Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Author at CMZoo

Zoos often talk about the importance of Species Survival Plans (SSP). While it’s hard not to fall in love with baby animals, it’s important to remember why zoos work so hard to bring them into the world. As matchmakers for the zoo animal kingdom, SSP coordinators study genetics of animals in human care and make breeding recommendations to pair potential mates whose offspring would be the most genetically diverse. The babies represent hope for the future of their species.

SSP coordinators are usually volunteers that work for an organization accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), but don’t typically work directly for AZA. They serve as a central resource for zoos that support the SSP, and how each organization is equipped to help. Although the SSP makes the recommendations, each facility decides how they can contribute through breeding and raising young, moving an animal, welcoming a new animal, or providing a quality home for animals that aren’t breeding.

Typically, SSPs make new breeding recommendations every three years. So, it’s no coincidence that zoo enthusiasts might notice the same species of animal moving to and from several zoos around the same time.

But, animals don’t always move to breed. They could move to make space for more offspring or a new partner. An older member of the family might join a new family or a bachelor group of non-breeding males, for example.

CMZoo supports the Mexican Wolf SSP. For many years before these successful breeding efforts, the Zoo housed a bachelor pack of wolves. Later, the SSP placed various unsuccessful breeding pairs at CMZoo. Until Luna and Navarro’s first litter, in 2018, it had been 20 years since wolf pups were born at CMZoo. Our late matriarch, Luna, and her mate, Navarro, contributed six pups to the Mexican Wolf SSP. Phoenix, Shadow, Bluestem, Hope and Lupa were born in 2018 and Uno, a singleton pup, was born in 2019.

For now, CMZoo will contribute to the SSP by providing a quality home for Navarro, Uno, Hope, Phoenix and Shadow. In 2020, Bluestem moved to another facility on a breeding recommendation, and Lupa now lives at an AZA-accredited zoo in New Mexico.

“It’s exciting to welcome new animals and we understand that it can be difficult to see an animal move, but we all have to remember we’re working to save species,” Ashley Arimborgo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s registrar, who often oversees the coordination between zoos that are transferring animals on breeding recommendations to and from CMZoo. “The great thing is, you can usually keep up with your favorite individuals on other zoos’ social media channels if they move away from CMZoo.”

Once the recommendations are made, organizations decide if they can support the recommendations, and the SSP coordinator connects zoos so they can arrange travel plans. Before a zoo might welcome babies, there are a lot of “Tetris pieces” that have to fall into place.

“Even after animals move to make room for breeding partners and those breeding partners arrive, it’s typically a lengthy process,” said Arimborgo. “Once an animal arrives, our focus shifts from genetics and logistics to individual care and compatibility. Our animal care teams work to make the new arrival comfortable and then might start introducing the potential breeding pair.”

Howdies are opportunities for animals to see, smell and hear each other with a protective barrier in between them. If animals consistently show positive signs of interest in each other, the next step might be to introduce them without a barrier for incrementally increasing periods of time. But, just because they’re genetically compatible doesn’t always mean they are immediately compatible as individuals.

CMZoo’s Pallas’ cats, Bo and Nancy, have a breeding recommendation, but unfortunately haven’t been successful producing offspring, even though they are cohabitating successfully. Another complication in animal breeding is that some species, like Pallas’ cats, have miniscule windows of fertility. Female Pallas’ cats are usually only fertile for a maximum of 46 hours per year, which is really short compared to other cats and animals. Keepers work with them throughout the year to give them the best chances at breeding when the very limited time is right each winter.

“In the end, it’s mostly up to the animals,” said Arimborgo. “We lean on science and expertise in animal behaviors to provide the best possible environment, but those elements alone don’t guarantee success. Or, you could see an immediate connection between the animals and welcome a baby in a matter of months.”

The ring-tailed lemur family in Water’s Edge: Africa welcomed three babies seemingly as soon as they had the chance. In 2020, Allagash and her sister Rogue were introduced to breeding male, Hercules. The following spring and summer, Rogue welcomed Water’s Edge’s first baby ever, Maky, and Allagash welcomed twins, Elo and Anja. Now, with six lemurs on Lemur Island, CMZoo supports the Ring-Tailed Lemur SSP by providing them with a life of care and choice.

