Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Author at CMZoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a captivating new resident, Valens [VAL-inz], a 5-year-old male snow leopard.

With his big fluffy paws, mesmerizing tail and cautious-yet-inquisitive personality, Valens is living up to his species’ nickname: Ghost Cat. Snow leopards are known for their elusive and stealthy nature, and Valens embodies those traits with a cautious approach to his new surroundings.

“When he’s unsure, he does this adorable hiding behavior that we call his ‘elusive snow leopard mode,’” Basia Dann, lead animal keeper in Asian Highlands, says. “He moves really slowly and stays close to the ground, but his ears stay forward, which means he’s curious and not afraid. You can see he’s carefully assessing everything around him so meticulously.”

Valens is full grown, weighing around 70 pounds, with, “the biggest paws I’ve ever seen on a leopard,” according to Basia. He has also made an impression with his huge, fluffy and animated tail that seems to be in constant motion.

Animal care teams carefully and patiently managed Valens’ journey to his new home to help him settle in confidently. Asian Highland keepers worked with Valens’ former keepers at Central Park Zoo to learn about his favorite enrichment items, foods and hangout spots, which they incorporated into his new habitat to give him a sense of familiarity.

As a naturally cautious animal, they give him the time and space to adjust on his terms and schedule. Valens arrived at CMZoo just before Thanksgiving and started exploring in guest view in early January.

“He’s making great progress, and there’s no rush,” Basia says. “We’re following his lead. He has started training and taking food directly from keepers, as well as exploring more of his yard. We’re proud of him, and we’re going to continue setting up his environment to be comfortable and full of choices for him.”

Guests can visit Valens in Asian Highlands at CMZoo. While he continues to acclimate, he’ll have access to behind-the-scenes indoor dens and outdoor spaces where he’s visible to guests, giving him the choice to explore at his own pace. Keep an eye on the caves and doorways in the south leopard yard, inside the Asian Highlands archway, where he’s likely to be hanging out. Lucky guests might catch a glimpse of him strutting proudly with his latest treat.

“It’s wonderful to have a snow leopard on the mountain,” Basia says. “They are incredible cats, and I’m excited for him to continue getting more comfortable, so he can help us inspire more people to care about his wild counterparts and their habitats.”

Native to the rugged mountain ranges of Central Asia, snow leopards are perfectly adapted to their cold, high-altitude habitats. Their thick fur and long tails help keep them warm, while their oversized paws act like snowshoes, allowing them to navigate deep snow and ice with ease. Known as “ghosts of the mountains,” they are incredibly elusive in the wild, which makes encounters with them a truly magical experience. Discover more about snow leopards at CMZoo

Back to The Waterhole

Mexican spotted owl, photo credit: Ceeanna Zulla, USDA Forest Service. — Photo Credit: Ceeanna Zulla, USDA Forest Service

In 2023, Zoo members voted to fund GPS trackers that U.S. Fish & Wildlife and the USDA Forest Service are using to study Mexican spotted owls in New Mexico and Arizona.

They hope to learn what sort of habitat features Mexican spotted owls are using to nest, and what they are avoiding. The data collected will help them determine how best to protect the species and their habitat.

This is the first study to use GPS tags on Mexican spotted owls. The improved technology allows conservationists to collect high quality data – tracking owls’ locations every hour throughout the night for multiple months through the breeding season.

So far, they have GPS tagged 43 Mexican spotted owls in the study locations. They track data during the owls’ nesting season, collecting one to two months of data per bird.

Mexican spotted owl, credit: Ceeanna Zulla, USDA Forest Service. — Photo Credit: Ceeanna Zulla, USDA Forest Service

Conservationists recently reported interesting results: a few of the tagged owls were using ’disturbed areas,’ which can include parts of the forest disturbed by timber cuts, fire and insect-related tree mortality. These initial findings could lead conservationists to believe that the owls may prefer mixed-use forest habitat – rather than needed pristine, untouched forests to thrive.

