Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Author at CMZoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is moving forward with plans to demolish Monkey Pavilion, located centrally near the Zoo’s eateries and historic carousel, starting in November. Monkey Pavilion was built in 1942 and originally housed big cats, such as tigers, leopards and lions. Since then, the building has undergone renovations to support residents including lemurs, monkeys, sloths and more.

Since their inception, zoos have modernized in leaps and bounds. Fostering relationships between our guests and animals is our top priority, supported by our focuses on animal care, conservation and education. The animals’ homes play a vital role in our ability to achieve our goal of helping people fall in love with wildlife and wild places. We understand perception matters. We want to inspire our guests, and have seen that if an enclosure presents too many barriers, our ability to foster those connections is limited.

While the building provided good homes and enriching experiences for the animals that lived there, it falls short of providing an environment that helps our keepers build connections between guests and animals. We see opportunities for better use of the area. The possibilities seem endless, and we are considering every idea. We have not yet made decisions about the future of the space, but will announce them when the time is right.

The building, once considered architecturally beautiful and state-of-the-art, has become a symbol of zoos past, and its design does not reflect who we are today. We acknowledge that Monkey Pavilion is an iconic building at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Many longtime guests, members and staff have childhood photos by the outdoor exhibits or with the nearby zebra and lioness statues, which will be relocated within the Zoo. Its now-dated design is a nod to the progress Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited modern zoos have made since its construction, and its demolition is further evidence of the importance we place on providing the best possible opportunities for our guests to fall in love with animals, without distracting barriers.

Embracing our past, and learning from it, strengthens our future potential. It highlights how far we’ve come through positive changes across the zoo profession, and it encourages us to keep striving for additional change that will make us even better in the future.

Of course, demolishing this building requires a lot of coordination, and our animals’ best interests are at the heart of our planning, along with ensuring our guests’ experiences aren’t negatively impacted by the building’s removal. Some current Monkey Pavilion residents will move to other spaces at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. For others, we have identified new homes at other AZA-accredited facilities. The building will continue to empty over the next month and a half, with the building closing October 28, 2020.

Demolition is slated to begin in November and is expected to take several months. We will keep you posted as we make progress on this historic update to our Zoo.

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 #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. Of the 233 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.

Our littlest mountain lion, nearly 5-month-old Koda, ventured out into one of the exhibit yards on Thursday! Guests can see Koda, who joined us mid-June after being found alone on a logging road in Washington, intermittently as he adjusts to his new surroundings. He will spend increasing amounts of time exploring this yard, so be sure to look carefully as you go by the mountain lion yard closest to the moose barn. He may be napping in a nook, and he can get startled by loud voices, so it’s best to remain quiet when you visit.

Koda has had one introduction with one-and-a-half-year-old female mountain lion Adira in the dens. The intro went well, but Koda’s enthusiastic approach appeared to make Adira uncomfortable, although she was patient and gentle with Koda. So Koda will continue exploring this yard by himself and run off some more energy until his animal care team decides he’s ready for another introduction. Adira and Sitka will enjoy time nearby, in the yard closest to the porcupines. Once Koda is familiar with this new-to-him space and has learned some important prerequisite behaviors – like coming back to his keepers when called with so many new smells, sounds and sights competing for his attention – he will get to try introductions with Adira again.

Active duty and veteran military members receive 50% off admission for entire household – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s annual Military Appreciation Week is Monday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. 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, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Military Appreciation Week is the Zoo’s way of thanking military personnel for their service to our country. Tickets must be purchased in advance at cmzoo.org/military (capacity is limited); tickets will not be available for purchase at the Zoo’s admissions gates.

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, dependents are still entitled to this discount with a valid ID.

Fast Facts

Military Appreciation Week at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Monday, September 14 through Sunday, September 20
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; guests must arrive within 20 minutes of their ticketed time
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, ENT Credit Union, and your Colorado Springs Toyota Dealers.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Baby Siamang Born to First-Time Parents, Eve and Wayan – Eve, a 9-year-old Siamang at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, took a different approach to Labor Day this year: by going into labor. In the wee hours of the morning, she gave birth to an adorable black-haired, pink-eared baby, whose sex has not yet been identified. Baby and mom seem to be doing well so far, and dad, Wayan, is curious and calm around baby. Their keepers, once they recovered from the happy surprise of discovering the baby this morning, have been monitoring the family of three, and see good signs from all.

“Eve and Wayan are normally spooning together when we come into work for early-morning checks,” said Kelsey Newman, keeper at CMZoo who doesn’t always work in Primate World, but was the first to see the baby Siamang. “This morning, I noticed they were sitting a little differently. Then, Wayan moved away from Eve and I saw the little baby’s arm. It was a surprise, for sure.”