There are hundreds of SSPs supported by organizations that care for animals. CMZoo supports many of them, including the Black-Footed Ferret SSP, Giraffe SSP, African Lion SSP, Orangutan SSP, and more. But, not all species have an SSP.

“Regardless of whether an animal is endangered in the wild, there sometimes aren’t enough animals in human care to support an SSP,” said Ashley Arimborgo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s registrar. “Because genetic diversity is so important to the viable future of a species, if the larger zoo community can’t support breeding, we focus on another species that we could help.”

Next time you’re adoring a cute baby animal at CMZoo, we encourage you to reflect on the importance of its overall existence to inspire people and contribute to the future of its own species.

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A magical experience is waiting for you at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo this winter!

With gorgeous views of Colorado Springs, CMZoo is the perfect place to be outside in nature, breathe fresh mountain air, grab a warm beverage from the Cozy Goat, get tickets at a discounted rate and visit your favorite animal friends.

Almost all of our animals can be seen all year long and the Zoo is open every single day! Animals such as our wolves, moose, Rocky Mountain goats, mountain lions, tiger, leopards, bears and otters thrive in the cooler weather. Animals native to warmer climates, like hippos, penguins, lemurs, primates, giraffe and wallabies, are given the option to go outside if it is a safe temperature. But guests can still see them in their warm indoor spaces, when they choose to stay inside.

Get more of the Zoo to yourself during our slower season, which is also our Value Days admission pricing season! Did you know you can get lower-cost daytime admission tickets through the end of February? Depending on the time of day, adult tickets range from $14.75 to $24.75 and child tickets (ages 3 to 11) range from $10.75 to $20.75. Children age 2 and under are just 75¢. Advance tickets are required. Find tickets and more information at cmzoo.org.

Take some time for you and your loved ones by enjoying a breathtaking adventure with us this winter.

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It’s easy to see how much Omo has grown since his first few months with us, but our 18-month-old hippo is doing a lot more than just gaining pounds. He’s hitting training milestones, getting more independent and growing some impressive tusks and teeth.

Just like when he was born, Omo is still playful, curious and energetic. Within the last few months, Omo has become even more independent and explores – and even naps – on his own away from his mom, Zambezi.

Omo is learning foundational voluntary husbandry behaviors: target and open-mouth training. During target training, keepers ask Omo to move to a specific area, which allows them to visually check him and present him with new enrichment activities, among other things. They might ask him to step onto the scale, for example. (He now weighs over 765 pounds!) Open-mouth training is a first step toward allowing keepers and veterinary staff to check and clean his teeth and tusks, which are now easily visible when he opens his mouth!

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There’s a new addition near the play hills at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: a brand-new shipping container farm, equipped with the latest hydroponic vertical growing technology, including blue and red LED grow lights with specialized wavelengths for leafy green production.

The newly installed high-tech horticulture house is the next step in CMZoo’s goal toward a more secure, autonomous way to source fresh leafy greens for animals. In July 2021, the Zoo established its first shipping container farm, and this second farm is a continuation of the horticulture team’s testing phase.

“We’re excited to learn this new system and to see what works best compared to our existing shipping container farm, which guests can see right next door,” said Julia Zoltowsky, horticulture curator at CMZoo. “This setup looks a lot different, and we have high hopes for improving our production and efficiency with resources like water and energy.”

Guests peering through the glass door at the end of the farm, which is a metal freight container, will immediately notice a big difference: the plants are hanging sideways on vertical panels, rather than sitting upright on horizontal shelves. There’s also a nursery in the new farm, so the horticulture team can grow produce from seeds then transfer them to the hanging grow panels within the same environment.

“The new system is fully automated,” said Zoltowsky. “We use a computer system that gives us a ‘recipe’ for each plant species we’re growing. We input the type of plant in each panel or nursery section, and the system tells us the unique light, water, nutrient and spacing needs, and then delivers those settings on a programmed schedule.”