It seems that some of the owls actually prefer forests that are used by humans and animals. These are still very wild forests, but they are used responsibly for lumber, and they benefit from selective thinning for wildfire mitigation. If researchers conclude that owls prefer these sites, more of the forest could be mitigated against wildfires and used for sustainable lumber, while still supporting the owls. By tagging the owls, researchers know their current locations, and mitigation and lumber work could avoid their nesting habitats and seasons.

Back to The Waterhole

As we had hoped, all six participating Colorado Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled in our favor. In June 2023, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP/NRP) filed a frivolous lawsuit aiming to remove the Zoo’s five aging African elephants from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The lawsuit was dismissed, and NhRP appealed that decision by taking it to the Supreme Court in June 2024. Today, the Colorado Supreme Court rejected the contentions of NhRP that there was any legal basis to move our beloved elephants away from Colorado Springs.

While we’re happy with this outcome, we are disappointed that it ever came to this. For the past 19 months, we’ve been subjected to their misrepresented attacks, and we’ve wasted valuable time and money responding to them in courts and in the court of public opinion.

NhRP has attempted this same lawsuit with several other reputable zoos. NhRP lost their case in New York. They lost in California. They were dismissed in Colorado Springs and Hawaii. Now they have officially lost in Colorado. If they continue this route – with us or with other reputable zoos – we hope people will remember that NhRP is abusing court systems to fundraise and to pay for ‘legal fees,’ as they claimed in a recent social media video – a.k.a. their salaries.

The courts have proven now five times that their approach isn’t reasonable, but they continue to take it. It seems their real goal is to manipulate people into donating to their cause by incessantly publicizing sensational court cases with relentless calls for supporters to donate.

The Colorado Supreme Court opinion states, “We are not alone in rejecting NRP’s attempt to extend the great writ to nonhuman animals. NRP has commenced similar legal proceedings in many other states on behalf of elephants and chimpanzees living in zoos and other facilities. Every one of its petitions for writ of habeas corpus has been denied for the same or very similar reasons.”

Some of our supporters were surprised that NhRP chose to attack Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, of all places. We have consistently ranked as a top-five zoo in the nation by popular vote. Last year, we celebrated raising $5 million for frontline conservation efforts, including over a million dollars for African elephants. Our national recognition as a leader in animal care and conservation is likely what drew their attention to us. Our latest accreditation was historic. In nearly 50 years of AZA accreditations, CMZoo was only the fourth organization to earn a completely ‘clean’ report, which means there wasn’t a single major or minor concern reported – including in the strenuous review of our elephant care program.

While NhRP was collecting funds and wasting taxpayer dollars in our county and state’s highest courts, we were busy at work, growing our in-house veterinary team to three full-time veterinarians and funding a team of experienced animal care professionals to focus solely on the cutting edge of animal care in accredited zoos. We were also embarking on an historic upgrade to our giraffe habitat, including construction of a giraffe center that’s going to revolutionize giraffe care for our profession for decades to come.

And finally, we were busy saving animals. Because a portion of every Zoo admission goes to field conservation, our members and guests surpassed raising one million dollars for elephant conservation while we were fighting to protect our elephants at home.

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 2024, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #5 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY’s 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 than $5 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 237 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.

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO WELCOMES SLOTH BABY – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is thrilled to announce the arrival of a New Year’s baby: a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth. Some call sloth babies ‘pups,’ ‘infants,’ or even ‘slow-bies.’ Everyone can agree to calling this wee one ‘adorable.’ With its dark brown eyes and a perfect pinkish-brown furless face, its cuteness is out of this world.

The baby, born on Dec. 18, seems strong, and has been learning to traverse Mom’s tummy. While its mom, Aysan, hangs upside down, her baby sprawls right-side-up on her belly, with its four long limbs wrapped around her torso.

“I love the way it lifts its head out of her chest fur and slowly looks around, just kind of taking it all in,” Amber Callen-Ward, lead keeper in Scutes Family Gallery, says. “Aysan has been a great first-time mom, grooming the baby by licking its face, which is so sweet. She and the baby have been bonding well. The baby is nursing, clinging to her and taking little bites of solid foods we offer.”

