Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Author at CMZoo

Simply by visiting the Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members and guests contribute to important global conservation work.

“Watching the devastating bushfires in Australia from our living rooms in Colorado can leave you feeling helpless and wondering what you can do to make a difference,” said Bob Chastain, CMZoo president and CEO. “It’s important to note that from every membership and every ticket to the Zoo, we set aside funds to support frontline conservation fieldwork around the world, and specifically now, in Australia. We want people to know that coming to the Zoo is conservation in action.”

Since starting in November 2019, the bushfires in Australia have devastated more than 27 million acres, claiming more than 30 human lives and more than a billion animal lives.

This week, CMZoo members voted to send $20,000 to Zoos Victoria’s Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund, in Australia. The funds support long-term care for bushfire-impacted animals, including supplementary feeding and habitat restoration, in conjunction with the Australia Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria, and associated recovery teams. Donations from Zoo employees, board members, docents and an internal Zoo match program raised $6,900 in support of Zoos Victoria, making the collective donation $26,900.

“We have been closely watching the devastation in Australia and working to find the best ways to support the recovery,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, CMZoo vice president of mission and programs. “Last week, we asked our members if we could send a portion of their annual Member Conservation Grant funds to Zoos Victoria. Our members’ collective supportive response was immediate.”

Each year, CMZoo members vote for conservation projects to receive a share of $75,000 allocated from membership revenue. The $20,000 donation comes from that membership revenue. In March, members will vote to guide CMZoo’s decisions about which other projects to support, as they do every year. Since 2015, including this contribution, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Member Conservation Grants have provided $395,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide.

“Because our members regularly visit Australia Walkabout at the Zoo, they have formed meaningful connections with the animals they’ve seen in these heartbreaking news stories out of Australia,” said Emma Repp-Maxwell, CMZoo membership and annual gifts manager. “As a leader in conservation, we’re committed to helping people make those connections, and taking it a step further by providing opportunities for our members to contribute to the amazing work being done to save and protect the animals left.”

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.

As the oldest Canada moose in human care in the United States, CMZoo’s 12-year-old male, Tahoma, has received specialized care for years. Until recently, his issues – including arthritis in his limbs and spine, and an on-and-off cough – haven’t seemed to decrease his long-term quality of life.

Now, Tahoma is showing signs that his pain is increasing, so keepers and CMZoo veterinary staff are working to keep him comfortable for his remaining time. Tahoma’s care team says he’s still eating well, which is a good sign.

Because moose are rare in human care, there’s widely varying data about their average life expectancy. The range we have seen from reputable sources is from 5 to 15 years. But, they have been known to decline quickly once issues become widespread, like this.

“We’ve seen a general slowing down in Tahoma over the last several weeks,” said Rocky Mountain Wild Animal Keeper Allison Rosing. “Specifically, he’s dealing with a significant arthritis-related limp in his front left leg, which he’s been compensating for by shifting weight to his right leg. Because he’s putting more weight on his right leg, we’re seeing inflammation in his right knee. We’ve also seen him ‘hiking’ his head up when he walks, to lessen the weight on his left leg.”

X-rays on Tahoma show severe arthritis in his left leg and other limbs, and advancing arthritis in his spine. His care team has been managing his arthritis for a few years, but recently it seems to be advancing more aggressively.

“We know we’re not going to be able to correct any of this for him, but we can do things to make him more comfortable,” said Rosing. “We’re managing his pain by increasing his anti-inflammatory medications, pain medications and laser therapy sessions. We’re also providing more spaces for him to lie down and rest.”

His team moved some large branches, which he’d previously enjoyed sparring with, out of his barn to make space for a big pile of pine shavings that he can lie on.

“He loves it,” said Basia Dann, Rocky Mountain Wild animal keeper. “He comes in to his barn every night and curls up in his pine shavings.”

Tahoma receives laser therapy on his joints three times per week. Laser therapy is thought to reduce pain and inflammation. Keepers have noticed his limp improving since starting the more frequent therapy regimen.

“Lately he seems more willing to come over and train, which is great because it gives us more opportunities to give him his medications, lots of love and special treats,” said Dann. “In addition to the laser therapy, we have vet appointments with him weekly, so we can track the progression of his issues and make adjustments to his treatment quickly.”

Tahoma’s keepers offer his oral medications – which Tahoma doesn’t seem to enjoy taking – with treats like bananas, kiwi and rye crackers with honey and molasses.