Anyone who visits CMZoo knows lettuce plays a big role in the Zoo’s success in connecting people to animals, notably the 17-member giraffe herd. Guests can get eye to eye with the giraffe and hand-feed them lettuce every day – whether they’re in their barn or out in their yards – for $3 per lettuce bundle, or $5 for two bundles.

It fluctuates throughout the year, but on average, the Zoo uses more than 3,500 heads of romaine lettuce per month for animal diets. It’s a small part of the giraffes’ diet, but it’s a huge part of the guest experience.

After a satisfactory testing period, the long-term plan is to purchase additional shipping container farms, which will be located in a renovated guest entryway and complement a renovated giraffe habitat. With processes fine-tuned and more farms in place, the Zoo hopes to be able to source approximately 50 percent of the lettuce for its giraffe feeding experience. Even longer term, the Zoo hopes to grow 80 percent of all fresh produce for its animals in farms like this one.

The testing phase allows the horticulture team to learn the high-tech programs, controlled by an iPad on-site and through remote surveillance and software off-site. It will also give them a chance to make sure the ‘recipes’ for each plant are really working, and that the equipment is reliable. There’s a lot to test.

“Part of each plant’s recipe for success includes optimal lighting settings,” said Zoltowsky. “The horticulture team can control the lighting, watering and nutrients remotely, and thanks to cameras inside the shipping container, we can check on the plants without even entering the farm. When things are this high-tech, we anticipate some glitches, but everything is going really smoothly so far.”

At the end of the December, the farm’s first seedlings were moved over to the grow panels, so the first test harvest is well underway. Once the plants are big enough to leave the nursery, they’re moved to a hanging panel which holds the plants sideways with sponges and wicking strips made of thick felt. The plants are held in place by strips of sponge. The panels drip water onto wicking strips that reach the plants’ roots. The plants absorb the water and nutrients that drip down each panel onto the felt wicking strips. At the bottom of the panel, excess water is collected and moved back through the system.

The horticulture team enters data into the computerized system like when seedlings are planted or when they are transferred to a grow panel. The idea is that the system does the rest, including directing the team to harvest on specific dates. The farm has a dedicated Ethernet system and back-up power, so a power or internet outage shouldn’t impact the plants.

“We can see a ton of information through the system, which will hopefully help us be most efficient with our resources,” said Zoltowsky. “Hydroponic growing means you grow plants in water, without soil, so you have more autonomy over how much nutrients go into a plant.”

When plants grow in the ground, farmers work to provide the perfect nutrient balance, which is difficult because there are nutrients in the ground, nutrients in the soil added to the ground and nutrients added throughout the growing process.

“You can test the soil, but it’s hard to find a balance that allows you to grow the plant with exactly what it needs,” said Zoltowsky. “This makes it simple to know exactly what the plant is eating, and that’s how we know our animals are eating safe and healthy produce – because we grew it ourselves.”

The original shipping container farm will continue to be tested. Once the team masters the new shipping container farm, the plan is to dedicate it to lettuce production while the original farm allows them to continue experimenting with growing herbs, browse and other parts of animals’ diets.

“We think we can produce about 3,960 heads of lettuce per month once we’re up and running,” said Zoltowsky. “We want to start slowly while we’re learning this technology, the computer system, and getting new staff on board. We have invested a lot of time and energy into researching the best system for us, and we’re excited to share it with our visitors.”

Guests can see the new and original shipping container farms near the play hills, across from the Grizzly Grill, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

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Wednesday is our spunky and curious giraffe calf who is learning new things quickly and already starting training!

When Wednesday was six weeks old, Wednesday’s mom, Bailey, had a few off days where she didn’t want to nurse very much. After observing this, keepers stepped in and fed Wednesday milk and grain from a bowl. Bailey seems back to normal and is nursing Wednesday again. Because the keepers needed to step in early, they have been able to start training Wednesday to walk on a scale. Wednesday’s most current weight is 266 pounds.