The two-week-old sloth is already trying pieces of plantain, romaine lettuce, zucchini and cucumber, but gets its main source of nutrients from nursing.

9-year-old Aysan’s care team knew she was pregnant. Thanks to their trusting relationship with Aysan, and Aysan’s voluntary participation in her own health care, they had been monitoring the baby’s development via ultrasounds and x-rays for the past few months.

Aysan moved to CMZoo on a breeding recommendation by the Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth Species Survival Plan, with Bosco, the Zoo’s long-time male sloth, in June 2023. Sloth gestation typically lasts 11 to 12 months, so some things can happen quickly for sloths!

Bosco, a 32-year-old male Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, became a second-time dad with this baby’s arrival. His first daughter, 5-year-old Bean, lives in The Loft at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Bean and Bosco are visible to guests who might need to process this baby excitement with a sloth visit right away.

While mom and baby bond for the first month or so, they’ll be behind the scenes in Scutes Family Gallery. Once they are visible to guests, CMZoo will share that news. The baby’s sex has not been identified, and there are no plans for a name yet. Stay tuned to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s social media channels for sloth pup-dates!

The next time you visit Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, you could see some changes to your admissions process. Zoo members and guests should watch for directional and instructional signs that will be in place when we make the shift from our former admissions process to our new temporary process, tentatively scheduled for early January.

These changes are necessary to proceed to the next phase of construction, making way for an incredible new admissions experience, new giraffe barn, expanded giraffe yard and more. (Get more information on the exciting improvements here.)

Follow this three-step guide to the new admissions process:

STEP 1. TICKET SCAN – Park at the Zoo at your ticketed time, and get your tickets scanned at an admissions booth.

• Advance, timed tickets are still required for members and guests.
• Look for the sign that says “Step 1: Ticket Scan” at the Zoo entrance.
• We’ll stamp your hand to document your scanned tickets.

STEP 2. STAMP CHECK – Walk past the former drive-in entrance towards the iconic Elevation Sign.

• Look for the sign that says, “Step 2: Stamp Check” and get your hand stamp checked by staff.

STEP 3. WELCOME GATES – Take a right behind the Elevation Sign, and head towards the Welcome Gates into our temporary Zoo entrance.

That’s it! You’re in the Zoo.

Past the gates:
– On your left, our temporary Gift Shop at the Cabin is open for souvenirs and stroller/mobility rentals.
– Straight ahead, you’ll see an updated map.
– On your right, visit the restrooms, catch The Mountaineer Sky Ride (weather permitting) and purchase Sky Ride, animal feeding and carousel tickets. There is no access to animal exhibits this way.
– Turn left to visit Water’s Edge: Africa and Primate World, and to access the rest of the Zoo!

When you’re all safari-ed out, return to these gates to exit the Zoo.

Pro Tips:

• Once you’re in the Zoo, you’ll enjoy a regular visit – just in a different order. If you prefer to have a plan before you go, check our daily animal demonstration schedule and consider your route on our website. See the schedule at cmzoo.org/visit and an updated map at cmzoo.org/map, once we make the switch.

• Look out for updated signs and maps to direct you to all of your favorite animals. Even during construction, all animal exhibits are open, with changes to some viewing areas (assuming no unusual circumstances, like weather or veterinary procedures).

• Ask for help! We want you to have the best experience every time you visit. Please ask any staff member for assistance if you need help finding your way.

• With the Zoo entrance now at a different location, your Zoo day could begin differently, or you could walk directly to the giraffe herd and start your Zoo adventure there.

• If you want to visit the giraffe herd first, consider this route:
1. Head uphill toward Grizzly Grill, past Water’s Edge: Africa and Rocky Mountain goats.
2. At Grizzly Grill, walk towards the playhill, tapir and Encounter Africa.
3. Turn right after the tapir yard, and go down the Colobus monkey tower stairs or elevator, or the African Rift Valley ramp to the giraffe.
4. After feeding the giraffe, you can follow your familiar counter-clockwise route through the Zoo, ending up back at the new entrance/exit.

