ACTIVE DUTY AND VETERAN MILITARY MEMBERS RECEIVE 50% OFF ADMISSION FOR ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s annual Military Appreciation Week kicked off Monday, Sept. 13 and continues through Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. All active-duty, veteran and retired military members and their dependents who live in the same household will receive 50% off the base Zoo admission cost for the day and time they choose to attend. Timed-entry e-tickets are required and must be purchased in advance at cmzoo.org/military.

To validate their pre-purchased tickets at the front gate, military personnel and their dependents must present a valid military ID at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s admission booth. Accepted IDs include: a valid military / retired military ID; a copy of form DD214; state driver’s license printed with veteran indicator or military identifier; or ID issued by the VA, VFW or American Legion. If a service member is deployed or absent, dependents are still entitled to this discount with a spouse’s valid military ID.

Fast Facts

Military Appreciation Week at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Monday, September 13 through Sunday, September 19

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Advance e-tickets are required

Active-duty, veteran or retired military and their immediate family in the same household

50% off base Zoo admission

For more information and to purchase required advance e-tickets, visit: www.cmzoo.org/military

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Military Appreciation Week is possible because of the generous support of our partners, Black Bear Diner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs Pediatric Dentistry, ENT Credit Union, and your Colorado Springs Toyota Dealers.

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 2020, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #4 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #3 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 241 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.

The #CMZoo staff votes are in, and it’s time to reveal the name of our baby hippo! Keepers set up an extra-special breakfast of carrots, oranges and hay for Zambezi in the shape of her calf’s new name. As we show you the video in reverse, his name will be revealed!

Following the theme of the names of his mom, Zambezi, and aunt, Kasai, the calf was named after a river in Africa. The seasonal flooding of this river is vital for food cultivation by the indigenous groups that live along it. Water conservation is an important focus of Water’s Edge: Africa, and our hope is that the calf’s name will help us share these stories with guests and inspire them to take action to save water.

Next time you visit the Zoo, be sure to say hello to….watch the video to find out the name!

Zambezi’s mini-me is learning how to hippo! At eight weeks old, the little calf is still nursing, but that doesn’t stop him from attempting to eat hay, just like mom. The pair have been spending more time on land, both early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Hippo-ing is a lot of work when you’re a little guy, so naps are required in between bouts of mimicking mom. We’re loving his signature sleepy ‘plop!’

As a celebration of all the hard work and dedication our employees put in every day, Zoo management has decided to give the honor of naming the calf to our staff. We’re in the final stages of choosing that name, and we will share it with you, as soon as it’s final!

Happy International Vulture Awareness Day! Today, keepers Brooke and Michelle are spending time with Godric and Hedwig, our Cape griffon vultures, and Nesher, our Eurasian griffon vulture. Cape Griffon vultures are endangered with declining populations, but Eurasian Griffon vultures are of least concern and are increasing in the wild. Vultures are extremely important parts of their ecosystems, and serve as an indicator of the health of the environment below them. Measuring the health of vultures is a great way to measure the overall health of the food chain below them.

Many of the challenges that vultures face in the wild are man-made. Accidental power line collisions are a major issue for these birds. Poachers will also sometimes poison the meat of illegal kills to prevent vultures from flying above the carcasses and revealing their location to rangers. Loss of habitat is also causing a decline in these powerful birds, as it means fewer resources for these birds to live off of.

While these dangers are man-made. not all human intervention is bad for these birds. We are proud that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s guests help fund the operations of VulPro through Quarters for Conservation, which is funded by your 75¢ contribution every time you visit the Zoo. VulPro is a South African-based conservation program that works to save Africa’s vultures through rehabilitation efforts, captive breeding programs, research and education.

Since November 2020, VulPro has rescued 59 vultures, most of which were victims of power line collisions and starvation. One of their rising concerns is the impact of wind farms on vulture populations, as they are beginning to see more vultures and raptors injured or killed by collisions with turbines. One especially memorable rescue occurred in May this year, when an African white-backed vulture had its head and beak stuck in a piece of old pvc pipe. When the VulPro team rescued the bird, he was malnourished and dehydrated, and his tongue was damaged where the pipe had cut into it. The vulture stayed at the Vulpro facility until it recovered, and was released back into the wild on June 1.

VulPro’s hope is to inspire people to protect these iconic species. Thank you for celebrating International Vulture Awareness Day with us at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, where every visit is conservation in action.


Tsavo Trust is a field-based non-profit organization in Africa that uses aerial surveillance and on-the-ground field efforts to protect wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in Kenya. Through the Quarters from Conservation program, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s members and guests have supported Tsavo Trust since May 2016.

The organization was founded to help protect the last of the ‘big tuskers,’ which are likely the last viable genetic pool of African elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds each. The park is also home to a number of black rhino sanctuaries established by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and supported by the Zoological Society of London. The black rhino is critically endangered, due primarily to illegal poaching for their horns.