Although Siamangs, a kind of gibbon, are endangered in the wild, Eve and Wayan did not have a breeding recommendation from the Gibbon Species Survival Plan. Because their different families’ genetics are well represented in Siamangs in human care, they weren’t currently recommended to breed, but those recommendations can change at any time. With that in mind, Eve has been on oral birth control. Just like humans, oral contraceptives are not 100% effective for apes. Siamangs don’t show signs of pregnancy as obviously as humans, so the birth did come as a surprise to keepers, but Eve seems to have embraced motherhood without skipping a beat.

“You can tell just by looking at Eve that she’s head over heels in love with that baby already,” said Joanna Husby, Primate World animal care manager. “She’s cradling her baby with both arms, licking its head and nuzzling it while it nurses. It’s really sweet.”

Husby describes Siamangs as the ‘romantic apes,’ because they’re the only ape species that mates for life in the wild. They have tight family bonds, and fathers play a big role in raising their babies, unlike many species of the animal kingdom. When mom Siamangs get sleepy, you’ll see the dads cuddling the babies while the moms rest.

“We’re already seeing great instincts in Wayan,” said Husby, who in addition to managing Primate World, is secretary of the Gibbon SSP and has worked directly with gibbons at CMZoo for 12 years. “He’s sticking close by without interfering. He’s really curious and is being respectful, showing support without taking over.”

While the baby bonds with its new parents, it’s important they have access to a quiet, private space. In addition to their indoor on-exhibit areas, they have access to multiple behind-the-scenes dens. Depending on weather and the baby’s development, the family will also have access to their outdoor space. The gibbons may be visible to guests in Primate World, depending on where they prefer to spend time.

There are no plans to name the baby, yet. Stay tuned to the Zoo’s social media pages for more updates on this sweet little family.

The Wilgruen Elephant Center in Encounter Africa is home to six African elephants named Jambo (37), Malaika (34), Lucky (40), LouLou (38), Kimba (42) and Missy (51). All of these precious pachyderms are considered to be advanced in age, and that’s no coincidence. Our ‘Golden Girls,’ as we affectionately call them, are the beneficiaries of a vision that CMZoo had years ago.

“We saw a need in the greater zoo community to provide a home for aging elephants,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs. “Many zoos provide wonderful homes for young and breeding-age elephants, but weren’t specifically equipped to care for the age-related issues these massive creatures inevitably experience in their later years. We saw that as an opportunity to step up and create an environment and wellness program that could help them live their best lives in their golden years.”

The Wilgruen Elephant Center in Encounter Africa is a state-of-the-art facility designed to help address the complications that come with aging multi-ton animals that need medical assistance. Equipment includes a remote video surveillance system, a crane-and-hoist system that can lift a disabled elephant, and a care program that provides a safe area for weighing, veterinary care and husbandry training. In addition to the sand that staff bring into the barn to provide cushioning substrate, areas of the barn floors are rubberized concrete which helps ease the pressure of their impressive weight on their aging joints.

“Malaika is one of our best known elephants because of the issues she’s been able to overcome thanks to our team’s expertise and the equipment in the barn, like the crane-and-hoist system that has saved her life twice since January 2018,” said Dr. Dadone. “As she continues to navigate these issues, we work with the elephant experts at CMZoo and other organizations to try innovative ways to address them.”

On April 1, 2019, Malaika was, for the second time, found lying on her side and unable to get up during an overnight check. If an elephant can’t get up on its own and is down for too long, it can cause stress to its internal organs and can be fatal.

Some elephants are able to lie down and get back up with no problem, but some, like Malaika, don’t lie down and instead will lean on objects for rest. This is partially due to a life-long issue with bowing and lack of strength in her back right leg, which is worsening as she ages.

Both times she fell, the Zoo’s emergency response team used the barn’s hoist system to help Malaika into a sternal position (on her belly, with legs in a better position to stand). Malaika was then able to stand on her own. Since then, her care team, including her keepers and veterinary staff, monitor her for any additional medical concerns, and use innovative methods to help her rest, gain flexibility and strengthen her core muscles.

Malaika and all of the CMZoo elephants participate in daily voluntary physical therapy, which we call ‘elephant yoga.’ The routines focus on overall flexibility and strengthening while addressing any problem areas the individuals may have. For Malaika, that means working on core strength and flexibility, as well as teaching her to trust and use some of the items we give her to encourage rest.

“All of the girls participate in elephant yoga daily,” said Jason Bredahl, Encounter Africa animal care manager. “They get really excited when it’s their turn to train with their keepers. They do exercises like downward dog – or downward elephant – and do repetitions of lifting and holding their legs, heads and trunks in a stretched position for an extended period of time. Over the years, we’ve seen their flexibility improve, but some of their long-term issues continue to present challenges.”