As she continues to grow and train, Wednesday will learn how to shift spaces and how to touch her nose to a target, and eventually participate in our hoof care program. These important foundational behaviors will help keepers check up on Wednesday’s health and move around the giraffe spaces.

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Countless studies support the positive impact exercise can have on people’s mental health. Experts at Children’s Hospital Colorado, longtime Cheyenne Mountain Zoo partners, say the same is true for kids. Outdoor physical activities have additional benefits, including decreasing stress and anxiety, improving mood and self-esteem, reducing aggression and improving focus. Finding the time to plan regular outdoor activities for a family can be difficult, no matter how much parents want to make it happen. Luckily, CMZoo has a program that can help.

CMZoo’s Outdoor School creates opportunities for kids and families to connect with nature, stay active and engage in creative projects together while enjoying the great outdoors. Outdoor School courses take place throughout the year and include activities like fort-making, nature photography, hiking with toddlers, and celebrating the magic of mud while exploring 40 acres of open space on Zoo property, up above the Zoo.

“We have seen Outdoor School students connect with these wild places best when we offer exploration and nature play in a variety of settings and themes,” said Russell Friedman, EdVenture education specialist at CMZoo. “Some programs are just for kids, some are for families, some have an agenda and some are completely unstructured. The variety means no one gets bored, and we can appeal to people with different interests and levels of comfort outdoors.”

Other courses include basket-weaving, Dutch oven cooking, hiking, animal tracking and more. Last summer, an Outdoor School program ventured off Zoo grounds to Fountain Creek Nature Center, where they learned about water ecosystems.

“Attendees got to play in the ponds and streams to explore a big world of small creatures in a totally immersive way,” said Friedman. “By dipping their nets and hands into the water, and studying living organisms under magnification, these young learners were able to play in and connect with the outdoors in a really memorable and inspiring way.”

The programs also include opportunities for grown-ups to make connections with their kids and other adult friends. One program, called Trekking with Toddlers, gave adults and little ones the opportunity to exercise and explore outdoors in a group.

“As parents watched their little ones run around together, you could see the adults relaxing and taking moments to be present in nature, too,” said Friedman. “These programs have allowed us to provide all ages with opportunities for safe, creative adventures and the chance to slow down and get the benefits of nature, exercise and camaraderie with other participants. It’s fulfilling for them, and for us!”

Outdoor School will continue to provide unique experiences for our guests to discover and rediscover a love for nature with programs that support their mental and physical well-being. Upcoming programs include nature play concepts, such as the Forts and Fires program, which will open for registration soon. Other opportunities to explore creativity and mindfulness through nature crafts and art, like basket weaving and photography, are open for registration now.

Outdoor School programs are constantly being updated and expanded. Check cmzoo.org/outdoorschool to see the latest available courses and to get more information about how to participate.

Learn about age-related exercise recommendations and the benefits of physical activity on mental health for kids from our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado, here: https://www.childrenscolorado.org/conditions-and-advice/parenting/parenting-articles/mental-health-benefits-exercise/.

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Atka, our Alaska moose, isn’t fazed by single-digit temps. Moose have adaptations that help them survive the winter, including a thick winter coat and a long nose that warms air before it hits their lungs.

Moose are active throughout the winter months, spending time foraging and roaming in their native habitats, including some parts of Colorado. As you make plans to enjoy outdoor winter activities, it’s important to keep moose in mind. Give them space, learn where they’re most frequently spotted and help keep wildlife wild with these tips.

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This summer, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo conservation keepers introduced ten tiny tadpoles to the world. The ‘poster tadpoles’ of their endangered species, the Wyoming toad, morphed into toadlets within weeks. At the end of July, CMZoo fans submitted naming ideas for the ten amphibian siblings on the Zoo’s social media channels, and one theme was a big hit in ‘the office’ at the Zoo. The toads were named Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight, Stanley, Kelly, Phyllis, Angela, Oscar and Kevin. Since then, they have fine-tuned their hunting skills and are growing big and strong in the conservation center above Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

In the 90s, Wyoming toads were considered extinct in the wild, and only one population remained in human care. That population became the foundation for a breeding program in nine zoological and governmental facilities, including CMZoo, producing tadpoles and toadlets for reintroduction to the wild.