In partnership with the Kratt Family Foundation, CMZoo continues to support Tsavo Trust’s mission by funding ongoing infrastructure development and community outreach projects. Supporting staff salaries and on-site maintenance allows the team on the ground to more efficiently protect the animals at risk. Last year, CMZoo sent support for clean water wells for Tsavo Trust headquarters and a nearby community, which helps bridge relationships with locals who can help Tsavo Trust identify emerging issues that could impact wildlife in the area. This was funded by the Zoo’s daily elephant and rhino feedings, which are available during summer months when weather permits.

This year, CMZoo’s funding has helped support a full-time business administrator, a full-time conservation officer and low-flying reconnaissance pilot and a newly completed workshop, where the team can efficiently maintain its fleet of 12 ground vehicles. Keeping those all-terrain vehicles in working order means the team can effectively reach elephants and rhinos that need them.

“Imagine having your headquarters in the middle of Tsavo National Park,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, CMZoo vice president of mission and programs. “You’re protecting roughly 16,000 miles of land that is vital to the survival of the last of this incredible population of African elephants, but the lack of services can present obstacles that could mean life or death for an elephant. If a vehicle broke down in the past, it could have caused a significant delay in getting to the elephants in the field. Now, Tsavo Trust teams can maintain their vehicles on-site and get where they’re needed – with the elephants and rhinos in the wild.”

From January to June 2021, Tsavo Trust flew more than 28,000 miles above Tsavo National Park, monitoring elephants, rhinos and other wildlife from the skies. The Tsavo Trust airplanes give their team the best vantage point for identifying threats to the animals, which are relayed to Tsavo Trust protection and monitoring teams, on foot and in vehicles, who can take action on the ground.

“I hope our guests can feel the impact they’re making through our partnership with Tsavo Trust,” said Dr. Dadone. “By visiting the Zoo, you’re sending financial support directly to the team who keeps a watchful eye on these magnificent animals and anyone who might want to harm them.”

In that same period, Tsavo Trust has made 28 arrests, including poachers and ivory dealers, and recovered 417 snares and traps.

Every visit to the Zoo is conservation in action. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and its supporters, guests and members have raised more than $3.4 million since the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program launched in 2008.

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Join us for a 5-week check-in with our beloved baby boy hippo. He and his mom, Zambezi, continue to bond well, and have even been exploring the main hippo yard together. Little baby hippo is weighing in at more than 160 pounds now! He’s gaining about a pound a day.

He’s also starting to grow his tusks and is beginning to interact with his keeper team. Water’s Edge: Africa lead keeper, Phil, fills us in on the latest from the hippo building, where baby and Zambezi have been joining him for afternoon meals daily.

The team is working on choosing a name for the baby hippo, and we’ll share that as soon as we can.

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Do you know our two emus, Dora and Damian? These two ‘really big birds’ live in Australia Walkabout, near the wallaby yard. Join Australia Walkabout Keeper, Bruce, to learn about the unique personalities, backgrounds and features of these flightless feathered friends, then watch the two enjoy a summertime cooldown in a nice mud wallow.

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Last month, Juju, 40-year-old CMZoo female Western lowland gorilla, started showing her keepers she wasn’t feeling well. Juju, who is known for being confident and independent, was spending more time away from the group, being less energetic, and sitting uncomfortably. Juju is in her golden years, having surpassed the median life expectancy of 39 years for female Western lowland gorillas, and had experienced short periods of similar discomfort, but this episode was lasting longer and her symptoms were more severe.

On August 4, 2021, after her team had exhausted all voluntary diagnostic and treatment options, Juju received a thorough examination under anesthesia in CMZoo’s vet clinic. Anesthesia is risky for any animal, but especially for an older animal. X-rays showed she doesn’t have major issues, like fractures or breaks, causing her pain, and that it’s more chronic, age-related issues to manage. She did well under anesthesia and has recovered and responded well to the treatments, including steroid injections in her left knee and left hip, and ongoing oral medications to help with pain and inflammation. Thankfully, Juju’s keepers and veterinary team have seen her continue to improve physically since the treatment.

Unless Juju’s care team sees that she’s declining, they’ll continue to manager her discomfort with oral medications, and won’t attempt any further diagnostics. They track her quality-of-life markers for her ‘new normal,’ which help the team set realistic expectations and more specific behavior trends that help them identify if she might need assistance again.

Some might think Juju’s care plan is purely focused on her physical conditions, but there’s another factor to consider when an animal has to leave and rejoin its group: the well-being of the troop. Because gorillas are such social beings, and because CMZoo’s Western lowland gorilla troop of five has been somewhat slow to form a cohesive group, the next step was to reunite them while preserving the relationships they’ve worked so hard to establish.