“There’s not a lot known about moose in human care, because there are so few of them,” said Dann. “We’re tracking Tahoma’s issues and overall quality of life, so we can help him stay comfortable for as long as we can, and so we can share information with other organizations whose moose could benefit from it.”

We will continue to keep Tahoma as comfortable as possible while continuing to track multiple factors for his overall quality of life. Stay tuned for more updates on Tahoma as we have them.

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Tujoh, a 25-year-old male Bornean orangutan, recently made CMZoo husbandry training history. Tujoh and his primary trainer, Amy Tuchman, successfully completed a voluntary electrocardiogram (EKG) – a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart.

As Tujoh ages, Tuchman and the rest of his care team are looking for ways to take advantage of new technologies to diagnose medical issues common in great apes, like cardiovascular disease.

“It’s especially prevalent in middle-aged male great apes, and all of our guys in Primate World fall into that category,” said Tuchman. “This device allows us to monitor them as often as we like. Early detection could be the difference between life and death, especially for a big guy like Tujoh.”

This new pocket-sized equipment is a welcome advancement for 340-pound Tujoh, who Tuchman describes as a “straight-A student.” The test requires Tujoh to place his two index fingers through the protective barrier between him and Tuchman, onto the quarter-sized metal discs that take the reading. Then, he needs to keep his fingers on the discs with consistent pressure for thirty seconds, continuously.

It only took Tujoh a month to learn how to successfully complete the test. Perhaps that’s in part thanks to his intense focus. Tuchman says Tujoh likes to maintain direct eye contact with her throughout the training.

“He learns incredibly fast,” said Tuchman. “He already knew a ‘hold’ cue, and we built the behavior from there. Once he was sitting on the other side of the mesh from me, I held up my finger and asked him to touch his finger to mine. He’d never done it before, but he got it right away.”

Tuchman cleans Tujoh’s two fingertips before he places them onto the device to ensure the best connection for the reading.

“Now he holds out each finger individually for me to clean before we start, like he’s getting a manicure,” said Tuchman, with a laugh. “He learns how to do something, and he remembers every step you’ve asked of him. Then, he wants to do it that exact way every single time.”

As with most behavior training, the trainers learn from the animals, too.

“The device is made for humans, so we needed to customize how we could present it in a way that allowed trainers to be hands-free to reward his participation,” said Tuchman. “We also needed to securely present it at a level that he could access it while sitting and relaxed on the other side of the protective barrier between us, so we could get an accurate reading.”

Compared to the oversized and complicated readers of the past, these test results will likely be more accurate, because the testing equipment and overall experience are less invasive, thus less stressful for Tujoh.

“It’s still sensitive equipment,” said Tuchman. “That’s a good thing because we know it’s picking up the tiniest abnormalities for us to track, but it also requires a lot of patience and participation from Tujoh to complete the test.”

Tuchman and her team were inspired to pursue the ability to provide regular EKGs for the great apes in their care and attended a conference with Great Ape Heart Project – a coordinated clinical approach targeting cardiovascular disease across all four non-human great ape taxa: gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos. Studies have shown cardiovascular disease is a primary cause of mortality among great apes.

“I’m the primary keeper for Goma [28-year-old Western lowland silverback] and Tujoh, so I was interested in learning how other zoos are managing cardiac care, what tools are available and what we could do to improve our great apes’ cardiac care,” said Tuchman. “Any little improvement we can make to monitor their cardiac health and stay ahead of any issues will be really important.”

Tuchman and her team will share Tujoh’s data with Great Ape Heart Project so they can learn and share data that benefits great apes in human care around the world. They will also continue training with other great apes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to utilize this life-saving, non-invasive diagnostic tool with as many participants as possible.

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We often tell stories about animals who have been brought together on breeding recommendations, like CMZoo North American porcupines, Kale and Quilliam, or Mexican wolves, Luna and Navarro. With the annual celebration of love just around the corner, we’re taking a closer look at how animal matches are made and how zoos work together to help species survive, long before the howdies begin.

“In a nutshell, Species Survival Plans support healthy genetics in animals in human care,” said Ashley Arimborgo, CMZoo registrar, who often oversees the coordination between Zoos that are transferring animals on breeding recommendations to and from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “Species Survival Plans contribute to the success of an assurance population of animal ambassadors that advocate for their wild relatives, and inspire people to support important conservation efforts.”