Over its 26-year commitment to Wyoming toad recovery, CMZoo’s conservation team has released 44,695 tadpoles and 1,510 toads into the wild. Next summer, these ten toads and hundreds of others born at CMZoowill take their first hops into the wild as part of this ongoing conservation effort.

“Each summer, we travel to the Laramie Basin, in Wyoming, to release toads and tadpoles to their wild native habitats,” said Jeff Baughman, field conservation coordinator at CMZoo. “We also prepare toads for breeding in the summer, and we welcome new tadpoles to their tanks. It is a really exciting and busy time, but our winter efforts are also important.”

For the conservation team, winter and spring are all about growing healthy toads and preparing them for the next summer’s release. Of course, educating and inspiring the public to care for toads is a year-round priority.

“Toad conservation may not be front-of-mind for most people mid-winter, but we’re always working to help this native species recover,” said Baughman. “Toads are worth saving. They play a vital role at the center of the prairie environment as the best bug control available and as sustenance for migrating birds and native animals in search of food. If the toads don’t survive, the whole ecosystem suffers.”

Amphibians worldwide are facing mass extinction due to a pandemic caused by the chytrid fungus. Chytrid fungus results in a skin infection that hinders amphibians’ ability to breathe and absorb water. This often leads to organ failure and death. Disinfecting outdoor recreation gear used in and near water can help stop the spread of the deadly chytrid fungus. Outdoorspeople who explore waterways can leave their gear in a hot car or the sun for about 3 hours to kill the fungus and prevent transferring it to another body of water.

In winter, Baughman and his colleagues also continue year-round work on the Wyoming toad Species Survival Plan (SSP). SSP managers make recommendations on which breeding toads should be paired next year to achieve the greatest possible genetic diversity for the population, many of which will be released into the wild and some of which will stay in human care to contribute to continued breeding efforts.

A key to making those breeding recommendations, and giving each toad the best chance at wild survival, is identifying each individual. The team can ID each toad by its unique wart patterns. Since those patterns can change as a toad grows in size, each toad is microchipped.

“By scanning each microchip, we have a more reliable way to track important data for each toad,” said Baughman. “For example, we can see if Michael is gaining weight or if Pam is doing well in artificial hibernation prior to being released, without depending totally on their wart patterns. They get their chips around 6 to 8 months of age. The ten we’ve been following on social media and many others in the cohort recently got theirs.”

In addition to tracking important data while the toads are in human care, the microchips also allow conservation teams to check up on the toads once they’re released. During releases, the teams will scan toads they find in the wild to see how many were bred in human care and released into the wild versus a number of toads without microchips, which biologists can safely assume were either born in the wild or grew from the tadpoles released from human care.

“The goal is to encourage wild breeding,” said Baughman. “It’s not sustainable for us to dream of continuing to release thousands of toads and tadpoles every year f We have to discover what the toads need to breed and survive naturally in the wild.”

So far, age seems to have a lot to do with it. In past years, conservationists focused on releasing ‘headstart toads,’ aptly named for their headstart on life. These toads are released into the wild at one year of age, instead of as tadpoles or toadlets. Their bigger size and self-sufficiency, gained from their first year in a safe environment in human care, meant they were less likely to become fish food. At a year old, the toads are not typically mature and ready to breed so a new strategy will be tested.

“This year, we’re going to start releasing two-year-old headstart toads,” said Baughman. “Conservation is a science, and science is all about experimenting to find better ways of doing things. We think that two-year-old toads might be more likely to breed.”

Because Baughman and his colleagues have seen a small increase in wild Wyoming toad egg strands, they know toads are breeding, but they want to further increase wild breeding events. Rather than completely change their approach to release only two-year-old toads, they will also continue to release one-year-olds, including Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight, Stanley, Kelly, Phyllis, Angela, Oscar and Kevin, in 2023. We will continue to give updates during the spring as their summer release date approaches.