Silverback gorillas joining an established group, like 30-year-old Goma, have to earn the respect of the females in their troops, and a large-and-in-charge female like Juju doesn’t always make it easy for him. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be unusual for Juju to ‘challenge’ Goma, testing her limits by sitting closer than he would prefer, for example. When Juju does this, Goma’s job is to prove he’s a leader to earn her and the other females’ respect. He might ‘display,’ by standing up tall and making noise with nearby objects. Normally Juju would show him respect by moving away. While she wasn’t as mobile as usual, Goma – knowing Juju’s tendencies – could have seen her inability to move away quickly as a continued challenge, which could have caused tension between them. To avoid creating this environment, which would be stressful for the whole troop, keepers gave Goma his own space. Other than during her time at the vet clinic, Juju was with the females consistently.

“Once our vet team decided Juju was steady enough, she rejoined the girls,” said Eleanor Knox, senior keeper in Primate World. “When we opened the door between them, she was still pretty stiff from the procedure. Roxie and Asha were doing happy gorilla grumbles and touching her. Roxie, her best friend, patted her. Asha sort of encouraged her out of the den to a comfy hay bed, where she relaxed for the next couple of hours with Roxie close by.”

By the next morning, Juju had made her way outside, followed by Roxie. The team gave Juju about a week after the immobilization before reuniting her and the females with Goma. After a week, they could see the ladies were calm and settled, and Juju was confident and mobile enough to share space with him.

“The goal is to have a cohesive group, so separating Goma was the best thing for them at the time, but we knew we would need them to reunite when Juju was better,” said Knox. “It didn’t take long to see we could reunite everyone safely.”

When gorillas are excited or happy, they let out ‘gorilla grumbles,’ and the day they were reunited was grumbly indeed. They’ve been back together for their normal daily interactions for about two weeks.

“Just seeing that they could go through this potentially stressful scenario so calmly, and actually seeing excitement during the reunion is a huge nod to their resilience and bonds as a group,” said Knox. “Goma has been paying a lot of attention, which we can interpret as him caring about the overall good of the group.”

Primate World keepers will continue to monitor Juju and adjust treatments as needed. For now, the troop has settled back in together so well, that they’ll continue spending time together as a troop, growing their bonds.

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It’s officially back-to-school season. While our partner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, helps parents prepare for the academic year ahead, Water’s Edge: Africa keepers are helping 4-month-old ring-tailed lemur, Maky [MAH-kee], take his first steps toward training!
Many animals at the Zoo participate in voluntary training, which allows them to choose to participate in their own health care and other husbandry behaviors for their well-being. One of the first steps in training is building a trusting relationship between the animal and its keeper team.

“Developing a relationship with a young animal is one thing, but the real test is our relationships with their mothers when we need to work with them,” said Phil Waugh, lead keeper in Water’s Edge: Africa. “The fact that our ring-tailed lemur moms are comfortable with us being close to and even touching their babies is a huge signal that they trust us – not only with their safety, but with their babies’ safety.”

Maky’s mom, Rogue, calmly sits by, snacking on raspberries, as the Water’s Edge team comes onto Lemur Island to see if Maky wants to train. The young lemur is clearly excited by all of the activity – and snacks. He may be young, but he has mastered the art of speed leaping. He jumps quickly from one branch to another to make it over to the keepers, even beating his dad, Hercules, for top positioning closest to his trainer, Erin.

“Maky is incredibly confident with his team, and he’s full of energy,” said Waugh. “He’s young, so his training will start with learning to focus on one keeper and one task at a time. He’s quite a rambunctious little student, so it’s endearing to see him really harnessing that focus to participate with his keeper team.”

Little Maky is also learning to accept voluntary injections. The team will start by simply bringing a syringe without a needle near him, so he can see what it looks like. Then, they’ll touch him with the syringe, then add a blunted needle until he’s totally comfortable with it. Injection training is often a top priority for new or young animals, since it helps them receive vaccinations they need with as little stress as possible.

CMZoo’s three adult lemurs, Allagash, Hercules and Rogue, are injection trained, too. They have also learned more complicated behaviors, like voluntarily loading into a transport crate for low-stress moves from Lemur Island to the vet clinic, for example. They continue to learn, too! They’re working on presenting different parts of their bodies for keepers to touch and check for possible wounds or other issues.

“Allagash, who gave birth to twins in July, has also shown us she’s comfortable with us getting close to her babies,” said Waugh. “When we ask her to stretch up or show us her belly, she’s happy to do it. It helps us do visual checks on her and the twins, while they’re still clinging to her back and chest most of the time.”

Maky spends very little time on his mom’s back anymore, but still seems to like sitting next to her for the lemurs’ daily morning sunbathing sessions. We hope you all do well as you head back to school, and that you get lots of rewards for your training, just like Maky!

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Napping can be tough when you have a newborn! Zambezi is clearly a great mom, always keeping a watchful eye on her little one in between quick winks. Her 3-and-a-half week old calf is great at power napping right alongside her, when not exploring his new, great big world. Once Zambezi decides that naptime is over, the pair enter the water and swim off to their preferred nursing spot. A mother’s work is never done.

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