Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, Aysan, has spent the last few months adjusting to her new life, and her new roommate, in Scutes Family Gallery. Aysan came to CMZoo to join 31-year-old male sloth, Bosco, on a breeding recommendation. As an older sloth, Bosco is very familiar with keepers and guests, and he has helped Aysan come out of her shell.

Aysan is interested in training, especially when her favorite snacks are involved, and is currently working on voluntary injection training. Because keepers have built a trusting relationship with Aysan, she allows them to touch her back and stomach and has already voluntarily participated in x-rays. This training is especially important should Aysan become pregnant in the future.

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In early November, the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (The Giraffe Center) traveled to Bristol Zoo, in the United Kingdom, to host their first giraffe care workshop abroad. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo established The Giraffe Center in 2022 to serve as a resource for giraffe caregivers worldwide.

“We have hosted giraffe care workshops all over the U.S. and virtually with teams in other countries, but Bristol Zoo’s workshop was our first international in-person outreach,” said Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at The Giraffe Center. “It’s really helpful for us to work hands-on with teams and their giraffe herds in their facilities. Our training and care teachings share a common foundation, but we can understand their challenges and obstacles better when we experience them, which means we’re better able to customize their training.”

Through their combined decades in the giraffe care field, The Giraffe Center team had previous working relationships with a Bristol Zoo giraffe keeper, who managed logistics for the workshop in England so The Giraffe Center team could focus on the 4-day workshop curriculum. Attendees included Bristol Zoo’s giraffe care team and British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Giraffe Focus Group members. The workshop included lecture-style presentations, group discussions, role-playing and actual practice focused on giraffe nutrition, natural behaviors, hoof anatomy and care, and positive reinforcement training.

“Just like when we’re training animals, we use small approximations to move through training steps with our workshop attendees,” said Diana Miller, giraffe specialist at The Giraffe Center. “Before we start training with the giraffe, we practice hands-on with humans, so we’re presenting the best polished training to the giraffe. Instead of realizing questions you need to ask while you’re working with a giraffe, you can recognize what you don’t know while you’re practicing with a human.”

Practicing hoof care on humans isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Attendees move through the motions they will present to giraffe, with Schilz and Miller guiding them. They role play where they’ll stand, where the giraffe needs to stand, how they’ll hold their target stick and hoof trimming tools, how they’ll deliver verbal and physical cues, how they’ll access reinforcers – like crackers or carrots – and how quickly to reinforce the right behaviors. They also practice trimming hooves on cadaver hooves from reputable sources.

“The fact that Bristol Zoo invested in this workshop shows how dedicated their team is,” said Schilz. “When we started working with their giraffe, it was even more obvious how strong their relationships are with their keepers. The Bristol Zoo giraffe were comfortable, social and engaged, and that gives us a great foundation to build upon with new or different techniques.”

In positive reinforcement training, one of the first questions The Giraffe Center team asks themselves is, ‘what does the animal need to know in order to know something else?’ Because giraffe are often food motivated, the first thing they need to know is how to eat politely.

“Teaching a giraffe to eat and stay still while they’re eating is a prerequisite for blood draws, ultrasounds, hoof care and more voluntary behaviors,” said Miller. “It’s a lot harder than you think to teach that. You’re learning to communicate as a giraffe-caregiver team, and you’re finding a balance between maintaining their excitement for the reward food item and teaching them they can trust that we will deliver it when they stand still.”

The teams worked together to make progress on hoof care, stand-still behavior, target training and more. They also shared insight on giraffe nutrition and natural foraging behaviors, and other topics central to good giraffe welfare in human care.

The Giraffe Center team’s experience with their first overseas workshop further ignited their passion for giraffe care and for supporting the people who can truly make a difference in setting the standard for excellent giraffe care.

“In 2015, when we were starting training programs, we were focused on showing people what’s possible,” said Schilz. “Now, we’re really honing our teaching skills. We’re constantly pursuing education, connecting with other experts in our field and sharing what we’re learning, so we can be the best central resource for other giraffe organizations.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo made an investment in The Giraffe Center that gives all giraffe caregivers access to a dedicated team focused entirely on giraffe care and conservation.

“The more we host these workshops, the more we learn and share,” said Miller. “It’s all about creative collaboration. We take the same science and apply it differently depending on the animals, humans and environment they are in. That’s our goal for the Giraffe Center – to be a custom-built resource for other giraffe care teams.”

The Giraffe Center is booking workshops for giraffe care teams and giraffe enthusiasts globally. For more information, visit cmzoo.org/giraffecare.

