Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Author at CMZoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomed another multi-ton resident to the brand-new exhibit, Water’s Edge: Africa, on Tuesday evening. Biko (BEE-koh), a 17-year-old male Nile hippopotamus, will join female hippos, Zambezi (zam-BEE-zee) and Kasai (kuh-SIGH), on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Nile Hippopotamus Species Survival Plan.

He will continue to acclimate to his new home and complete a routine quarantine period. Then, keepers will begin the process of introducing him to the female hippos. If successful, this would be the first time any of the three hippos produced offspring.

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.

Since Zambezi and Kasai returned to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo from Dickerson Park Zoo, an AZA-accredited zoo in Springfield, Missouri, on May 22, 2020, they have taken turns sharing space and showing their keepers they would sometimes rather be in separate spaces. The hippo pools, yards and indoor beach areas in Water’s Edge: Africa were designed to accommodate separation for various pods formed by the hippos and their potential future offspring.

“We’ve been working on letting the girls spend time together until they show us they’d prefer a little time apart,” said Patty Wallace, senior lead keeper at Water’s Edge: Africa. “They’re spending more and more time together, but still seem to want time away from each other to appear totally comfortable in their new home. With the arrival of Biko, who is smaller than the females, the dynamics could completely change. Only time will tell. We will watch their behavior closely, and let them tell us what the next steps are.”

Biko came to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo from an AZA-accredited institution in central Florida on a breeding recommendation with both Zambezi and Kasai, who are 27 and 20 years old, respectively. Once Biko has cleared quarantine, the hippo keeper team will use a variety of underwater and above-ground gates to give the hippos opportunities to have their own spaces and also participate in ‘howdies,’ which are introductions with barriers between the animals. This allows the animals to smell, see and approach each other without risking injury.

“We always look for signs that the animals are confident during ‘howdies,’” said Wallace. “If they show us they feel uncomfortable, we help them see that they are in control by giving them the choice to walk away. They are always making the choice to interact with another animal or not. If we see signs that the two animals are comfortable and confident with each other, we move on to introductions in a shared space, usually for small increments of time that increase slowly.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes Nile hippopotamuses as a species vulnerable to extinction in the wild, estimating less than 150,000 remain in their native habitats. Their primary threats are habitat loss and illegal and unregulated hunting. Hippos are hunted for ivory, which is found in hippopotamuses’ canine teeth, and meat.

After Biko clears quarantine, guests will be able to see him at Water’s Edge: Africa, which is now home to three hippos, 11 African penguins, two common warthogs, three ring-tailed lemurs and roughly 30 guinea pigs. The design of the exhibit removes as many barriers as safely possible between guests and the animals, including the outdoor penguin beach that gives penguins access to waddle right up to guests. The outdoor hippo space features a knife-edge pool that puts guests eye-to-eye with the hippos, overlooked by lemur island – an outdoor/indoor space for lemurs to climb high onto trees with incredible views of Colorado Springs. Encouraging guests to participate in nature play, the exhibit also features a nature trail with natural obstacles like a log forest and boulder area, perfect for testing your traversing skills. The nature trail leads to a one-of-a-kind rope suspension bridge that leads guests over the outdoor hippo yard, for up-close overhead views of hippos unavailable anywhere else in the world.

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 2019, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #6 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #5 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.

It finally feels like summer! The weather is warm, the Zoo is open, and camp is in full swing. Summer Camp at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a uniquely wild experience, and this summer is no different. Well, it’s a little different.

There are new guidelines in place to help keep staff, guests and campers happy and healthy during their visit. With smaller camp groups, we have been able to make our camp programs match guidelines put in place by our local and state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control. These smaller camp groups also mean that camps have sold out very quickly. There are a few spots left, but they likely won’t last long!

If your child did not get the chance to sign up or your family has decided that you feel safer at home, we have a camp option for you! Summer Camp in a Box is a new way to experience camp activities from the comfort of home. We take all the fun pieces of camp, pack them into a box and send camp to you! You can still connect with the Zoo and enjoy hands-on activities, guided virtual tours, virtual animal encounters and create fun animal enrichment!

Camp in a Box allows you to pick and choose your campers’ activities. You pick the content, we gather all the materials and send it home. It is a great blend of hand-on activities supplemented with virtual content. The goal is to still connect campers with wildlife and wild places, even if it means from your own backyard.