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is the standard-setting accreditation organization for zoos and aquariums in the U.S. The AZA champions Species Survival Plans (SSP) managed by SSP coordinators. SSP coordinators are professional volunteers who often work at AZA-accredited organizations, but don’t work for the AZA.

SSP coordinators work with Taxon Advisory Groups (TAG) which track five-year population projections for their respective species, including population trends for animals in human care and in the wild. Also instrumental in the matchmaking process are studbook keepers. They track the genetic data of each animal in human care (at organizations participating in SSPs) and bridge gaps in documentation. That data is collected and presented in graph form, with the most unrelated animals of the same species being the most valuable potential matches.

“It’s a pretty complicated process, but the matches are largely data-driven and based on genetics, health and age,” said Arimborgo.

Every two or three years, SSPs release species-specific breeding and transfer draft plans. Organizations that have animals impacted by the plan – known as holding institutions – provide input including whether or not the organization would like to transfer an animal or host animals to breed. Then, the plan is finalized and published to the participating organizations. Holding institutions work together to arrange animal transportation.

“It’s not unusual to see a big shuffle in a single species among participating organizations when a new plan is released,” said Arimborgo. “We saw that in the fall with Amur tigers because of new recommendations. Thimbu went to Rosamond Gifford Zoo on a breeding recommendation, and Savelii came to us on a match with Chewy.”

The SSP also tracks trends and genetics to address future potential pitfalls to a species’ survival. They may find one species has an abundance of older females and younger males, which could determine urgency of breeding or breeding prevention.

The team also works together to track available housing for future populations. If one species grows quickly, organizations participating in the SSP may run out of room to house additional individuals.

One example of that is the Mexican wolf. In the last two years, Luna and Navarro, CMZoo Mexican wolves who were introduced on an SSP breeding recommendation, welcomed six pups to their pack. One pup, Lupa, moved to an organization in Arizona in November 2018. The remaining seven Mexican wolves have brought CMZoo’s wolf habitat to its maximum capacity. Since other participating organizations don’t have room for more wolves either, the male and female wolves will live in separate areas during breeding season this year.

Beyond that, it’s up to each individual zoo to manage introductions and breeding interactions.

“The SSP breeding recommendations don’t typically take an animal’s individual personality or preferences into account.” said Arimborgo. “The keepers and management staff factor in individual histories as well as behaviors when introductions start taking place. Through careful observations and training, trust can be built and the stage can be set for the animals to be most successful. ”

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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has welcomed a new red-necked wallaby to the mob! Australia Walkabout Lead Keeper, Bailey Jones, introduces us to the two-year-old male wallaby, P. Sherman, and provides an update on how introductions are going with CMZoo’s existing group of wallabies.

In December, nine members of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Teen Program traveled to Costa Rica. In line with CMZoo’s mission to inspire people to protect wild animals and wild places, this trip helped the teens experience the impact these protected wild places can have on people – and how people can impact wild places.

“We’ve seen how our Teen Program’s international trips refuel our teens’ conservation fire,” said Stacey Graham, director of CMZoo’s EdVenture Programs. “We always talk about thinking globally and acting locally. Trips, like this one to Costa Rica, really allow them to think globally because they can visualize it, smell it and feel it. They come home understanding better how their local environmental stewardship impacts these important wild places, which now mean even more to them.”

Lindsey Mitchell, a Junior Zookeeper, has been in the CMZoo Teen Program for seven years. She and eight other teens went to Costa Rica on this most recent trip.

“This experience has influenced my life and increased my love and care for the natural world and the animals and people who live in it,” Mitchell said. “Throughout the trip, we had so many amazing opportunities to see wildlife and experience the country to its fullest.”

The teens stayed in Costa Rica for ten days, contributing to rainforest conservation and exploring the natural places and native animals of the Central American country.

“Looking back on this experience, there are a few key moments that highlighted the trip for me,” Mitchell said. “One of those was on a hanging bridge above a fast-flowing river that contained caiman, in a rainforest that had howler monkeys, macaws and even aye-ayes. It was almost surreal. We also embraced the term ‘Pura Vida!’ which translates to ‘Pure Life’ in English. Costa Ricans used that phrase a lot, and I think it helped me immerse myself in every experience.”

The teens also participated in a reforestation project, which Mitchell says was the highlight of her trip.