The team also offers sand piles, large tires and boulders to Malaika and encourages her to lean against them with positive reinforcement training. Elephants are incredibly intelligent and observant, but the sand piles’ purpose isn’t an easy thing to communicate to Malaika. To encourage her to trust the sand pile’s ability to support her, the team incorporates the piles into her existing training. During her physical therapy routine, they ask her for behaviors she knows, but close to or on top of the sand. Asking Malaika to position herself with her belly on a small pile is hopefully helping her recognize the relief it can provide by taking some of her nearly 8,000 pounds of body weight off of her legs and feet.

“We’re working on building her confidence in leaning against them to rest, since she doesn’t lie down,” said Bredahl. “Since we first started working with one sand pile last fall, we have extended them into most of the barn. Part of strengthening her body to recover from or avoid a fall is also making sure she’s resting. We’ve seen some progress with her leaning against the piles, and we’re hopeful that will continue and improve. Because she has fallen twice now, we train her and ourselves to be prepared for another fall, even though we hope that doesn’t happen again.”

Zoo staff performs drills to practice and test protocols for situations like a fall. Using huge bags containing tons of sand, the team holds timed training sessions. The team springs into action as they would during a real event, engaging the hoist-and-crane system in the barn to secure the nylon lifting straps beneath the bag and raise it up, as they would with an elephant who couldn’t get up on her own. These emergency practice events help the team stay familiar with the equipment and the pressure associated with a real crisis.

Even with all of the emergency equipment and training in place, the team believes preventive care is the best way to keep the girls healthy.

“We work to provide an environment that keeps the herd moving, because just like all of us, a body in motion stays in motion,” said Bredahl. “We provide enrichment throughout every day, and we move the girls every one to two hours into a new space, which keeps them walking and provides new opportunities, interesting spaces and enrichment for them to explore.”

As well as their daily yoga, the girls get consistent exercise with a variety of spaces, both inside the barn and outside in their yards. Outdoor features include a quarter-mile walking path, built-in enrichment activities that encourage natural behaviors like stretching high and lifting heavy items such as logs, a pool big enough to swim and relax in, a waterfall and pond, mud bathing in a large mud wallow, varied terrain to keep muscles fit moving up and down hills, a training yard, and a 2-acre off-exhibit vacation yard, where the Zoo’s elephants can take a break from their duties as animal ambassadors and roam the forest – often doing their own versions of landscaping, like knocking down trees and pulling up fresh grass and branches to snack on.

Veterinary care is also a big part of elephant care. The herd participates in voluntary blood draws for diagnostics, laser therapy, tusk and foot care. Lucky has struggled with an issue in her rear right leg that causes her to ‘lock’ her knee when she walks. She is able to bend her knee – and does frequently as a focus of her customized physical therapy – but chooses to keep her leg straight the majority of time she’s exploring on her own. This causes an abnormal gait which leads to more wear on one side of her foot that her care team monitors daily. Malaika is similar to Lucky in that she wears more of her right rear foot pad due to her bowed leg.

“We work with a farrier team to create ‘shoes,’ for many of our animals, including giraffe and Malaika and Lucky,” said Dr. Dadone. “The leather shoes are adhered with a nontoxic glue and help prevent wounds to Lucky’s and Malaika’s foot. When one side of a foot gets more wear and tear, it can cause their naturally thick skin to wear down to more delicate skin, which we need to protect from potential infection and the pain they could experience from irritating that more sensitive skin.”

The shoes, treatments and physical therapy to address these issues help the elephants remain active and comfortable, but the team acknowledges that they may never be able to fully correct these issues.

“All of the elephants are monitored with daily quality-of-life markers,” said Dr. Dadone. “We look for things like appetite, activity, social interactions with the rest of the herd, how many times per day they’re bending a problem joint or not, and any indications that they’re not able to enjoy life as an elephant. The data, over time, helps us make decisions that ensure our elephants are living the fullest lives they possibly can.”

If you’ve ever visited #CMZoo and our herd of six African elephants, you can consider yourself a conservation warrior. Through our Quarters for Conservation program, 75¢ of every admission goes to conservation partners, like Tsavo Trust – a field-based non-profit organization that uses aerial surveillance and on-the-ground field efforts to protect elephants, rhinos and other wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in Kenya. Small change makes a big difference. Since 2008, those quarters have added up to more than $3 million for conservation – a milestone the Zoo celebrated at the end of July. Tsavo Trust 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.

Back to The Waterhole

As kids head back to school with so many changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our partner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, has provided a guide to helping prepare children and their parents for what’s to come with this blog.

Likewise, one of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s youngest residents is preparing for big changes ahead. Atka, a 3-month-old male Alaska moose who moved to Rocky Mountain Wild after being orphaned in Alaska, is working on training, learning to navigate new areas of the moose yard, and saying goodbye to bottles.