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During the winter months, many Coloradans stay active by enjoying the state’s 300 days of sunshine or embracing the alpine lifestyle and hitting the slopes. For some nature enthusiasts, it can be hard to know where to start in the winter world of outdoor adventure. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s EdVenture team has just the program: Outdoor School!

Outdoor School is a year-round program that includes special winter-themed courses. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado say helping kids stay active, despite colder temperatures and shorter days, has countless mental and physical health benefits.

“As outdoor and environmental educators, we see first-hand the health benefits of spending time outside in nature,” said Russell Friedman, education specialist at CMZoo. “Learners of all ages can enjoy safe, natural settings at the Zoo and at spaces around our community as a way to boost their mental and physical health.”

Studies have shown that spending just 15 minutes outside each day can immensely improve a person’s mental state of mind and overall happiness. Outdoor School’s variety of programs can be both soothing and exciting.

“Whether we are hiking on our Zoo’s behind-the-scenes nature trail, learning about animals by spending time with them or meditating outside, we are providing ways for all our participants to practice healthy habits for mind and body,” Friedman said.

Each course is $24.75 and includes daytime admission to the Zoo that day. In January and February, Outdoor School programming includes nature-driven courses focusing on animals’ winter weather adaptations, animal tracking 101, mindfulness practices in nature and animal habitats for winter. Students learn through hands-on activities and unique nature-based experiences.

No matter the season, there are always fun opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and the EdVenture team at CMZoo is committed to helping people discover those outlets. Cooler temperatures add to the experience, too.

“With each program, we emphasize the first principle of Leave No Trace, which is ‘Plan Ahead and Prepare’,” Friedman said. “We provide a checklist prior to each workshop so everyone is prepared for time outside, especially during the winter season. We also constantly move throughout the Zoo, so our bodies are staying active and warm. When necessary, we will take learning breaks in many of the Zoo’s heated indoor animal habitats to help connect participants to wild places and our wildlife.”

New Outdoor School programs are added to the schedule throughout the year, so consider letting CMZoo’s EdVenture team help your family members take safe steps into nature in a variety of ways. See current programming and register at cmzoo.org/outdoorschool.

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It was a big year to celebrate for black-footed ferret (BFF) conservation enthusiasts. Including Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s kits, 417 BFF kits were born into the program. That’s the most kits born in a single year program-wide in a decade!

Led by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Black-Footed Ferret SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, breed-and-release programs at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Phoenix Zoo, Toronto Zoo, Louisville Zoo and National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center work together to save the species. CMZoo contributed 21 kits this year and released 12 kits and 2 beyond-breeding-age adults into wild conservation habitats in Colorado.

Once the kits are old enough to live independently – around 3 months old – they are transported from the conservation center at CMZoo to BFF ‘boot camp,’ in Fort Collins, where they spend time in a pre-release pen that simulates the opportunities and challenges they’ll encounter in the wild. When they prove they can hunt, find shelter and survive in the pre-release pen, they are cleared for wild release. Ferrets that don’t graduate from boot camp are brought back to support breeding efforts or serve as ambassadors for their species, if they’re too old to reproduce.

In November, CMZoo staff and board members traveled to protected prairie lands in Pueblo, Colo., to see the ferrets run free into their new home.

“We invite staff from all departments to participate in releases, and we especially aim to bring staff from The Loft and EdVenture department, who can share their inspiration when guests asks about Rouge – a BFF that lives in The Loft,” said Jeff Baughman, field conservation coordinator at CMZoo. Baughman manages the BFF breeding program at CMZoo and has attended annual releases for nearly 20 years. ”The experience is rewarding, and it inspires us to inspire others to care for wildlife and wild places, and continue our work contributing to conservation efforts.”

Native to prairies stretching from Mexico to Canada, BFFs were thought to be extinct in the 1980s. During Western frontier explorations in the early 1900s, cargo ships from Europe and Asia inadvertently brought sylvatic plague to North America. The spread of the plague bacteria by fleas among prairie dogs (and other animals), combined with poisoning and eradication programs led by newly settled farmers and ranchers who saw prairie dogs as pests, drastically reduced the prairie dog population. Because prairie dogs are their main food source, BFF populations declined dramatically along with them.

On Sept. 26, 1981, a ranch dog named Shep caught a BFF. Shep’s catch led to the discovery of a small population of the elusive animals in Meeteetse, Wyoming. Since then, zoos, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center and other organizations have banded together to breed, prepare, release and monitor BFFs to increase the population.