To start building your Summer Camp in a Box, visit cmzoo.org/virtual to get started!

Back to The Waterhole

Learn all about Ohe, newest member of the reticulated giraffe herd at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Back to The Waterhole

To celebrate the recent release of 148 Wyoming toads to the wild, we’re looking at a year in the life of our toads, which are bred at CZOo in an effort to help recover this species once considered extinct in the wild.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, things certainly look different at the Zoo this summer. The response to our reopening has been overwhelming, and we’re grateful for your support.

With a little planning, patience and information, our guests are enjoying America’s mountain Zoo with small changes that make a big impact. Read on to learn what you can do and expect to increase your chances of reserving our limited-but-required advance e-tickets, and then get the most of your visit when you arrive.

For a complete list of FAQs and other information that will make your next visit enjoyable, go to cmzoo.org/open.

E-Tickets

Advance e-tickets are required and can be reserved at cmzoo.org/open. Check daily for newly available tickets.
If you don’t see a date or time available, e-tickets for that date or time have been fully reserved.
We have asked members who can’t use the tickets they reserve to tell us so we can make those available for other members. We don’t have a release schedule for those, but we are receiving quite a few ‘recycled’ tickets, so please do continue to check back.
Members, please be considerate to your fellow members and limit the number of tickets you reserve at this time. Consider delaying a second visit to allow another family a chance to see their favorite animals while we’re still on restricted capacity.
All individuals visiting the Zoo must have their own advance e-ticket, including children age 2 and under.
We’re moving as quickly as possible based on when government restrictions change. We’re hopeful more tickets will be available soon, and we’ll be able to reopen at a capacity that relieves the compressed timelines within which everyone has been trying to purchase tickets.

Getting To and Around the Zoo Safely

Your timed e-ticket reflects the window of time you have to scan your ticket to enter the Zoo. Once you’re in the Zoo, you can stay until we close, regardless of what time you entered.
We have restructured our entry plaza to accommodate safe distancing as our guest services team scans your tickets and you enter the Zoo. Each group of people in line has six feet of space between other guests.
When you exit the Zoo to the parking lot, you will leave through the outgoing vehicle gate, not the pedestrian gates you used to leave through.
Closed and/or monitored capacity areas in and around the Zoo will be clearly defined with signage. Please understand there are temporary limitations and modifications put in place that may change the way you are used to experiencing the Zoo.
Masks are strongly encouraged for all Zoo guests.
We understand it’s hard to remember how important social distancing is when you’re hanging out with the herd, or watching a penguin waddling at your feet, but we’re depending on our guests to help us adhere to these guidelines set forth by state and local officials. We have placed six-foot tables in high-traffic areas, like hippo viewing and giraffe feeding, to help create a safe distance between groups attending the Zoo together. Also, keep looking for chalk bear tracks on the ground, in places like the elephant feeding lines. Those ground markers indicate six feet of space, so you can say hello to our African elephants and help keep your community safe.

Safely Visiting the Animals

To prevent the congregation of large groups of guests, no scheduled animal demonstrations will be available during this time. However, you may come across “pop-up” experiences throughout your visit.
Giraffe feedings are available on the boardwalk, when the giraffe are outside. Lettuce is available for $3 or $5 per bundle.
Elephant feedings are available for $10 to $15 daily (weather dependent) at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Rhino feedings are available for $10 to $15 daily (weather dependent) at noon.
Some buildings, like the giraffe barn and The Loft, will be closed because they do not allow for safe distancing.
Buildings have maximum capacities, and some will have a staff member regulating when new groups can enter a building.

Amenities Available

The Mountaineer Sky Ride is open.
The carousel is closed.
Due to current health guidelines, we are not able to honor free refills with reusable cups at this time. Soft drinks will be available for purchase in our eateries.
Drinking fountains will also be disabled at this time. Touchless water bottle filling stations will still be accessible, so please consider bringing your own reusable water bottle.
Food service will be limited during this time. All restaurants are open, with limited menus and spaced seating, both inside and outside as available.

We’re asking our members and guests to bring their patience and understanding to the Zoo, as we all work together to safely reopen and adhere to restrictions that allow us to open our gates again, after the Zoo’s longest closure in history. Some of the things mentioned in this article are subject to change, as we figure out best practices and react to new regulations.