As animals adapt to changes like these, keepers look for ways to help them feel confident and calm, partly by making sure animals have access to things they like. Atka, for example, loves browse, otherwise known as tree branches. He likes to eat browse, investigate it and watch guests from behind it. He also likes shade and his mister to keep cool and comfortable. His keepers continually make changes to his yard that improve his confidence outside of the barn. They’re also developing trusting relationships with the little moose.

Each of Atka’s keepers has bonded with Atka over various special interactions when they first recognized he would hold a place in their hearts forever. For Rogers, it was a moment of innocent mischief.

“I went in to do some cleaning one day and he came over and was playing with a grain bag that I was trying to use as a trash bag,” said Courtney Rogers, lead keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “He was kicking it and overall adorably getting in my way while I was trying to get the job done. It was really endearing. He likes to play hard to get. If you’re in the yard with him, but focused on something else, he’ll usually come over and see what you’re up to and maybe nudge you for some attention. He prefers being the one to initiate interactions. That’s good because that means he’s confident and independent.”

His impressive growth could be contributing to that confidence. Atka has been gaining about two pounds per day. He now weighs more than 170 pounds, having gained 80 pounds since he arrived mid-July. Obviously, he’s eating well, and as he grows his diet will need to change.

Atka currently gets two bottles a day, down from three per day when he arrived. At around this age, moose calves in the wild would be weaning off of their mothers’ milk, so Atka is on the right track. He also eats a lot of browse, grain and two bananas per day. Still, the little guy loves that bottle, so his keepers are being proactive in building his trust in them and his interest in other motivators that will help him achieve the training that will help his keepers care for him throughout his life.

“He’s learning to eat his grain, but is much more open to it if we include a mushed banana,” said Rogers. “Lots of people ask why he gets bananas, since they’re definitely not a part of a wild moose’s diet. Bananas are an old moose keeper secret. Tahoma loved bananas, too. The Alaska Zoo keepers who cared for Atka before us knew about it, and we learned about it from other keepers. It’s one of those weird things that someone somewhere tried once and hit the jackpot. They do contain sugar, so he gets them in moderation and as a special treat when we need to motivate him to do something.”

Motivating him to train, try new foods and explore new spaces safely are banana-worthy endeavors, but building a trusting relationship with his keepers is the biggest priority.

“We’re teaching him that he can control his outcomes and get rewards by behaving in certain ways,” said Rogers. “He learned to stand on his scale from an early age, so we know how intelligent he is. We have started cueing him to allow us to touch his leg. It seems simple, but it’s a first step in letting him voluntarily participate in his health care. We will say ‘touch’ to him and then touch his leg. I show him it benefits him to allow us to do that by reinforcing his positive behavior with a piece of banana. Someday soon he’ll be too big for us to go into the yard with him, so we need him to learn these behaviors while he’s young. Especially as he weans off the bottle, we need him to know there are other benefits of interacting with us.”

Right now, Atka can roam around a fenced area within the moose yard. He has access to trees, enrichment, shade and his mister. This smaller grassy part of the expansive moose yard doesn’t include potentially difficult obstacles, like the deep pool or rocky culvert. But soon, he’ll have a lot more space to explore.

“We’re taking it one step at a time,” said Rogers. “His outside space will be bigger, covering about half of the yard. We try to think of all the ways an animal could get into ‘trouble’ in a new space and address them. We’ll be watching closely when we take him on his first field trips into the larger yard, in case there are any spots we may have missed.”

In the wild, calves would learn to navigate from their mothers. Atka has the tools to navigate safely, but he doesn’t have the experience. A mother moose would instinctively pick the safest paths to navigate terrain and her calf would learn by watching her.

“Since he’s so independent, we’re not sure if he’ll follow our lead,” said Rogers. “The yard has some obstacles we want to make sure he knows how to navigate safely, but we trust he’ll figure it out quickly by depending on his natural moose instincts.”

Just like Tahoma, this little moose doesn’t seem to be phased by much, so keepers are optimistic about his future explorations.

“I’ve been impressed that he is pretty brave with new things,” said Rogers. “We got a new shade sail to give him some more shade in the yard and we laid it on the ground to figure out how to hang it. Some animals would be really hesitant about something like that, but he came right up to it and kept walking on it and through it. He was very helpful while we tried to install it.”

We’ll share updates as keepers continue helping Atka acclimate to his yard and new training opportunities, as he grows. Guests can visit Atka in the moose yard in Rocky Mountain Wild.

Back to The Waterhole

Koda, our nearly 4-month-old mountain lion kitten who came to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in June after being found alone on a logging road in Washington, will soon start introductions with one-year-old mountain lions Adira and Sitka. For now, Koda is still too small to safely explore the outdoor mountain lion spaces, so he has access to three indoor dens each night and all four indoor dens during the day, when Adira and Sitka are outside.

With chain link fencing between them for safety, the three mountain lions have constant protected access to each other. Known as ‘howdies,’ this initial phase in introducing animals gives them opportunities to see, smell and hear each other, or to choose to walk away. Keepers have been observing the cats’ reactions to each other, and say that little Koda had an immediate affinity for Adira.