Because they or their offspring could be released to the wild, every effort is made to keep the BFFs born and raised at CMZoo as wild as possible. So, they are not visible to CMZoo guests. Guests can visit Rouge, a former breeding male that now lives in The Loft.

Prior to the CMZoo releases last month in Pueblo, the sites were managed for sylvatic plague through oral bait vaccines for prairie dogs living on these sites and dusting to eliminate plague-carrying fleas. Sylvatic plague transferred by fleas is now prairie dogs’ primary threat – and BFFs need prairie dogs as their primary food and shelter source. BFFs and other prairie species live in abandoned prairie dog tunnels.

“Being in the field with people who advocate for BFFs but haven’t released them before takes me back to my most inspiring black-footed ferret release at a ranch in New Mexico in 2008,” said Baughman. “On our way to the ferret release area we drove through a huge herd of powerful bison. It helped me imagine a time when bison, swift foxes, burrowing owls, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets were abundant together in the prairie.”

“We released them before dusk and after sunset we went back to spotlight and monitor the first ferret we had released,” said Baughman. “To our surprise, it was above ground with two swift foxes. They looked almost the same size from a distance and their interaction seemed more curious and playful than threatening. It was as if they were old friends reunited after a long time apart. It looked like they were dancing on the prairie, under the moonlight, as they have done for thousands of years. The bison, the swift foxes and the prairie were truly magical. That was a day that I will remember forever.”

Bison have a similar story to the black-footed ferret. They were nearly eradicated to extinction and are now recovering with the help of people dedicated to them. Baughman sees them as proof that animals can possibly recover, and if people work together, they could potentially bring back some of the prairie ecosystem to its original splendor.

“Zoos have been so instrumental in those recoveries,” said Baughman. “The work we’ve been doing at CMZoo for 42 years, helping black-footed ferrets recover, helps the entire ecosystem because prairie species need each other.”

At the core of the prairie’s survival is the prairie dog. Prairie experts estimate that 170 prairie species depend on the prairie dog – and bison make life richer for the prairie dogs, which in turn support the BFFs. Bison graze differently than livestock. They cut the grass instead of uprooting it, which benefits natural vegetation, healthy drainage and nutrient-rich soil for the mostly herbivorous prairie dogs. The bison’s literal heavy presence also loosens soil, which prairie dogs dig to create tunnels that house their colonies and later become homes for BFFs and other species, like box turtles and burrowing owls.

“It is a complicated balance that we want to support without getting too involved in,” said Baughman. “Ultimately, we want a future that doesn’t need our breed-and-release program because it’s sustaining itself in the wild.”

Until then, Baughman and his inspired team will continue the work with the support of CMZoo guests and members. Back at the conservation center up above CMZoo, the meticulous yearly cycle of preparing for another breeding year has already begun. They recently welcomed new breeding females and males and are moving them through the simulated light cycle that triggers their natural instinct to breed in the spring. After such a successful breeding year, program partners are optimistic about 2024.

Every CMZoo guest helps support this important program because 75 cents from every admission goes to Quarters for Conservation, which helps fund BFF conservation and other important efforts around the world. Since 2008, Q4C has raised nearly $5 million for these programs. To learn more about the black-footed ferret breeding program and CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, visit cmzoo.org/conservation.

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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s members are taking the joys of birdwatching to another level – and the biggest benefactors are the birdies.

In March 2023, as part of the annual CMZoo Member Conservation Vote, members chose to fund the purchase and installation of three cutting-edge technology bird-tracking towers that will support a growing global network of conservationists. To understand birds’ obstacles and declining populations, scientists need to study their migration paths, stopover sites, summer breeding and over-wintering locations.

Birders have tracked bird movements for decades by banding and releasing individual wild birds and hoping to catch them again later to document their ages and locations. While it is and has been a beneficial science, it provides data based on single moments in time, rather than providing a full picture of a bird’s migration and movements.

With the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus), unassuming towers and tiny bird ‘backpacks’ work together to collect ongoing data via radio telemetry. The lightweight and unobtrusive tracking ‘backpacks’ come in a variety of sizes fit for birds, bats and butterflies – and some are even solar powered. Conservationists just need to catch a bird once to attach a tracker that ‘pings’ the towers when it flies by. The towers are peppered across North, Central and South America and in several parts of Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia.