Just by visiting CMZoo, members and guests are making an impact to help toads and other species. Through CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, 75¢ of every admission is dedicated to frontline conservation efforts like this, so guests can enjoy a day on the mountain with their favorite animals and support important programs dedicated to saving wildlife and wild places. Since 2008, when Q4C started, CMZoo’s guests and members have contributed more than $4 million to conservation projects worldwide.

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY LIGHTS CELEBRATION CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY, JAN. 1, 2023 – 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 fourth year in a row. This is the seventh 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 the Cincinnati Zoo
2. Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo
3. ELECTRIC SAFARI AT CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO
4. Wild Winter Lights at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
5. Christmas at the Zoo at the Indianapolis Zoo
6. Philadelphia Zoo LumiNature
7. Zoo Lights Miami
8. Dallas Zoo Lights
9. U.S. Bank Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo
10. WildLights at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 32nd annual month-long celebration of the season continues through Sun., Jan. 1 (except Christmas Eve, Sat., Dec. 24), featuring 50 acres of twinkling lights, 85 artisan-made light sculptures and breathtaking nighttime city views. The Zoo’s holiday collection of larger-than-life illuminated animal inflatables continues to grow with the additions of a peacock and a color-changing chameleon this year, joining last year’s orangutan, African lion, ring-tailed lemur, sloth, African penguin, monarch butterfly, and meerkat.

Electric Safari is the only event in Colorado where you can:

– see over 85 one-of-a-kind light sculptures
– visit select animal exhibits
– hand-feed a giraffe herd ($3 per lettuce bundle or $5 for two bundles)
– 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

Bundle up, grab some hot cocoa and make memories with loved ones. Brand-new this year, you can save $5 per ticket by visiting on a non-peak night! See the 2022 Electric Safari pricing calendar, get tickets and learn more at cmzoo.org/electric.

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 4-5 p.m. are for Zoo members and their paying guests only. Electric Safari opens to the public at 5 p.m.

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. Water’s Edge: Africa, 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, CenturyLink Fiber, 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 2022, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #3 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 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.

THIS THURSDAY, ENJOY FOOD, DRINKS AND LIVE MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN AT ELECTRIC MOONLIGHT – Make plans for an adults-only mistle-toast to the season at Electric Moonlight from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Electric Moonlight incorporates all of the magic of Electric Safari, plus the additions of live music and all-inclusive food and drink samplings (while supplies last). Even Santa himself will be here to listen to grown-ups’ holiday wishes!

Attendees can get into the holiday spirit and feel good about purchasing a ticket to this important fundraiser for the Zoo. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo does not receive tax support, so every ticket helps fund animal care, Zoo operations, improvements, conservation and more.

Each Electric Moonlight ticket includes access to most animal areas at the Zoo, performances by local musicians throughout the Zoo, a souvenir sampling spork and cup, and all-inclusive food and beverage samplings from regional restaurants, breweries, wineries and distilleries (while supplies last). See a list of open animal areas and attending vendors at cmzoo.org/em.

This event is popular and is subject to selling out. Advance tickets are required, and as of Monday, Dec. 5, there are only a couple hundred left! Don’t wait to secure your spot at the last 21-and-up special event of the year at cmzoo.org/em.

Quick Facts

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022
This event is for adults, ages 21 and older, only. No children or infants will be allowed in.
Advance tickets are required and must be purchased at cmzoo.org/em.
Each ticket includes a souvenir sampling cup and fork so guests can sample food and drinks from over 25 stations located throughout the Zoo. Local breweries, distilleries, restaurants, vendors and more will have samples available for guests while supplies last.
Live music will be performed throughout the Zoo by local artists Ryan Flores, FlashBlack, George Whitesell, Jacob Christopher and A Carpenter’s Daughter.
Select animal habitats will be open for guests to visit, including the giraffe barn, where guests can hand-feed the 17-member giraffe herd for $3 per lettuce bundle or $5 for two bundles. (Guests can also see the 7-week-old giraffe calf in the barn.)

This waste-wise event is supported by GFL Environmental. We’re grateful for our sponsor’s support!