“Koda was very aware that Adira is female,” said Courtney Rogers, Rocky Mountain Wild lead keeper. “When we first started howdies, he immediately ran up to the fence and would call to her. She would call back and go over to him. As she should as the senior in the situation, she puts him in his place when he gets too rowdy by giving him a calm little growl or a quick swat at the fence. Koda responds submissively, which is a good indication they’re ready for a full introduction.”

Sitka, the older male, is interested in Koda, but prefers to watch him from a distance and have the choice to interact or not. At first, Koda’s sudden movements startled Sitka, which made him feel like he needed to protect himself. Recently, keepers have seen Sitka and Koda making progress, too.

“Now Sitka will sleep through Koda’s kitten antics, which is a sign that he’s getting more comfortable around him,” said Rogers. “Sitka will demonstrate that he’s not a threat through his body language and Koda mirrors that, which is great. Adira and Sitka share the same space during howdies, with Koda his in own space. Adira and the kitten are getting along so great that her presence helps Sitka feel calmer around Koda. Some mornings, we come in to find Sitka and Koda cuddled up right next to each other on either side of the fence.”

Based on them sharing the most positive interactions, Koda will meet Adira first. Introducing felines is always delicate, so the team will monitor the cats throughout introductions and follow the animals’ leads. The keepers have determined a list of prerequisite skills that all of the mountain lions need to know before introductions. These behaviors will allow keepers to intervene if necessary and hopefully avoid any potentially harmful interactions. Because Adira and Koda’s introductions will be separate from Sitka, the keepers also need to help Adira and Sitka feel comfortable being separated from each other.

The introduction between Adira and Koda will likely take place in the off-exhibit den, since Koda is too small for the outdoor yards. That means Adira needs to feel confident in the dens without Sitka.

“We’ve been working on variations of Sitka and Adira sharing space and being separate,” said Rogers. “We make sure we give them something to occupy their time when they’re separated, like ice treats or paper to shred. After a couple of hours, we’ll give them a little meatball and then reunite them. They’re happy to be reunited, but aren’t showing signs of stress being separated.”

Koda has also been getting used to the sights and sounds of guests walking by from inside the den. Keen-eyed guests might have spotted the little guy inside the den during the day when he can come right up to the mesh gate that leads into the den.

“It’s been a good opportunity to make him more aware of his environment and let him choose to be there, which he does from time to time,” said Rogers. “Sometimes if you stand near the gate just before you enter the mountain lion cave, you can hear him playing rambunctiously inside and very seldom you can see him. He’s watching usually from a couple of dens back.”

The spotted kitten weighs only about 14 pounds now. He needs to grow quite a bit more before guests will see him outside. But, his keepers are sure that once guests meet him, they will fall in love with him, too.

“He’s ridiculous in the most adorable way,” said Rogers. “He gets the zoomies a lot. He gets these wild eyes and holds his head back and his pupils get really big. He’ll see you coming, hide behind a log and out of nowhere just leap out and run top speed to jump up and tackle a toy near you. The other day he stood like a meerkat for like 45 seconds. He’s outgoing, vocal and full of energy. We can’t wait to share him with everyone.”

Once Koda is big enough to explore the outdoor yards, we will share that information so guests can come and see him in Rocky Mountain Wild.

Back to The Waterhole

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo family is getting excited for International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) on Saturday, September 5, 2020 – almost as excited as Godric, Hedwig and Nesher, CMZoo’s three vultures, get for training time.

When 6-year-old male African cape vulture, Godric, and 14-year-old female African cape vulture, Hedwig, see their keepers approaching, they come running. With their enormous white wings held back in the charging position and their impressive beaks aimed low and straight forward, the raptors move at an intimidating pace with little regard for any obstacles – or guineafowl – in their way. Nesher, a 29-year-old Eurasian griffon vulture, has a more reserved approach, waiting receptively by the perching for her keepers. It hasn’t always been this way for the instinctively cautious birds, but their keepers have been working hard to earn the vultures’ trust – and it’s benefitting the vultures, the keepers, our guests and vultures in the wild.

“We’ve always interacted with them, but until recently, they wouldn’t have been comfortable with us sitting this close,” said African Rift Valley keeper Philip Waugh, as he perched on a rock about two feet from Godric. “We’ve been making opportunities to spend more time with them and to reward them for being calm with us while we calmly sit with them. We all have our stations, both keepers and birds. We just hang out together on their turf by the vulture perches, and that’s helping build our relationship of trust.”

At first, the keepers would go and find the vultures for their three-times-weekly feedings. Because they eat so infrequently, training and building relationships requires a lot more patience than it normally might with animals that eat multiple times daily. But the patience is paying off.