“Colorado and the Rocky Mountain corridor have some Motus towers, but not as many as other migration flyways,” Rebecca Zwicker, animal care manager at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Zwicker and other CMZoo staff presented the Motus tower project for members’ consideration in 2023. “If you build it, they will come. We need more towers to encourage researchers to put the backpacks on the birds. Without more receiver towers, it’s not worth tagging the birds with these state-of-the-art trackers. We’re really looking forward to seeing our first backpacked bird’s data pop up on our tower – hopefully by this spring during the Great Migration.”

Members funded the purchase and installation of three Motus receiver towers. The first CMZoo member tower – a 10-foot tall mast with two perpendicular antenna facing Colorado Springs from the Zoo – is reminiscent of an old-school TV antenna. It is a permanent structure on the south side of the Lodge at Moose Lake.

“It’s in a really great spot because the towers have an unobstructed view above the trees,” said Zwicker. “We put it here because we wanted members and guests to see it and to ask questions about it. A digital display board in The Loft will collect the data from tagged birds that fly by our tower. That board connects to Motus.org, where the data is compiled and shared globally on a daily basis.”

Each tower can track a 5- to 8-mile radius of birds carrying the Motus telemetry tags. The second CMZoo member-funded tower will soon be installed at Fountain Creek Nature Center, so the two towers’ tracking radiuses should overlap. The third tower will later be installed in an undecided location, once CMZoo conservationists learn best practices for the first two towers.

“One of the beautiful parts of contributing to this conservation collaboration is that most towers’ data is available to anyone,” said Cassie Spero, animal keeper in The Loft and part of the Motus team at CMZoo. “Conservationists will use this data to understand species and propose important habitat protections. But, if you’re working on a research project for school, or you’re tracking migrations out of personal curiosity, the data will be there for you.”

The Zoo does not have current plans to band or ‘backpack’ any birds and will leave that to the wild bird banding experts. CMZoo’s strength as conservation advocates lies largely in its ability to reach so many people with opportunities to support conservation partners and collaborative efforts, like Motus. By adding more towers to the fledgling Colorado network of receivers, Zoo members are helping lay the groundwork for enormous progress in bird protections.

“Birds enhance our natural world – not just with their beauty and the magic of their presence,” said Zwicker. “They bring a little wonderment to your day, but they also serve important roles in our natural world – across all ecosystems as pollinators, clean-up crews, seed dispersers and food sources. It’s a really feel-good effort and it makes me grateful that our members have allowed us to join this global community committed to the conservation of the beautiful birds of the world.”

Every membership and every visit to the Zoo is conservation in action. In addition to the nearly $5 million raised through admissions for the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation legacy conservation partners, since 2015, CMZoo’s Member Conservation Vote has provided $675,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide.

Each year, a total of $100,000 of membership revenue is contributed to conservation in two ways:

  • $25,000 to the Quarters for Conservation program, which in total contributes half a million dollars on average annually to CMZoo’s legacy conservation partners.
  • $75,000 to projects voted for by CMZoo members through this annual vote.

Bird enthusiasts at home can try their hands at birdwatching for Colorado winter birds by playing with these CMZoo Colorado Backyard Bird Bingo cards!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is mourning the passing of a truly iconic animal: Juju, a 43-year-old female Western lowland gorilla. After a significant decline due to kidney disease and other age-related ailments, her care team made the compassionate decision to euthanize her today.

A month ago, Juju underwent an immobilization and treatment to address a downturn in her health. At that time, they unfortunately discovered late-stage kidney disease and held onto hope that she could live a comfortable life for longer than this. After a recent rapid decline, they ruled out additional care under anesthesia because it is always risky and is not a long-term solution for good welfare. It was clear to Juju’s team that her best care option was to give her a peaceful passing without pain.

Juju came to CMZoo at the age of 2, in September 1982. She was one of the Zoo’s longest residents, and many Zoo members, staff and guests made connections with her, thanks to her confident role in the gorilla troop.

“She was such a leader in the group, and she made it clear to her keeper team that she was the one in charge, too,” said Amy Tuchman, senior animal keeper. “I remember once scattering food from the roof into the gorilla yard with a colleague who didn’t know her preferences as well. She was sitting on the hill with her hand out, catching food from us when he threw her a carrot – not her favorite. She threw it right back at him with such intention.”

Juju was a big presence in so many ways, including her volume. She was extremely vocal, often grumbling loudly – a sign of a satisfied gorilla – when she got a favorite piece of produce. She was also gentle and playful with her gorilla bestie, Roxie, a 47-year-old female.

“She had the most incredible relationship with Roxie of any two gorillas I’ve ever seen or heard about,” said Carrie Supino, animal keeper in Primate World. “Occasionally, we’d get the rare benefit of catching them in the middle of tickle fights where they’d wrestle with each other and make happy play faces, which for two ‘old ladies’ was always such a heartwarming thing to see.”

