of Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, pushing those endangered species even closer to extinction. Found in cookies, crackers, frozen dinners, shampoo, lotions, cosmetics, pet food and many other products, palm oil is now the most widely produced edible oil.
You can help Cheyenne Mountain Zoo make a difference in this crisis by choosing the products you buy carefully using our sustainable palm oil shopping app. The app helps consumers make responsible decisions about the food and health/beauty products purchased every day – just scan a product in the app, and it will tell you how that company is doing with using responsibly sourced palm oil for their products. To download the app, or to learn more about the palm oil crisis, visit www.cmzoo.org/palmoil.
About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s ONLY mountain zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s hope that guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 230 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just nine operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues and donations for funding.
For further information, contact:
Jenny Koch, Marketing Director
719.424.7814 (office)
719.205.7430 (text)
[email protected]