Know who loves a snow day? Yazhi, Twinkie, Albert and Lena — our Rocky Mountain goats! Check in with CMZoo’s four fluffy friends and learn how to tell them apart, how they like to spend their days, and how their adaptations make them perfect for winters in the mountains!
Hoof care for ungulates (hooved animals) helps keep them healthy and happy, much like well-care visits to your doctor. During International Hoof Care Month, learn why we celebrate the importance of hoof care all year long, as we get up close with giraffe and Atka, the moose, to learn more about this specialized care.
Cofan, our 17-year-old male mountain tapir, is recovering from having a kidney removed in mid-February. In December 2020, his keepers noticed he was starting to act unusually and that his symptoms were progressing quickly. He was uncoordinated, was not shifting to his outdoor yard, and was eating less and losing weight.
“Cofan is normally eager to participate in training and has a healthy appetite,” said Michelle Salido, lead tapir keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “When we noticed he wasn’t himself, we started working to find out why, and ultimately discovered our guy was dealing with kidney stones that had damaged his kidney to a point that he’d be better off long-term without it.”
There are only seven mountain tapir in human care in the United States, two of which live at CMZoo. Because mountain tapir are so rare, keepers rely on their experience with Cofan and Carlotta, our 26-year-old female mountain tapir who lives with Cofan, to diagnose any issues. Tapir’s closest relatives are horses and rhinos, so sometimes knowledge of these other species can help the team care for them.
“On the inside, tapir are basically miniature horses,” said Salido. “Because their anatomy is so similar, we knew we could work with equine specialists to help him.”
Cofan’s relationship with his keepers and previous husbandry training helped the team diagnose and treat his condition. Cofan voluntarily participated in diagnostics, including x-rays, blood work and ultrasounds. With his keepers’ love and endless chin scratches as rewards, Cofan didn’t need to be sedated for any of the tests that helped diagnose his kidney disease.
“Our ultrasounds showed that he had some kind of kidney abnormality that we needed to further investigate,” said Dr. Jon Romano, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “We reached out to Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and put together a team of specialists that ultimately helped save Cofan’s life. This is the first time this surgery has ever been done for this species, and that was only possible for Cofan because of the collaborative relationship we’ve built with CSU over the years.”
Dr. Matt Johnston, CSU veterinarian and Associate Professor of Avian, Exotic, and Zoological Medicine, was part of an 11-person CSU team of equine specialists, radiologists, anesthesiologists and surgeons that quickly made the trip to help Cofan.
CMZoo and CSU teams identified the kidney stones that were causing the enlargement and damage to Cofan’s left kidney, and went right into surgery.
“We tend to think of tapirs as being similar to horses, and our equine team was able to contribute important expertise to Cofan’s case,” Dr. Johnston. “The pulling together of this type of team happened because of the long-standing working relationship with CSU, which has been mutually beneficial for both CSU and CMZoo.“
As an ambassador for his critically endangered species, Cofan’s charming nature helps people fall in love with tapir, and learn how to help protect his wild counterparts, of which fewer than 2,500 remain in their native habitat. This veterinary case will also help future tapir in human care and possibly in the wild.
“Aside from being so easy to fall in love with, Cofan is continuing to help his species by helping us learn more about how to care for mountain tapir,” said Salido. “What we learn from this case will be shared with other tapir keepers and organizations that monitor wild tapir, with the hope that other tapir can avoid or overcome similar issues.”
Cofan isn’t out of the woods yet. But, his care team is right by his side as they have been all along, and they’re cautiously optimistic. Cofan has been urinating regularly and eating better than he was before surgery – both good signs he’s on the mend.
Cofan’s care team is adjusting his diet to help him hopefully avoid developing stones in his remaining kidney, which should be able to sustain him well by itself, as long as it stays healthy. For the time being, he’s receiving subcutaneous fluids voluntarily as needed, so he’s nice and hydrated as he heals. Again, chin scratches and love are the rewards Cofan needs to receive these treatments voluntarily without sedation.