Juju wasn’t just playful with Roxie; she would also engage in play behaviors with her keepers.

“Sometimes, she would come over to the mesh near keepers and grumble her happy grumble and want you to play with her,” said Debbie Fenton, senior animal keeper. “Gorillas can be ticklish and when Juju wanted to be tickled, she would stand up, put her back against the mesh and raise her big arms, so you could tickle her through the fencing under her arms and on her back as she ‘laughed’ in her own gorilla way.”

A truly multifaceted individual, Juju was also an excellent participant in voluntary husbandry training, which she learned at the Zoo through positive reinforcement, a training method by which animals have the choice of whether to participate, and get their favorite treats when they choose to engage. This training helps animals live healthy lives full of choice and care when they are healthy, and allows them to receive lower-stress care when they need medical attention. Juju’s repertoire of training skills allowed her to calmly receive an anesthesia injection when she recently presented her shoulder to keepers, which they interpreted as her asking for help when she was not feeling well at the end of October.

“She was always eager to train, even when the training was for a more difficult behavior, like receiving an injection or, more recently, getting a blood pressure reading on a finger cuff or participating in a cardiac ultrasound,” said Ashton Asbury, animal keeper in Primate World. “She learned voluntary blood pressure reading and cardiac ultrasound behaviors in just a few sessions, which is phenomenal.”

The median life expectancy of a female Western lowland gorilla in human care is 39 years, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Primate World is closed today to allow staff and the remaining gorilla troop of four to process her passing. Because gorillas are tightly bonded social animals, caregivers plan to give the gorillas, Goma, Kwisha, Asha and Roxie, the opportunity to view Juju after her passing. The animal care team will closely monitor the troop’s individual behaviors and social dynamic, and will make adjustments to care plans, if needed. Please keep Juju’s keepers and troop members in your thoughts as they process the loss of such an iconic CMZoo presence.

“Juju was a special gorilla,” said Jon Wild, lead animal keeper in Primate World. “Her strength and leadership within the troop, her ability to delight guests by wearing a blanket or scarf while carrying a boot and the relationships she developed with her troop and caregivers are just a few examples of her remarkable impact on those around her. She has helped me, and many others, be a better animal keeper and a better person. Thank you, Juju, for allowing me into your world.”

ANNUAL HOLIDAY LIGHTS CELEBRATION CONTINUES THROUGH MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2024 – USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards today announced that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Electric Safari ranked third in the national Best Zoo Lights category for the fifth year in a row. This is the eighth year running that Electric Safari has ranked in the top ten.

The top ten Best Zoo Lights finalists are, in order of rankings:
1. PNC Festival of Lights at Cincinnati Zoo
2. Lights Before Christmas at Toledo Zoo
3. Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
4. Holiday Nights at Zoo Montana
5. U.S. Bank Wild Lights at Saint Louis Zoo
6. Christmas at the Zoo at Indianapolis Zoo
7. OKC ZOO SAFARI LIGHTS Presented by OG&E
8. Zoo Lights at San Antonio Zoo Powered by CPS Energy
9. Wild Lights at Detroit Zoo
10. WildLights at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 33rd annual month-long celebration of the season continues through Mon., Jan. 1, 2024 (except Christmas Eve, Sun., Dec. 24), featuring 50 acres of twinkling lights, 90 artisan-made light sculptures and breathtaking nighttime city views. The Zoo’s holiday collection of larger-than-life illuminated animal inflatables returns for its third year and – special for 2023 – the Zoo is adding holiday lights to the sky!

At 7:30 p.m. every night of Electric Safari (weather permitting), guests can see a drone light show from nearly anywhere in the Zoo. The holiday-safari themed show will last around 15 minutes. Get prime viewing spots (first come, first served!) from the elephant boardwalk, Lodge at Moose Lake or Giraffe Plaza.

Electric Safari is the only event in Colorado where you can:
– see over 90 one-of-a-kind light sculptures
– visit select animal exhibits
– hand-feed a giraffe herd ($3 per lettuce bundle or $5 for two bundles)
– watch a nightly holiday-safari themed drone light snow at 7:30 p.m. (weather permitting)
– visit Santa (through Dec. 23)
– explore 50 acres of twinkling lights and dancing light displays
– see larger-than-life illuminated inflatable animals
– cozy up around fire pits and warming stations throughout the Zoo
– get the best nighttime views of Colorado Springs from the side of Cheyenne Mountain

Advance timed tickets are required for both members and non-members. Zoo member tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance. Everyone visiting the Zoo must have their own advance e-ticket, including children age 2 and under. Timed tickets from 4 to 5 p.m. are for Zoo members and their paying guests only. Electric Safari opens to the public at 5 p.m. and the event ends at 8:30 p.m.