We appreciate your patience and support as we navigate inconveniences necessary for improvements. Our staff is working hard to make your visit enjoyable, and to make sure your favorite animals will be visible as normal during construction.

Get Tickets

Back to The Waterhole

Spending time outdoors is a proven method for combatting stress, anxiety or depression – even if it’s just for 15 minutes. 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.

For those who might not know where to start, scheduled group activities can allow children to experience a wide range of programming while they fine-tune what really interests them. Outdoor School at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a year-round program with offerings for all ages. In January and February, middle- and high-school aged programs focus on endangered species wild reintroduction methods and animal tracking.

Attendees get a personalized small-group tour of the Zoo, led by an EdVenture team member who specializes in teen education, conservation and nature-based topics. During these interactive tours, Outdoor School students visit animals at the Zoo and discuss how each animal is relevant to the topic at hand.

“For our Rewilding & Reintroduction course in January, we’ll visit a variety of endangered species at the Zoo, then learn how conservation activities are supporting their recovery in the wild,” Russell Friedman, EdVenture education specialist at CMZoo, says. “We observe animals up-close while we discuss the delicate details of their wild reintroductions. We talk about how we can help, and students have opportunities to ask questions about the animals, their challenges in the wild, and what conservationists are doing to help.”

Black-footed ferrets, Wyoming toads, Mexican wolves, African penguins, Amur tigers, giraffe, African elephants, Eastern black rhinos, and more CMZoo species, are endangered or critically endangered. Conservation organizations dedicated to these species receive funding from CMZoo, so just by visiting the Zoo or participating in a program, guests and Zoo members are funding efforts to save wildlife.

Winter is a great time to learn about animal tracks, because they can be fun to spot in the snow. At the Art of Animal Tracking program in February, students will explore CMZoo’s behind-the-scenes Nature Trail. There, they will learn to recognize native species’ paw and hoof prints, and will then learn about those species that call the Rocky Mountains home.

“We’ve hosted this program several times, and I love hearing that our students have gone home and encouraged their entire families to go on a short hike to spot animal tracks,” Russell says. “Witnessing evidence of these species in our local wild places helps students make deeper connections with them, while encouraging them to get outside and enjoy nature. Imagine how exciting it would be to take a short winter hike and spot tracks and then share what you know about that animal that with your family.”

Additional Outdoor School programs are added to the calendar regularly. Advance registration is required, and it includes admission to CMZoo for that day. Visit cmzoo.org/outdoorschool for more information.

Rewilding & Reintroduction

Date: Sat., Jan. 18, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Cost: $36.75* per student
Ages: Middle School & High School

Trail Tales:The Art of Animal Tracking

Date: Sat., Feb. 1, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Cost: $36.75* per student
Ages: Middle School & High School
Location: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Back to The Waterhole

Quarters for Conservation Legacy Project: Palm Oil Conservation
The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) recognized Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s collaborative palm oil conservation work at the RSPO annual conference in Bangkok last month. PalmOil Scan, a global mobile app that empowers consumers to choose companies that commit to using sustainable palm oil, won the RSPO Innovation Award.

The award acknowledges the work of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and its members, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Chester Zoo, Auckland Zoo and Zoos South Australia, in developing the PalmOil Scan app.

PalmOil Scan is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Learn more at cmzoo.org/palmoil and download the free mobile app before your next shopping trip in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Palm oil is an edible oil found in about half of the products consumers purchase. It is used in candy, soaps, cosmetics, pet food and cleaning products. Because of high demand, unsustainable palm oil production has resulted in deforestation across Southeast Asia, and other tropical areas, which means critically endangered species like orangutans, tigers and elephants, are losing their homes.

However, when produced sustainably, palm oil is the most productive edible oil available. Oil palm trees produce four to ten times more oil than alternatives like soy, olive, canola and coconut. Switching to these alternatives would cause even more deforestation in tropical areas, which is why consumers must demand sustainable palm oil.