“He’s doing so great, considering he’s been through major surgery and is still recovering from feeling unwell before the surgery,” said Salido. “We’re taking turns sitting with him while he gets treatments, which take about two hours. Not only does he get the fluids and medications he needs, but it means we get to sit with him and give him lots of love and scratches for hours on end, which I think all of us, including Cofan, are really grateful for.”
Mountain tapir, from the Andes Mountains in Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru, are one of four species of tapir. Due to habitat loss, mountain tapirs are critically endangered. CMZoo staff, thanks to support from Zoo members in our annual Member Conservation Grant Vote, work diligently to save mountain tapir and their habitats south of the equator. In previous years, those grants have funded field research that is led by the Andean Bear Foundation, with support from Smithsonian, LA Zoo, and other partners. As part of these grants, Salido and other CMZoo staff members have traveled to Ecuador to track and attach GPS collars to wild mountain tapirs, and assist with health monitoring and mountain tapir education programs in the region.
The tracking research is critical, given the limited number of tapirs left in the wild and the lack of available data about them. The team’s goal is to present complete data to organizations that can place land protections in the areas where tapirs most frequently roam.
Keepers and CMZoo vet staff are keeping close eyes on Cofan and monitoring his progress as he heals.
Found in the heart of one of the most biologically diverse areas in all of Africa, okapi have only been widely documented in science since 1901. Threatened by habitat destruction, mining, poaching and civil unrest, there may be as few as 10,000 left in the wild. Okapi are only found in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are a national and cultural symbol and have been protected since 1933.
Okapi are often known as ‘unicorns of the forest,’ because of their unique markings and shy behaviors. If you’ve ever met 8-year-old male CMZoo okapi, Bahati, chances are you have fallen in love with him and his incredible species. Okapi are most closely related to giraffe, and – contrary to what their appearance might lead you to believe – are not a mix between a zebra and a donkey.
In 2020, CMZoo members voted, in the annual Member Conservation Vote, to support the Okapi Conservation Project’s (OCP) community outreach program to promote local education and to encourage co-existence between okapis, their habitat and local villages, with OCP’s agroforestry program.
“The agroforestry program helps residents near rainforests establish sustainable farming practices and reduce dependence on forest resources,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, CMZoo vice president of mission and programs. “By protecting the rainforests from slash-and-burn agriculture, OCP is protecting the okapi who need the rainforest to survive.”
OCP also introduced alternative crops and shared more efficient farming methods and technologies with local farmers. Over the last year, OCP has distributed over 65,000 kg of seedlings and over 62,000 kg of food seeds to more than 900 farmers in the region. As the program continues to grow, they are also taking the initiative to empower local women by supplying seedlings and support to over 400 female farmers.
“I love learning about the ways our frontline conservation partners, like OCP, find mutually beneficial projects for the success of the species they advocate for, and for the people who live near them,” said Dr. Dadone. “They’re so creative, and the positive ripple effect is amazing. Not only is there a safer habitat for okapi, thanks to OCP’s agroforestry program, but local families have more food security.”
In addition to the success of local farmers, one farmer has reported he has a new well-received regular visitor – a wild male okapi. Thanks to the farmer, OCP has been able to track the okapi by getting regular updates and with nearby camera traps.
OCP says they are reimbursing the farmer for any loss of crops he is experiencing from the okapi, who enjoys nibbling on the farmer’s bean stalks. But, the farmer seems to be more focused on the excitement of providing a home for the country’s national animal. The wild okapi, who has been named Nembongo after the area where he is frequently seen, could become an ambassador for his species with local communities.
Since 2015, the Member Conservation Vote has provided $450,000 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:
The 2021 Member Conservation Vote will open on Friday, March 19. Members will receive a members-only email with a link to cast their votes for the conservation projects that they want CMZoo to support the most. Votes must be cast by Monday, March 29. Look out for descriptions of the conservation projects members will choose among, in next month’s Waterhole and in the March 19 email to members.