Guests can save $5 per ticket by visiting on a non-peak night! See the 2023 Electric Safari pricing calendar, get tickets and learn more at cmzoo.org/electric.

Electric Safari wouldn’t be complete without visiting select animal exhibits. Electric Safari offers paid feeding opportunities with CMZoo’s famous giraffe herd and budgie flock. The hippo building, the giraffe barn, the elephant and rhino barn, the African lion relaxation room, Rocky Mountain Wild (except grizzly bears), Asian Highlands, Scutes Family Gallery and Budgie Buddies are open.

Electric Safari is an important fundraiser for CMZoo, which doesn’t receive any tax support. Your ticket to Electric Safari helps us fund animal care, Zoo operations and improvements, and conservation projects. Please join us in thanking our generous supporting Electric Safari partners, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Toyota, and U.S. Bank.

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 2023, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #4 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 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. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised more $4.5 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 238 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

A MESSAGE FROM BOB CHASTAIN, CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO PRESIDENT & CEO – You may recall that several months ago, we reported that an out-of-state animal rights group sued the Zoo and me as CEO for the release of our five elephants to a sanctuary of this group’s choosing. For the past five months, we have been working with former Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers’ law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to defend us in this important case. The Zoo’s board of directors selected this firm, in particular, because of their national presence and Mayor Suthers’ long history with Colorado Springs and the state of Colorado, having served as the state’s Attorney General and then as the city’s mayor.

On Dec. 3, 2023, 4th Judicial District Judge Eric Bentley denied this group’s petition and sided with CMZoo and our right to care for our elephants in their own home. Judge Bentley went on to say that even if he accepted every fact this group presented as truthful and accurate (as he is required by law to do), they still did not have a legal case against the Zoo. To further make sure he followed every point of law and was above reproach in his court opinion, he detailed their argument in full to demonstrate his complete understanding of the case for 27 pages. Furthermore, he stated that if anyone had earned the right to speak on the best interest of the elephants, it would not be this out-of-state group, but instead, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, who has dedicated itself to these amazing animals.

Judge Bentley said in his ruling, “This is not just a technicality. There is a legitimate question in this case as to who properly speaks for the elephants (or, in other words, who gets to be the “elephant Lorax”) – the NHRP, which represents that it wants to improve their lives by moving them to an accredited elephant sanctuary, or the Zoo, which has fed them, nurtured them, and taken care of them for many years. It appears to be the Zoo, and not the NHRP, that has the more significant relationship with Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo.”

While this is a victory in this frivolous case against a community treasure, where more than 800,000 people come every year to enjoy time with each other in the presence of some of the world’s most inspiring creatures, there is likely more to come from this small group of extremists, who are clearly using this as a fundraising tactic and to change Colorado law. One need to look no further than their IRS Form 990 to see this.

What comes next: In Colorado, there is an appeal as of right to the Colorado Court of Appeals. Such an appeal could likely take up to a year. If they lose again, they would have an option to petition the Colorado Supreme Court to hear the case.

It is unfortunate that the judge denied the Zoo’s request for attorney’s fees. While it is a relief to get over this first hurdle, it is sad to know that we will continue to pay significant legal fees to further defend ourselves after this group has lost so many times and wasted so much of the court’s and four different accredited zoos’ time. This out-of-state group makes money off of our distraction from our mission of saving animals from extinction.

Even Judge Bentley said in his ruling, “…it is unfortunate that this case pits two organizations against each other that perhaps ought to be on the same side. As noted above, the role of zoos has evolved, and today zoos, including the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, play a leading role in wildlife conservation efforts and education. (E.g., https://wildwelfare.org/the-conservationmission-of-zoos-nabila-aziz/). The Zoo is known, in particular, for its work with giraffes, for which it is nationally recognized. (https://www.cmzoo.org/conservation/giraffe-conservation/).”

I would like to personally thank you for your continued support, and encourage you to keep sharing the good work we do with your friends and family in the community. With our community rallying around us, we plan to continue to win this battle on behalf of our elephants.

FELINE CAPTURED MILLIONS OF HEARTS THROUGHOUT HIS LIFEFTIME – An adored member of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo animal family died from complications of advanced kidney disease late last week. Following his diagnosis earlier this year, we knew Bhutan’s time with us was limited, but it was still heartbreaking to lose him.