“We were sweaty and covered in dirt, but we were all able to say that we helped migratory birds in Costa Rica by planting trees to create a corridor for them to travel,” she said. “This trip has influenced me in many different ways. Looking back, I think I am able to look at conservation through a new lens. I have been lucky enough to see and talk to people in Costa Rica whose lives revolve around the protection of animals and the environment. Now I can share my experience and the love for the natural world that was projected on me during my time there. The trip was a life-changing experience for me and all of the other teens on the trip. Pura Vida!”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Teen Program is accepting applications for their summer program, beginning February 1. More information and applications are available at cmzoo.org/teenprograms.

Back to The Waterhole

CMZoo North American porcupines, Kale and Quilliam, were united in late 2018 on a breeding recommendation. Rocky Mountain Wild Keeper, Allison Rosing, gives an update on how the two are getting along and how Kale is participating in training, in case any porcupettes (baby porcupines) are in our future!

Bob Chastain, CMZoo president and CEO, is back with an update on Water’s Edge: Africa! From the indoor penguin pool, Bob gives the details about the pool and underground excavation, soil testing (good news!), and reconstruction of the hippo and penguin pools. The next step is additional water testing, which involves measuring how much the pools’ water levels are dropping overall, and establishing how much of that water is evaporating, rather than leaking. It’s a complicated process when you consider the intricacies of the pools, the indoor and outdoor elements and multiple surfaces.

Although we don’t yet have an opening date, we’re still looking at bringing hippos and penguins home as early as March, so stick with us. We’ll keep you posted as we progress through this next testing phase.

Thanks for your continued support!

A team of eight veterinary professionals from Powers Pet Emergency and Specialty gathered in the veterinary hospital at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Thursday. They were eager to help remove a foreign object from the stomach of a nine-month-old female mountain lion and donate their time to save her life.

They cleared their schedules at the practice to help Adira, who has had a tough start to her life. She was orphaned in the wild at just six weeks old, along with her sister Sequoia and brother Sitka. Although they were fortunate to find a safe home at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, their misfortune continued when Adira’s sister, Sequoia, passed away unexpectedly Sunday night while recovering from a spay surgery. Because Adira received the same surgery, the CMZoo veterinary team, led by Dr. Jon Romano, CMZoo head veterinarian, conducted an additional post-op exam on her and found something unexpected. While doing an x-ray on her, they saw a foreign object in her stomach, which was completely unrelated to her previous surgery. That unintended discovery likely helped to save her life.

The Zoo’s internal veterinary team immediately sprang into action to secure the professional assistance needed to help Adira. Dr. Brianna Backlund, a veterinary internal medicine specialist and skilled endoscopist, and Dr. Brandy Cichocki, veterinary surgeon, answered the call with their expert support teams and specialized equipment.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is relieved to report that Dr. Backlund’s team successfully removed a 19”-long rubber-coated electrical cord from Adira’s stomach. Although Dr. Cichocki’s surgical team was thankfully not needed, they were on hand in CMZoo’s vet hospital in case there were any complications with the endoscopy procedure.

“When I walked into the hospital, I was impressed with the medical team assembled in front of me,” said Bob Chastain, president and CEO of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “Watching them work with the scope and getting to see the actual removal of the cord was fascinating. I am so appreciative that partners in our community care enough about an individual mountain lion that they would devote their entire day to saving her.”

Adira’s care team traced the cord back to a scale they used to ensure the cubs were gaining weight appropriately when they were about six months old. The scale is a heavy, industrial model, and was kept in the cubs’ den with the cord secured under a fence and out of reach of the cubs – or so they thought. One night in October, the scale became a toy for the cubs, and after they dragged the approximately 40-pound scale away from the fence, they attacked the cord and ripped it apart. In the morning, keepers scoured the area and were convinced they had recovered all of the cord, but Adira obviously had one piece stashed away where they couldn’t find it. As any parent of a young child or any pet owner can attest, children and animals are prone to investigating and ingesting things they shouldn’t. When things happen that aren’t supposed to happen, we’re fortunate to have generous community partners, like the professionals at Powers Pet Emergency and Specialty, to donate their time and expertise to help.

“Dr. Backlund’s expertise in driving an endoscope allowed us to avoid a more invasive procedure for Adira,” said Dr. Romano. “It wasn’t a simple removal because the cord was quite firm and inflexible. Dr. Cichocki’s team was on standby to perform emergency surgery if needed, which would have been especially risky because Adira’s body was already trying to heal from the spay surgery. We’re grateful we could remove the cord without taking more extreme measures.”