Next month, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will move forward with revised plans to contribute to the Amur tiger Species Survival Plan. Since 9-year-old female Amur tiger, Savelii, arrived at CMZoo in November 2019 on a breeding recommendation, she has been settling in, getting to know her keepers, training for important husbandry behaviors, and participating in ‘howdies’ with Chewy, our 5-year-old male Amur tiger.
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 is 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 compatible as individuals.
“We haven’t seen behaviors between Chewy and Savelii that encourage us to introduce them without barriers,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Asian Highlands animal care manager. “Big cat breeding can be risky, in the wild and in human care – even when animals have spent positive time together without barriers. We’ve decided to take advantage of the technology available to us so we can hopefully contribute to the tiger SSP without putting Chewy and Savelii into a potentially dangerous scenario together.”
In the coming weeks, CMZoo will welcome a team of reproductive specialists to help with collecting semen from Chewy and artificially inseminating Savelii. Historically, artificial insemination in tigers has been unsuccessful a majority of the time, but with new methods in place, the team has high hopes.
The team will inseminate Savelii in two different ways: traditionally, through transcervical insemination, and with a newer method by which the sperm is placed directly into Savelii’s oviducts. The hopefully fertilized eggs would then move into Savelii’s uterus, where cubs would develop over a three-and-a-half-month gestation period.
“The best chance for this to be successful is by using recently collected sperm, which is why we’re collecting from Chewy that same day,” said Dr. Jon Romano, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “We want to do everything we can to help bring Savelii’s valuable genetics into the population, so we’re potentially using a combination of three different samples: a frozen sample previously collected from Chewy, the sperm we collect from Chewy that day, and an additional frozen sample from other tigers genetically compatible with Savelii.”
Female tigers are induced ovulators, which means the act of mating has previously been the only way for the female to release an egg for fertilization. But, breakthroughs in reproductive science have shown that with the assistance of hormone therapy, artificial insemination has a higher margin of success than it used to.
Savelii has been taking hormones to modify her cycling. In the days before her procedure, she’ll participate in her own health care to get a series of voluntary injections that will stimulate her to ovulate.
The newer oviduct procedure is laparoscopic, meaning it involves small incisions which reduce recovery time and chances of infection, as opposed to more invasive surgeries. Still, any time an animal goes under anesthesia and has incisions, there are risks involved, so Savelii will stay inside her den for at least a week after her procedure. This time in her modified dens will allow keepers to closely monitor Savelii’s incision sites while she heals.
Savelii’s care team has been collecting baseline fecal samples that will help confirm whether or not Savelii is pregnant in the weeks following the procedure. In addition to comparing her baseline hormone levels in fecal samples to new fecal samples collected over the next several weeks, they’ll monitor behaviors, like nesting or mammary changes, which are common in tigers in the days leading up to birth.
“We don’t want to anesthetize Savelii if we don’t absolutely have to, so we’re relying on her rockstar training status to help us monitor in other ways, like voluntary x-rays, blood draws and checking for weight gain,” said Zwicker.
Ultrasounds on tigers are dangerous because of the contact staff would have to make with the tiger to get quality imaging, so there are no plans to attempt that.
There’s no exact timeline, but the team estimates if Savelii is pregnant, they would know by about two months into the three-and-a-half-month gestation. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Amur tigers have three cubs, on average. They have been known to have up to seven cubs, but sadly, not all of the cubs usually survive from larger litters. The mortality rate of tiger cubs is high, with only about half of them surviving to maturity.
Male tigers don’t typically play a role in the birth or in raising cubs, so Chewy and Savelii will continue to rotate access to their multiple indoor and outdoor spaces. If Savelii does have cubs, she and the youngsters will likely be in a space that doesn’t present the clumsy little ones with complicated obstacles, like the waterfall and pool in the main yard, until they get their bearings. Cubs are born with their eyes closed, so they are completely dependent on their mothers. They typically open their eyes between six and twelve days after birth.