Bhutan, a 15-year-old snow leopard, passed away due to a respiratory event caused by muscle breakdown from the kidney disease. This type of disease is common in all felines, big and small, exotic and domestic. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ median life expectancy for snow leopards in human care is 15.1 years.

No matter when we would have had to say goodbye to Bhutan, it would have been too soon. But he was able to live a full lifetime of adoration and care here at CMZoo. In his 14 years with us, he touched millions of hearts with his characteristic tail and feet, and his bouncy personality.

Not all of the animals at the Zoo are as universally loved as Bhutan was. Most Zoo staff are reluctant to name favorites, but truth be told, Bhutan (or “Boots,” as he was affectionately called by his keepers) was at the top of the list for many.

After asking our staff to share their memories of “Boots,” we wanted to share just a sampling of the touching responses we received.

Paulette Provost, groundskeeper, said “Over the years, I have had the honor of seeing Bhutan every morning during my cleaning route. As a groundskeeper, I am responsible for cleaning Scutes Family Gallery, so I was able to visit with him every day. Playing peekaboo with him always filled my soul with joy. I never in a million years thought I would make a friend with a snow leopard! What I know is that not only myself, but everyone else in our Zoo family feels that the world is a bit dimmer without his funny and gentle presence. I will miss him.”

Basia Dann, lead animal keeper in Asian Highlands, said “Bhutan was the best at building a community. I watched him recognize old caretakers, Zoo members who would come visit, docents and volunteers dedicated to educating people about snow leopards and various members of the multi-faceted operations teams at the Zoo. He always had a chuff to give in greeting. He knew and cared for his people fiercely. Whether you were away for your weekend or hadn’t seen him in years, he always seemed to remember and be happy to see you and give thanks for the role you played in his life.”

Amy Tuchman, animal keeper in African Rift Valley and former animal keeper in Asian Highlands, said, “Snow Leopards were ‘it’ for me throughout my entire childhood. I studied them, had tons of pictures, but never actually saw one in real life until I moved to Colorado. Then in 2015, my craziest dreams came true, and I actually got to start working with one! Bhutan. He was sassier than I would have guessed and always had a lot to say but I admired how he was always so true to himself. He kept everyone on their toes and I loved all the games he wanted to play. To gain his trust was a huge accomplishment and he really was the one animal that made me absolutely fall in love with training. He was so smart and fast and up for anything, literally. I asked him to climb a tree one day and he just went for it and it was so much fun that we decided to add it as part of his show. He was exciting and had a huge presence and he will be greatly missed here by so many.”

Courtney Rogers, registrar and former animal keeper in Asian Highlands, said, “Everyone works so hard to be the bridge between the animals we care for and the people who meet them, but Boots didn’t always need our help to make lasting impressions. It was easy to spot the people who knew him…they knew his favorite resting spots in each of his exhibits, knew he’d come say hi if you waited long enough (and he felt like it), could tell when he was excited to hear his keepers walk by. If you think he recognized you and that you had a special relationship with him, well, it’s probably true.”

Snow leopard wild populations are listed as “vulnerable” and “decreasing,” according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. Bhutan’s genetics are extremely valuable to the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan, but he always preferred a solo life and was not successful breeding with a female. Bhutan’s sperm is valuable because he doesn’t have offspring and has an extremely high sperm count. His sperm has been collected and is kept in a “frozen zoo.” If the need arises, conservationists can pair Bhutan posthumously with a genetically valuable female snow leopard.

It’s that magical time of year when many people search for the perfect holiday gifts for friends and family. Whether you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience or a truly unique stocking stuffer, these options are sure put a smile on every face on your list.

Plus, when you purchase something from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, you know your funds are helping us continue our important work. As a nonprofit that doesn’t receive any tax support, we rely on admission, memberships, events and special programs like these to continue our work.

Animal Art Holiday Ornaments

The Loft animals and their keepers have been painting the perfect stocking stuffers or gifts for your holiday party gift exchange. These 3” x 3” canvases with twine hangers are one-of-a-kind, because they were painted by an animal ambassador! Skunks, birds, reptiles, a ferret and even an opossum added their artistic touches to the ornaments by participating in voluntary training with their keepers. Some animals walk through paint and onto the canvasses, leaving their adorable footprints in a variety of flashy colors. Others slither through the paint and some even hold the paintbrushes themselves! These ornaments are only available for purchase in person – while supplies last – in The Loft, now through the end of Electric Safari.