CMZoo has been a leader in sustainable palm oil advocacy for nearly 15 years. The Zoo launched a similar mobile app for consumers in the U.S. and Canada in 2014. More than 160,000 verified users have educated themselves by using CMZoo’s app. Its design, database and user experience served as the foundation for the design of PalmOil Scan, which has the potential to reach millions more people around the world.

Through Quarters for Conservation (Q4C), 75¢ from every admission and $25,000 from membership revenue, totaling more than $5 million since 2008, funds legacy programs – symbolized by the Q4C kiosks, where guests can place tokens representing their 75-cent contributions, in CMZoo’s admissions plaza. One long-time legacy conservation effort is palm oil education and advocacy for orangutan habitat preservation.

Back to The Waterhole

Winter at the Zoo is a magical experience! Bundle up and enjoy the mountain views with a cup of steaming hot cocoa in hand. Many animals are extra active on snowy days, while others have cozy indoor habitats. Almost all of the animals are visible to guests, even on the coldest days!

When you’re ready to warm up, head indoors for giraffe and budgie feedings, a visit with our hippos, great apes, sloths, skunks and more, or grab a snack in one of the eateries around the Zoo. Don’t miss the daily animal demonstrations schedule. Keeper talks and demonstrations are great ways to see animals up-close and learn a thing or two about them from our knowledgeable staff.

Visiting in the winter means you can experience the entire Zoo with fewer crowds and save some money while you’re at it! Take advantage of Value Days at the Zoo, happening now through February, and save $5 on daytime admission. Tickets are available at cmzoo.org.

Back to The Waterhole

During the cooler months, African penguins mostly focus on nesting and eating. As daylight hours decrease, they naturally pair up and settle in for snuggle season. While penguins don’t technically mate for life, they are monogamous and typically stay with the same partner during breeding season.

The sixteen ‘flockstars’ at CMZoo have been together since Water’s Edge: Africa opened in 2020 (and some were together before that). Most seem to have settled into their pairings or friendships. Bonded pairs can be identified by the color and placement of their bands. Females wear a band on the left flipper, and males wear them on the right. If you see two penguins with the same color bands, they’re bonded, which means they nest together. Twelve of the CMZoo African penguins are bonded, while the remaining four regularly hang out together but are not actively nesting with another penguin.

African penguins were recently relisted from ‘endangered’ to ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The number of wild breeding pairs has fallen below 10,000, and African penguins could be extinct in the wild by 2035. But, there is hope.

Every visit to CMZoo is conservation in action. Through membership dues and admissions, CMZoo guests and members have sent $159,675 to SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds), in support of African penguin conservation, since 2010.

Wild African penguin populations face many threats that continue to cause them to struggle in the wild, including:
— commercial overfishing – reducing the availability of prey species like sardines and anchovies
— habitat degradation – oil spills and plastic waste affects many marine species, including African penguins
— disease outbreaks – such as bird flu can compromise an already vulnerable species

In 2020, CMZoo joined AZA SAFE African Penguin. SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) is a collaborative conservation effort supported by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and their accredited members. Under this commitment, the Zoo sends $3,000 annually to SANCCOB in support of their Robben Island Ranger project. This ranger closely monitors the Robben Island penguin colony in South Africa, helping researchers keep track of the penguin population. The ranger also plays an important role in the direct care of penguins, and other seabirds, by identifying and transporting birds in need of medical attention to the SANCCOB rescue and rehab facility for treatment and eventual re-release.

Be sure to stop by Water’s Edge: Africa and see the flock during your next trip to CMZoo!

Back to The Waterhole

26 NIGHTS OF ELECTRIC SAFARI STARTS ON FRI., DEC. 6 – Electric Safari just received its highest ranking ever in a national contest for Best Zoo Lights. Dedicated Cheyenne Mountain Zoo supporters voted daily for nearly a month to earn the annual holiday event the second-place spot among zoos throughout North America.

This is the sixth year in a row Electric Safari has ranked in the top three Best Zoo Lights by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It was named Third Best Zoo Lights in North America for the last five years.