“Before, we could tell they weren’t huge fans of sharing their space with us, but now they get excited for training, “said Waugh. “They have incredible eyesight, so they can recognize us all the way from the giraffe boardwalk, and they start sprinting down the Safari Trail to our meeting point. They beat us there nearly every time.”

Making sure these interactions are positive for the vultures is important because keepers can provide frequent visual health checks and expand their training. It also helps keepers foster special connections between guests and the vultures, which ultimately benefits their wild counterparts.

“If you’ve ever been up-close to a bird with an eight-foot wingspan, you know how impressive it is,” said Waugh. “Just seeing them eye-to-eye makes an impact. Our goal is to find more ways for our guests to connect with them. We know that once people meet them, our vultures will inspire our guests to learn more about this amazing species and its struggles, then take action to protect their wild relatives.”

When COVID-19 isn’t an issue, the Zoo hosts IVAD activities at the Zoo throughout the day to help guests learn more about vultures. This year, to prevent large crowds from gathering during the pandemic, the team will post fun and educational materials on the Zoo’s social media pages.

Even though the Zoo can’t offer in-person IVAD activities on September 5, just by visiting the Zoo, guests are helping CMZoo protect and advocate for wild vultures. 75¢ from every Zoo admission goes to conservation through the Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program, which has raised more than $3 million since it started in 2008.

One of CMZoo’s Q4C beneficiaries is VulPro, a nonprofit organization in South Africa working to save endangered African vultures through breeding, rehabilitation, research and education. Vultures, positioned at the top of the food chain, are an indicator of the health of the environment below them – and dependent for their survival on a healthy environment. Every visit to the Zoo supports this organization on the frontlines of vulture conservation.

“Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew,” said Waugh. “They clean up carcasses that other animals can’t. They stop the spread of disease by consuming decaying meat and bones. Thanks to their strong stomach acids, they can consume deadly bacteria that could pose a threat to animals and humans. They do so much more, but the most basic explanation is that they make the world a lot prettier, safer and a lot less smelly.”

Vultures’ adaptations help them make quick work of the world’s messiest clean-ups. Their iconic bald heads prevent bacteria from sticking to their skin, an important trait for such a mobile animal. Preventing the spread of bacteria is key for their well-being, which is why some vulture species urinate on their own legs, killing carcass bacteria in the process. Their nares, or nostrils, drip a salty liquid that helps flush out their sinuses, removing any rogue pieces of meat that may have gone up their noses during ravenous eating. Just because they’re built for devouring dead animals doesn’t mean they’re unhygienic, though. They bathe regularly, both in the water and the sun. The UV rays from the sun kill any pathogens in their feathers after feeding.

“My favorite time to see them is in the mornings when they’re open-winged, sunning themselves in the early light,” said Waugh. “I love watching them interact with each other. They all have such unique personalities.”

Godric, Nesher and Hedwig interact with toys, keepers, food and each other in distinct ways.

“Godric and Hedwig are hilarious,” said Waugh. “They’re both African cape vultures, but they’re not related. Still, they act like siblings a lot of the time. They explore new enrichment items together and if one vulture is nervous or excited, the other usually rushes to join in, whether or not they know what’s going on. They will also bicker over food or a good sunny spot, but that’s normal for vultures. Godric seems to be the most eager to approach us, but Hedwig is gaining confidence.”

Nesher, whose keepers describe her as the ‘queen bee,’ is the most confident and the oldest, at 29 years old. She prefers to spend most of her time by the vulture perching, but also has a bit of an adventurous bone.

“She recently commandeered the Okapi yard,” said Brooke Powell, African Rift Valley keeper who works with Philip and the vultures. “She also frequently ventures into the giraffe yard. Nothing scares her. This species is naturally pretty avoidant of new things, but she’s the opposite of that. She’s really bold and brave. Not a lot phases her, and she has the coolest vocalizations when I feed her and she’s excited.”

Vultures communicate about food, territory and potential threats in the wild by vocalizing.

“When Nesher vocalizes, she usually runs toward us full speed,” said Powell. “It’s really impressive. People can hear her from the giraffe boardwalk all the way across the yard, which is cool because we see people getting curious about the vultures and then come to visit them.”

Next time you’re at CMZoo, look down from the African Rift Valley ramp up to Encounter Africa, where the vultures are often perched. Supporting CMZoo is an easy way to support vulture conservation through its longstanding partnership with VulPro. The Zoo has contributed more than $90,000 to VulPro over the years.

“After VulPro rescues and rehabs vultures, they’re released into the wild, which is super important because they’re so endangered,” said Waugh. “VulPro rangers rescue vultures that have been poisoned by poachers – one of wild vultures’ biggest threats.”