VIP Tours

If you really want to spoil someone, give them the adventure of a lifetime: a CMZoo VIP Tour! During this private tour, your group of up to five people will experience three behind-the-scenes animal encounters of your choosing, plus a meet-and-greet with one of our ambassador animals in The Loft and a super-sized giraffe feeding. You can help train a sloth, get up-close with the grizzly bears, say hello to the hippos or choose from our many other animal encounter options. Along the way, one of our experienced guides will tell you all about the Zoo, our animals and our conservation impacts around the world. When your tour ends, enjoy the rest of the day at the Zoo, because admission is included. Visit cmzoo.org/viptour to see our animal encounter options, to get all the details and to sign up.

CMZoo Annual Membership

How about a gift that keeps on giving all year long? Memberships can be purchased as gifts! CMZoo members can take advantage of free daytime admission (with advance ticket reservations), discounts on programs and merchandise, free members-only summer nights, free Electric Safari visits in the winter and more. Visit cmzoo.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information.

 

Tickets to Electric Moonlight and Electric Safari

Give the gift of memories made by purchasing tickets to a holiday special event at the Zoo, and be early to the gift-giving season! In December, we have options for an adults-only date night (there will be a lot more than milk and cookies on the menu) or a festive evening on the mountain with the entire family.

Electric Moonlight returns to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Thurs., Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This event is just for our 21-and-up guests, complete with holiday lights, live music and food and drink samples from local vendors, restaurants, distilleries and breweries (while supplies last). Plus, an elf told us that jolly old Saint Nicholas will be there to hear holiday wishes from the grown-ups! Tickets are limited and this event may sell out in advance. Tickets are available at cmzoo.org/em.

Starting Dec. 1, the Zoo opens its gates in the evenings for Electric Safari, where all ages can explore the Zoo and enjoy the wonder of 50 acres of twinkling lights, illuminated enormous inflatable animals, a nightly drone light show and more than 90 handmade light sculptures on display throughout the Zoo. Until Dec. 23, Santa Claus will be at Electric Safari to meet guests and listen to holiday wishes. This event is a magical way to get into the holiday spirit on the side of Cheyenne Mountain, where the views of the city lights below the Zoo can’t be beat. Electric Safari runs Dec. 1-3, 8-23, and Dec. 25-Jan. 1, 2024 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. CMZoo members have access to early-entry tickets from 4 to 5 p.m. Electric Safari is free for members, but everyone needs to reserve an advance timed ticket at cmzoo.org/electric. (Drone show not available on Sat., Dec. 2. Drone show and inflatables are weather dependent.)

Small group events and programs also make great gifts! See all of our options at cmzoo.org/events.

Animal Grams

Do you know someone who would love to open their front door to a skunk, tortoise, ferret, frog or otherwise? Surprise them with a CMZoo Animal Gram! Our EdVenture team will come to your home or workplace with a very special guest: an animal ambassador from The Loft or My Big Backyard. Each Animal Gram includes a 5- to 10-minute visit from an animal and staff, an animal art piece and photo opportunity. Get all of the information at cmzoo.org/animalgrams.

 

Adopt an Animal

Gift an adoption of a hippo, giraffe, moose or another animal of your choosing that we’ll mail to you or a loved one. Our adoption packages start at just $35, but if you’re looking to give an extra special stocking-stuffer check out our Wild Adopt packages ($55-65) to bring home an adorable, cuddly plush of your very own! All of our adoption packages include a certificate of adoption, an animal fact sheet and a photo of the animal at CMZoo. Each adoption directly supports the care of all our animals. Order by 3 p.m. MST on Fri., Dec. 15 to ensure delivery before Sat., Dec. 23, 2023. You can find our array of adoption packages at www.cmzoo.org/adopt.

 

Carve Your Memories in Stone

What’s even better than coming to CMZoo to see your favorite animals? Coming to see your very own tile – and your favorite animals! We recently launched our new blue tiles in Water’s Edge: Africa! Join our new community wall of names and carve your memories into stone. Our tiles offer a unique way to honor, celebrate, and make lasting memories for your loved ones. Each tile purchase also directly supports CMZoo and the care of our animals. For $250, you can personalize a 6-inch by 6-inch porcelain stone tile. Every tile allows your message to be two lines, each line with 12 characters available, totaling 24 letters and spaces (special characters are each an additional $15 fee). You can choose from the following animals to engrave on your tile: hippo, penguin, pelican, lemur, warthog or crane! Create your unique message and purchase your tile at www.cmzoo.org/tiles.

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