The Top Ten Best Zoo Lights in North America are:

1) PNC Festival of Lights at Cincinnati Zoo
2) Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
3) Lights Before Christmas at Toledo Zoo
4) Saint Louis Zoo Wild Lights presented by Commerce Bank
5) WildLights at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
6) Oklahoma City Zoo Safari Lights Presented by OG&E
7) Christmas at the Zoo at Indianapolis Zoo
8) Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
9) Wild Lights at Detroit Zoo
10) Lights of the Wild at Hattiesburg Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is preparing the mountainside with hundreds of thousands of lights for the 34th year of Electric Safari. Twenty-six nights of mountainside lights starts Fri., Dec. 6 through Wed., Jan. 1, 2025 – except on Christmas Eve.

This year, attendees can expect more than 50 acres of twinkling lights, 90+ hand-made light sculptures, giant illuminated animal inflatables, a holiday-safari drone show, plus breathtaking nighttime city views from the side of the mountain.

Electric Safari opens on Fri., Dec. 6 and runs through Wed., Jan.1, 2025 – except Christmas Eve. Zoo members can get early entry, from 4 to 5 p.m. General admission is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Electric Safari ends at 8:30 p.m.

Electric Safari is free for CMZoo members, and members can attend as often as they’d like! To manage on-site parking throughout the popular event, advance timed tickets are required for members and the general public. Capacity is limited and some nights will sell out. Get tickets and more details at cmzoo.org/electric. Guests can save $5 per ticket by visiting on a non-peak night, detailed on the Pricing Calendar at cmzoo.org/electric.

Attendees will enjoy lit trees, structures and sculptures, installed by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s grounds and events team. Larger-than-life illuminated animal inflatables and a nightly holiday-safari themed drone light show (both are weather dependent) will light up the Zoo, making the perfect setting for extra-special holiday memories. If all of those beautiful lights don’t un-Scrooge even the Grinchiest of holiday grumps, a cup of hot cocoa and a visit with Santa ought to do the trick.

Kris Kringle will be in Safari Lodge through Dec. 23 to hear holiday wishes, collect lists and pose for free photos. Take a spin on the historic carousel for $2 per ride, or hop on the Mountaineer Sky Ride for incredible once-a-year views of the holiday nighttime glow of Colorado Springs from the mountainside (both are weather permitting).

Electric Safari wouldn’t be complete without scheduled animal demonstrations and keeper talks! Guests can also visit select animal exhibits. Electric Safari offers paid feeding opportunities with CMZoo’s famous giraffe herd and budgie flock. See an animal schedule, feeding prices and open animal exhibits at cmzoo.org/electric.

Grizzly Grill, Cozy Goat, Pizza with a View and Elson’s Café will be open to serve food and beverages. The Thundergod Gift Shop is open every night for Zoo-themed gifts and hot cocoa.

Electric Safari is supported by our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Livewell Animal Urgent Care, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, U.S. Bank and Toyota. For more information, visit: cmzoo.org/electric.

Electric Safari Fast Facts
• Electric Safari is from 5 to 8:30 p.m. nightly from Fri., Dec. 6 through Wed., Jan. 1, 2025 – except on Christmas Eve. Early entry for members and their paying guests starts at 4 p.m.
• Advance timed tickets are required for members and the general public.
• Tickets are limited and some nights will sell out in advance.
• Electric Safari is free for Zoo members. Members must reserve timed tickets, and can attend as often as they please.
• Santa will greet Electric Safari guests nightly through Mon., Dec. 23. Bring letters and take photos!
• Electric Safari features:
— more than 50 acres of twinkling lights
— more than 90 hand-made light sculptures
— giant illuminated animal inflatables (weather permitting)
— a nightly holiday-safari themed drone show (weather permitting)
— access to the Mountaineer Sky Ride (weather permitting; $4 for members; $5 for general public)
— access to the historic carousel (weather permitting; $2 per person)
— access to most of the Zoo’s animal exhibits, including paid giraffe and budgie feedings
— nightly scheduled animal keeper talks and demonstrations
— get more information and tickets in advance at cmzoo.org/electric