The carcasses of poached animals attract vultures. A large group of vultures is easier to spot than a deceased animal, so their presence helps rangers find poached animals. Poachers caught onto this pattern, and started poisoning the carcasses to kill the vultures that eat them, thus hiding their misdeeds. Supporting VulPro’s ongoing rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts means more wild vultures can breed and thrive in the wild.

There are several ways to protect vultures here in Colorado, too. Turkey vultures are native to our region, and are just as important to our local ecosystems as African vultures are in theirs.

Pick up trash to help vultures avoid ingesting dangerous materials. Avoid using poisons for pest control or weed killer. Report roadkill to local authorities, so vultures aren’t encouraged to dine in the middle of a busy road or highway. Slow down when you see roadkill, so vultures and other scavengers have time to get out of the way. Use lead-free fishing tackle and ammunition. Dispose of fishing line properly.

To learn more about vultures, and how you can help save this incredible species, mark your calendars for Saturday, September 5, when CMZoo will share a video of up-close interactions with the vulture trio on Facebook and YouTube.

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Celebrating birthdays in this unusual time can be tough, but Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has a new and fun way to (safely) celebrate that special day! The Birthday Party Pack is an all-inclusive Zoo visit that allows guests to socially distance, see animals in person, and get some great birthday amenities.

Birthday Party Pack includes the following for up to 10 people:
– Zoo admission and orientation from a Zoo employee
– Animal feeding coupons for giraffe, budgies, and chickens!
– A voucher for a full pizza from the Grizzly Grill
– Cotton candy treat cups
– A personalized birthday button for the birthday person
– Gift bags for the kids
– A Cheyenne Mountain Zoo souvenir tote bag

The Birthday Party Pack is a great way to see the whole Zoo, interact with our amazing animals, and celebrate a Zoo-themed birthday at your own pace.

If a more intimate Zoo outing is your speed, then Starlight Safaris are a wonderful way to celebrate! Starlight Safaris are guided evening tours of the Zoo complete with s’mores and hands-on animal interactions. When the Zoo is closed for the evening, you just might see who the real ‘party animals’ are!

ZOOMobile parties are also a fun option for those who would rather invite the Zoo into their home. With ZOOMobile parties, you can have 4 to 10 different animals and their zookeeper visit the party and celebrate with you. The birthday person even gets to help with some extra-special feeding or animal training. ZOOMobile parties are sure to make your birthday celebration extra wild!

These party options can be customized to celebrate other milestones like baby showers, engagements, retirements, graduations and more. Let us know the special event, and we will help you celebrate!

To learn more about all the birthday party options and to register for your next celebration, please visit cmzoo.org/birthdays.

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Biko (BEE-koh), a 17-year-old male Nile hippopotamus who joined us at the end of June, is quickly winning over the hearts of humans and hippos alike. In just a couple of months, he has learned to navigate his new home, met CMZoo’s hippos sisters, Zambezi and Kasai, warmed up to his keepers, and started engaging with guests.

“He was initially pretty cautious around people, because Water’s Edge: Africa was designed to bring guests and animals as close as safely possible, and that was somewhat new for him,” said Al Carrier, keeper at Water’s Edge: Africa. “We’ve been taking our time and making sure he’s comfortable. We make sure he knows he can choose to walk away at any time and that he’s going to get rewards for interacting with people. He’s progressed really quickly, and he’s been coming up to guests in our demo areas and opening his mouth, which is always impressive. He loves to be sprayed in his mouth with a hose. That’s fun because we can get guests involved, too. We’re so proud of him. He’s doing great.”

Biko came to CMZoo on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Nile Hippopotamus Species Survival Plan. His genetics are compatible with 27-year-old Zambezi and 20-year-old Kasai, who are sisters. The Water’s Edge animal care team has started introductions, and things are going really well for Biko and Zambezi so far. Right now, they only spend time together when they’re supervised.

“He’s very curious about the girls,” said Carrier. “He’s a perfect gentleman and takes his time walking up to them during introductions. We have seen on our overnight surveillance footage that when they’re separated, he prefers to sleep right up against the fence next to them, and it’s usually Zambezi on the other side.”

Animal introductions, especially with large and potentially territorial animals like hippos, require patience and a lot of observation. The team started the process as most animal introductions start at CMZoo: with a ‘howdy,’ which is an opportunity for the hippos to see, smell and hear each other through a protective fence. Howdies allow keepers and our animal behaviorists to observe the hippos’ responses to each other so they can gauge if and when the animals are ready to take the next step. They also give the hippos time to get used to each other before being in the same space.

Once keepers saw that Biko and the girls were interested and calm during howdies, they moved on to introductions, when the hippos share a space. If the hippos start showing behaviors that they’re uncomfortable, keepers can separate them for their safety.