For more information and to reserve limited availability e-tickets, visit cmzoo.org/open.

During such difficult times, we’re even more grateful to be a resource that can support our community’s mental well-being, by providing outdoor and nature-based activity – which has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Another way to bring positive thoughts and feelings into your own life, is to do something kind for others.

Our year-round sponsor, Children’s Hospital Colorado, is making it easy for us to do just that! On their website, guests can send a ‘Gratitude Gram’ to their amazing frontline co-workers, thanking them for putting our community’s needs before their own during the COVID-19 health crisis.

Send a ‘Gratitude Gram’ by clicking here.

We’re certainly grateful for Children’s Hospital Colorado’s partnership, and send a huge thanks for their support of the Zoo. We know how wonderful CHCO is, but we’re not the only ones.

Children’s Hospital Colorado has once again been recognized among the best-of-the-best children’s hospitals in the nation. According to the 2020-21 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings released by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado earned the No. 6 spot among the top 10 children’s hospitals on the Honor Roll, and again ranked highly in all ten recognized specialty areas.

The nonprofit pediatric health system is the only nationally ranked children’s hospital in Colorado and the surrounding 12 states. Out of the ten recognized specialty areas, seven of the Children’s Colorado specialties ranked among the top 10.

Speaking of ranking, CMZoo is once again nominated for Best Zoo and Best Zoo Exhibit in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice contest! If you’re looking for more ways to spread positivity, vote for CMZoo and Rocky Mountain Wild every single day until Monday, July 6 at 10 a.m. MT at cmzoo.org/vote.

Back to The Waterhole

Last week, Bob introduced you to the newest member of our #CMZoo family, an adorable mountain lion kitten! We may never know this little guy’s full backstory, but what we do know is he was rescued by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers after being found on a logging road outside of Spokane. Since he would be unable to survive in the wild without his mother at his age, WDFW contacted Oregon Zoo and made arrangements for a short stopover for vaccinations and a health assessment before being transported here. On the evening of June 15th, he arrived at his new home with us. We estimate he’s between six and eight weeks old, based on his weight, size and teeth.

He’s been settling in well since his arrival from Washington. His favorite activities include wrestling with his stuffed bear, chirping, sleeping and eating. He recently graduated from bottle to bowl, making quick work of gobbling up a mix of milk and raw meat. As you can see, it’s a pretty messy ordeal, but he gets the job done! Table manners aren’t that important to us, anyway.

He’s starting to become acquainted with his Rocky Mountain Wild keepers, who say he seems very eager to interact. Soon they’ll begin work on crate training so that he’ll be comfortable during his move down to Rocky Mountain Wild when the time is right. Our eventual goal is to introduce him to 1-year-old mountain lion siblings, Sitka and Adira, who also came to #CMZoo after being orphaned in Washington. As animal ambassadors, these three will have key roles in helping guests build personal connections to these incredible cats, while helping educate the public about their species. We don’t have an exact date for when the mountain lion kitten will be on exhibit, but we’ll continue to keep you updated on his progress!

Welcome to the official unveiling of our memorial bronze statue honoring our 200th giraffe calf, Penny. Bob Chastain, president and CEO of #CMZoo, and Antonia Chastain, manager of public art for the Zoo and the sculptor of this piece, are telling us about this special tribute to the giraffe calf who touched the hearts of so many during her brief life.

Tomorrow (Sunday, June 21) is #WorldGiraffeDay, and it is a fitting day for the public to be able to visit this sculpture for the very first time. To commemorate this special occasion, we are hosting a giveaway for one free giraffe encounter with our herd. To enter, send a photo of yourself or your family with the new statue to photo@cmzoo.org by Thursday, July 30, 2020 to be entered into the random drawing. We will randomly choose one winner from all submitted photos and will notify the winner on July 31 via the email they used to submit the photo. Please, one photo entry per email address.

Visit cmzoo.org/wgd to make a donation by June 21 to giraffe care and conservation! We are incredibly grateful for the Kratt Family Foundation and their dedication to giraffe care in the Zoo and in the wild. This year, the Kratt Family Foundation is matching up to $25,000 for every dollar donated through the end of the day tomorrow (6/21/20)! Your donation supports the care of our giraffe here at the Zoo, the matched funds will help wild giraffe conservation in Uganda. Thank you for helping us #StandTallForGiraffe!