Amur tigers, previously known as Siberian tigers, are endangered, with fewer than 500 individuals in the wild. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Amur tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) contributes to the success of an assurance population of animal ambassadors in human care that advocate for their wild relatives, and inspire people to support important conservation efforts. Some SSPs also contribute to wild populations, or could in the future.
“We’re excited about the opportunity we have to contribute to the survival of this incredible species,” said Zwicker. “These two are amazing animal ambassadors for their wild counterparts, with such outgoing personalities. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well in March, and we’ll be able to share little Saveliis and Chewys with the world soon.”
Degu (pronounced ‘DAY-goo’)? What in the world is a degu? Most people have never heard of these pint-sized rodents that are native to the grassy slopes of the Andes Mountains, in South America. Chinchillas and guinea pigs are close relatives of the degu. Now, along with chinchillas and guinea pigs, a degu has joined our Cheyenne Mountain Zoo family!
Meet Diego! He’s a 3-month-old common degu and the newest resident of The Loft. Part of Diego’s new role as an animal ambassador is to help educate guests to do research before bringing a new pet into your life. It’s important to learn about diets, habitats and enrichment needs of a new pet, along with any local species regulations. Several states restrict having certain species as pets. Degus are not legal as household pets in Colorado, but they are in other states. Colorado has these rules in place to help protect our beautiful ecosystems, because some species, like degus, could quickly become an invasive species that could disrupt the natural balance.
Next time you visit the Loft, be sure to look out for Diego! He is very curious and can be heard making quiet chirps as he explores his home, so listen closely as you approach him. Diego is already training to do encounters like ZOOMobile, Meet-and-Greets, and other EdVenture programs. To find out more about these programs and all the other animals that you could connect with, visit cmzoo.org/animals.
What’s small, has a wiggly nose and adorable eyes, and feels like a cactus? A hedgehog!
The Loft at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is now home to two adorable African pygmy hedgehogs, named Mantis and Groot. These animal ambassadors are sisters, and are about a year and a half old. Hedgehogs are primarily solitary, so you will find them housed separately but next to each other in The Loft.
They look a lot alike, but if you look closely, you will see that Groot is a bit bigger than Mantis. Mantis weighs about 425 grams (less than a pound) and Groot weighs 625 grams (about one and a half pounds). We weigh our hedgehogs in grams, not in pounds like people or bigger animals. One gram is about equal to the weight of one paperclip, so if you get bored you can count out 625 paperclips to see just how much Groot weighs!
Mantis and Groot have started training for all sorts of activities as animal ambassadors. They have already done some virtual meet-and-greets, some ZOOMobile visits, and have even travelled to a local news station for a live interview on TV.
They are almost ready to create animal art and participate in meet-and-greets, too. Mantis and Groot are nocturnal, which means they love to sleep all day. But, once they are awake, they love to explore new spaces, smell new smells, and eat some tasty bugs.
Mantis and Groot are the newest additions to The Loft, but we also have Flora, the three-banded armadillo, and Bean, the two-toed sloth, that recently joined The Loft family, as well. All of these animal friends are ready (or almost ready) to participate in animal encounters. So, if you are interested in meeting our new hedgehogs, armadillo or sloth, be sure to visit cmzoo.org/meet or cmzoo.org/paint to find the perfect way to get up close! On your next visit to the Zoo, swing by The Loft to check out these new additions.
Primate World keepers are working with Sumagu, a 33-year-old female Sumatran orangutan on behaviors that allow her to participate voluntarily in her long-term health care. The incredibly intelligent ape has learned new husbandry behaviors, including EKG and blood draw training.
Come behind the scenes with Sumagu and her keepers to learn how they customize her training for her unique preferences, and how the data they collect helps apes in human care across the country.