“We chose Zambezi for Biko’s first introduction, because we saw calm and interested behaviors during howdies, and when Zambezi had the choice to sleep next to Biko or Kasai when they were separated overnight, she would consistently choose Biko, and he did the same,” said Carrier. “The first couple of intros were uneventful, which is good. We start most of their intros outside with one hippo in one yard and one in the other and then we open the gate between them. So we don’t surprise them, we always communicate that the gate is going to open and make sure they can see that the gate is opening and there’s another hippo on the other side. They would usually just look up at the gate and then go back to grazing on the grass. Eating is a great sign they’re relaxed and comfortable and calm.”

The team has been doing most introductions in the morning, for about an hour at a time. Carrier says that ideally you would want one hippo to show dominance and the other would be submissive in response.

“He’s just so great,” she said. “When Zambezi wants to boldly enter the yard, he’s respectful of that and backs down to let her know he sees her and respects her presence.”

Because the sisters were separated for some of their vacation away from CMZoo, while Water’s Edge: Africa was being built, the team is also working on reintroducing the sisters to each other.

“We’ve seen that Zambezi and Kasai still get a little territorial with each other, so we’re taking more time with those introductions,” said Carrier. “The exhibit has plenty of space for each hippo to have its own space. Biko and Zambezi don’t always interact during introductions, but are aware of each other. Sometimes, though, they’ll touch noses calmly, which is really cute. We’re super excited.”

Kasai and Biko don’t yet have the positive relationship that Biko and Zambezi share, and Kasai often shows she’d rather not share her space with Biko or Zambezi. For now, the team plans to continue focusing on fostering the relationship between Zambezi and Biko, and working up to helping Kasai feel comfortable sharing space if she shows them she’s interested.

“We’re not rushing anything and always follow the animals’ leads, so they know they’re in control and can be comfortable with these changes, which are a big adjustment for them” said Carrier. “We’re hopeful that once Biko and Zambezi can consistently spend time together that we can introduce Kasai to both of them at the same time, but that could change too. Kasai can be a big personality, so if Zambezi and Biko are good friends, they may be able to gain her respect as a team.”

Biko is also working on his relationships with his animal care team.

“We were lucky enough to get a really cool video of all of his trained behaviors from his previous keeper team, so we’ve been practicing those things so he’s not only fluent in them, but he’s also getting comfortable with us,” said Carrier. “He opens his mouth, backs up and rests his chin on the bars. He knows a ‘steady’ cue, too. When we put a hand on his nose, he will stand totally still, which allows us to give his body condition a good check. He’s an enthusiastic explorer, as most hippos are, so he’ll get scrapes and scratches here and there, and that lets us keep an eye on all of those little wounds. It’s great for a new animal to trust us like that.”

Biko’s team is learning what motivates him to train, so they can expand on his current skillset.

“He loves grain so much,” said Carrier. “The other day he had a mouth full of apples and I showed him his grain, and he spit all of those apples out to eat his grain instead. It was really funny. We normally use produce for training encouragement, but he prefers the grain. Zambezi likes hay and Kasai likes produce, so they’re all different.”

Biko gets about eight pounds of grain per day and half a bale (about 40 pounds) of hay. He also gets produce, including apples, oranges, carrots, melons, and – his favorites – cabbage and lettuce. Out in the yard, he grazes on as much fresh grass as he wants.

Biko is getting more comfortable in his brand-new space, with his new team of adoring keepers.

“He’s getting bolder every day,” said Carrier. “He’s naturally cautious and likes to investigate a space before settling down. The first thing he does is check the perimeter of any space he’s moving into. He likes to mark his territory. It’s a natural behavior of male hippos to spread their feces, which seems pretty gross, but it’s actually quite impressive the way he can reach every corner of a stall we’ve just cleaned top to bottom. He really likes the single stall with the deep pool, which was where he quarantined for a short time when he first joined us. We recently saw him playing with a ball in there, which we loved to see because it means he’s comfortable enough to let his guard down and have a little fun.”

Guests hoping to spot Biko should look for the more slender hippo with pinkish skin on his belly and front of his neck. Kasai is the largest hippo and has pink spots on her feet. Zambezi’s skin is darker and doesn’t have any pink spots.

“There’s something really special about Biko,” said Carrier. “His tusks hang out of his mouth, which is just adorable. He has really long legs for a hippo. He can reach plants and driftwood in the exhibit that we didn’t think he could reach. His head is huge and with those long legs, his body is pretty narrow, so he can reach those beautiful plants our horticulture team worked so hard on to make this exhibit so beautiful.”

Only 30 of the 233 organizations accredited by the AZA in North America house hippos. The last male hippo who lived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was Tony, who passed away in 1989. Although our female hippos first came to CMZoo decades ago, this is the first attempt to breed hippos at the Zoo in more than 30 years.

Guests can visit Biko, Zambezi and Kasai at Water’s Edge, which opened to the public in June and is now home to three hippos, 16 African penguins, two common warthogs, three ring-tailed lemurs, six Eastern crested guineafowl and roughly 30 guinea pigs.

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