Penny’s Story:

“Giraffe Calf #200,” as she was known as at birth, came into the world on June 4, 2018. Her birth was broadcast live to global viewers. Her mom, Muziki, won the “Race to 200,” giving birth to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 200th giraffe calf since our prolific breeding program started in 1954. The calf appeared to be healthy at birth, but unfortunately started having health issues on June 13. We deviated from Zoo tradition by giving her a name before our normal 30-day waiting period. Penny, as she was now known, had fans around the world falling in love with her, right along with all of us at CMZoo. But ultimately, we were losing our battle against the hidden infection that was spreading through her body. When she passed away on July 30, 2018, just shy of her two-month birthday, thousands of fans who had been rooting for her helped the Zoo staff through the difficult time with an unforgettable outpouring of support. Her legacy, and the joy she brought to so many, continue on with the production of this bronze statue.

We recognize many of you were frustrated with our e-ticketing system and the restrictions we must follow to keep the Zoo open, but hope you recognize that we are doing our best to welcome you back in these difficult times.

We hope this update from Bob brings a little perspective, and reminds you of the important work your support allows us to do. Last night around 8 p.m., we welcomed this little bundle of joy to our family.

At this point, very little is known about his backstory. We will share in-depth updates on him when we have more information about why this 5-week-old mountain lion kitten needed a home.

For now, we’re grateful to have the space, technology and dedicated staff to care for him, because of the support you show us by coming to the Zoo.

Our goal is to eventually introduce him to CMZoo 1-year-old mountain lions, Adira and Sitka, in Rocky Mountain Wild, just as soon as he’s big enough to be safe in the exhibit.

Also, Bob gives an update on Penny’s memorial statue, which we’ll provide a social media sneak peek of on Saturday evening. Just in time for World Giraffe Day, on Sunday, June 21, Penny’s statue will be visible to our guests in African Rift Valley.

Thank you for all you do to help us continue this important work. We can’t wait to see you back at the Zoo!

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is excited to announce its phased reopening to the public, beginning with members on Saturday, June 6. On Friday evening, the Zoo received final approval from Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) to reopen, following a nearly three-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Zoo’s opening is a result of a successful variance request to Gov. Polis’ office and CDPHE, through the variance process they made available to affected organizations, businesses and industries. The Zoo received amazing support from the El Paso County Board of Commissioners, the Colorado Springs Mayor’s Office, El Paso County Public Health, and the three local hospitals to shepherd the variance through the complex process and ultimately facilitate approval at the state level.

“We’ve been encouraged by the amount of support our local government has given us as we have navigated these uncharted waters,” said Bob Chastain, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo president and CEO. “I have worked hand in hand the last few weeks with El Paso County Public Health, the mayor, the city manager, the heads of our three great hospitals and the El Paso County Commissioners. There are real people behind those titles, and they care about the people of Colorado Springs and Colorado.”

“We are thankful for our partnership with the Zoo, and for their innovative leadership in working to create a plan to safely reopen,” said Susan Wheelan, El Paso County Public Health Director. “The Zoo brings people so much joy, and we are thrilled our community will be able to enjoy this local attraction again.”

Everyone involved at the local level has worked tirelessly with us to finalize our variance request and submit it for consideration. I want the Colorado Springs community to know that your local government officials worked very hard on your behalf to help return the Zoo to you.”

The Zoo will follow a phased reopening. All members and guests from June 6 through June 19 will be required to reserve or purchase an advance ticket. Tickets will be available in hourly increments and will be limited to allow for maximum physical distancing. Full reopening details and tickets are available at https://www.cmzoo.org/open.

Zoo member tickets only – Saturday, June 6 through Wednesday, June 10 (five days) – Members must log in and reserve their free tickets in advance online.
Zoo members and general public tickets available – Thursday, June 11 through Friday, June 19 (nine days) – Everyone (Zoo members and non-members) must reserve or purchase their tickets in advance online.
Our variance is currently approved for the next two weeks, so watch our website and social media for details beyond June 19.

The Zoo has put precautionary measures in place for the reopening. Not only will they have a limited number of advance tickets available each hour, but they have also implemented measures like closure of spaces and activities that would hinder physical distancing and frequent sanitization of high-touch areas. Guests are strongly encouraged to wear masks, and masks are required for staff within 6 feet of others and in all guest areas.