Abuto, our 9-year-old African lion patriarch, is participating in impressive training that supports his ongoing health care, thanks to the creativity and dedication of his animal care team.
We have been keeping you informed as Abuto’s kidney disease and high blood pressure progress, and these two new behaviors – a ‘drink’ cue and subcutaneous fluid administration – help prepare Abuto and his team for if-and-when he starts to decline.
You normally see Abuto hanging out on pride rock, overlooking Colorado Springs with his pride, but today, you’ll join him behind the scenes for two short training sessions that took place between his time outside and in the comfy Relaxation Room in African Rift Valley.
[This video shows up-close subcutaneous fluid administration, so if you don’t like needles, you’ll want to skip over the poke about 1:15 into the video.]
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s conservation partners are still hard at work on the front lines, despite the pandemic that has slowed much of the world. The Zoo and our supporters continue to send funding to important efforts around the world, including Operation Twiga, a giraffe conservation project in Uganda, and Tsavo Trust, an elephant and rhino conservation organization in Kenya.
Operation Twiga began in 2016 to establish new populations of giraffe in safe habitats by translocating healthy, breeding giraffe from existing populations to form new herds in safer habitats.
“It takes a village to save giraffe,” said Stephanie Fennessy, Giraffe Conservation Foundation director. “Operation Twiga V is another conservation success realized by the Uganda Wildlife Authority in partnership with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and financially supported by CMZoo, the Kratt family and many other donors.”
Thanks to CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, whereby 75¢ from every admission to the Zoo is contributed to conservation, our guests are once again making an impact for wildlife and wild places. Although COVID-19 prevented CMZoo staff from attending the Operation Twiga V translocation, as they have in previous years, teams on the ground in Uganda continued this important work, with Operation Twiga V – the sixth giraffe conservation translocation.
Operation Twiga V (2020) was a continuation of Operation Twiga IV (2019). Both translocations contributed to populations in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, an historic habitat in Uganda where giraffe hadn’t existed for more than 20 years.
“We’re so grateful for our guests’ continued support of the Zoo, which allows us to continue supporting these important conservation efforts,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs at CMZoo. “Last year, CMZoo assisted on-site with Operation Twiga IV, in Uganda, but because of COVID-19, we couldn’t attend this time. That’s another reason why it’s so valuable to continue partnering with front line organizations. They can keep the work going, and we can keep supporting them while we can’t be there with them.”
For more information about Operation Twiga V, please read this article from Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program also allowed us to send more support to Tsavo Trust – a field-based non-profit organization in Africa that uses aerial surveillance and on-the-ground field efforts to protect wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in Kenya.
The organization was founded to help protect the last of the “big tuskers,” which are likely the last viable genetic pool of African elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds each. The park is also home to a number of black rhino sanctuaries established by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KSW) and supported by the Zoological Society of London. The black rhino is critically endangered, due primarily to illegal poaching for their horns.
In partnership with the Kratt Family Foundation, CMZoo and its guests funded two clean water stations, known as boreholes, in communities near Tsavo National Park. The effort is a project under Tsavo Trust’s Community Conservancy Program. The program aims to improve local wildlife relations with local community members, by creating secure buffers bordering protected areas of Tsavo National Park. Tsave Trust also reaches out to nearby communities who have, “faced serious hardships, such as lack of water, food insecurity, and constant human-wildlife conflicts, resulting in a negative perception towards wildlife,” according to Tsavo Trust’s most recent conservation update to CMZoo.
The availability of clean drinking water improves the quality of life for members of these important nearby communities, and helps foster goodwill between Tsavo Trust and their neighbors, who can help save wildlife. Tsavo Trust representatives say the community members have been made aware that “the water has come from the elephants.”
Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has helped guests send more than $3 million to conservation efforts around the world, and right here in Colorado. Every visit to CMZoo is conservation is action.