After the cord was removed, Adira’s care team took x-rays to confirm there weren’t any additional pieces of cord left behind. They also used the scope camera to check Adira’s stomach for ulcers or lesions, which can sometimes form in the stomach after the presence of a foreign object.

“We did see some very mild ulcers, which we believe are a reaction to the presence of the cord,” said Dr. Romano. “We gave her antacids and anti-nausea medication that should clear up those minor lesions. A bit of good news is that while she was under general anesthesia, we gave her spay surgical site another inspection, and it appears to be almost completely healed.”

Adira has returned to her den in Rocky Mountain Wild and was reunited with her brother, Sitka. Keepers say Adira is calmer when Sitka is with her. Vet and keeper staff will continue to monitor Adira as she recovers from both procedures.

To see a portion of the scope video from Adira’s endoscopy, click here.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

About Powers Pet Emergency & Specialty

As greater Colorado Springs’ leading 24/7 veterinary emergency and specialty hospital, Powers Pet Emergency & Specialty provides a standard of care you simply won’t find anyplace else in the region. With emergency and critical care services available 24 hours a day, plus advanced care by board-certified specialists in surgery, internal medicine, neurology/neurosurgery, cardiology, rehabilitation, radioiodine therapy and diagnostic imaging, Powers is a trusted one-stop partner to pet parents and the region’s primary care veterinarians. You can find Powers Pet Emergency at 5886 Tutt Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colo., 80923. For more information, call 719-473-0482 or visit powerspetemergency.com.

Animal Care Teams Address Additional Complications with Female Sibling

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is mourning the unexpected loss of female mountain lion, Sequoia, who passed away Sunday night after post-surgical complications from being spayed.

Because of Sequoia’s sudden, rare and unanticipated reaction to her recovery, veterinary staff suspected one potential cause may have been an allergy to her sutures. With genetic allergies in mind, CMZoo performed an additional examination yesterday on Sequoia’s sister, Adira, who had the same surgery earlier this month. During that examination – which was intended to give us a better look at how Adira is recovering from the surgery – we were pleased with her healing, but we saw, on x-ray, something that looks like wire or rope in Adira’s stomach. Further investigation will be required before we will know whether it may harm Adira.

The object may pass naturally. Adira’s best hope is to avoid another surgery while she’s still recovering from the first one. If the object is dangerous and Adira needs surgery to remove it, the risk of losing her is elevated, no matter what we do.

Sequoia and Adira were spayed on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. The surgery requires incisions between the protective muscles on the animal’s abdomen. Although this is a common procedure, any surgery requiring anesthesia is complex and the recovery can run into complications, especially with wild animals that can’t be examined as closely in the days following surgery. Although complications are rare, they are possible, and can be very serious.

The animal care team made the decision to perform spay surgeries on Sequoia and Adira because unspayed big cats are more likely to experience health problems later in life, such as cancer and hormonal imbalance that can cause infection. The mountain lions also needed to be spayed to avoid attracting wild mountain lions to their exhibit during times of estrus, which can be dangerous for animals and our guests. Our third mountain lion sibling, male Sitka, was neutered on the same day that the females were spayed. The neutering procedure is less complex than the procedure for females, and Sitka appears to be recovering well.

“We first noticed swelling around Sequoia’s incision mid-last week, which isn’t unusual,” said Dr. Jon Romano, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo head veterinarian. “We treated her with anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics and continued daily checks while limiting her physical activity. I personally assessed Sequoia on Saturday night and was satisfied with her progress. Sunday morning, we discovered her surgical site had opened up overnight.”

Sequoia’s team rushed her to the veterinary clinic, where they addressed her complications. She survived the emergency surgery, but remained in critical condition and unfortunately passed a few hours later.

“Sequoia’s passing has shocked us,” said Bob Chastain, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo president and CEO. “Even after 25 years in the profession, this doesn’t get easier. It is a reminder that no medical procedure is simple or without risk. As humans in this day of advanced medicine where miracles are performed every day, this is a sobering reminder.”

Sequoia made an enormous impact in her short life. She brought the CMZoo family and the Colorado Springs community a sense of hope and joy. We welcomed her to the Zoo, as she was taken in after being orphaned with her siblings in the wild. Our hearts melted when the kittens formed a relationship with aging mountain lion, “Grandma” Kaya, in her final months. And now, we mourn her together through this tragic chapter. Keepers will continue monitoring Sitka and Adira through their post-surgery recoveries.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s only mountain zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s hope that 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.