GUESTS CAN NOW SEE CUBS AND KAYA EVERY DAY IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN WILD

The three mountain lion cubs who were orphaned in Washington in late May are growing, playing and getting settled in their new home with their new “grandma” Kaya, 13-year-old CMZoo mountain lion. The four mountain lions are sharing den and outdoor space together, and can be visited every day in Rocky Mountain Wild.

Rocky Mountain Wild Keeper, Courtney Rogers, shares the latest update on the cubs, how to distinguish the lions from one another, and what’s next in the cubs’ progress.

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PLACENTA FROM PENNY THE GIRAFFE CALF’S BIRTH CONTRIBUTES TO GROUNDBREAKING GIRAFFE VETERINARY CARE AND RESEARCH

Waterhole picture
When Penny, a reticulated giraffe calf, was born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on June 4, 2018, Dr. Liza Dadone, head veterinarian and VP of mission and programs, couldn’t have known that the next few months of care for the sixteen-member giraffe herd would present such complicated cases. Since Penny’s passing late last summer, her legacy has continued both by helping people around the world fall in love with giraffe and by helping advance giraffe medicine in zoos.

Within months of Penny’s birth, the giraffe care team was managing unprecedented rare cases including a brand-new calf who needed intensive medical care, a chronic ligament strain in a mature male, and a mature female who would eventually reveal a false-positive pregnancy – one of only four such cases of the false diagnostic result ever documented.

Dr. Dadone did, however, know how precious a placenta could be to help improve both therapies and diagnostics for giraffe medicine. Minutes after then-20-year-old Muziki gave birth to Penny, Jason Bredahl, giraffe animal care manager at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, picked up the placenta and handed it off to Dr. Dadone.

New Diagnostics: A New Giraffe Pregnancy Test

“I had been speaking with Dr. Priya Bapodra-Villaverde at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium about a new, more accurate giraffe-specific pregnancy test she had been working on. Although the test had been used successfully on other hoofstock species, we knew that part of the giraffe placenta could contribute to this research,” said Dr. Dadone. “We split the placenta between Dr. Bapodra-Villaverde’s team and the vet team at Colorado State University, who would use it to develop a line of giraffe stem cells that can be used to help manage arthritis and other conditions.”

In late July 2018, CMZoo had to say a heartbreaking goodbye to Penny, whose story had captured the hearts of people around the world. As CMZoo put Penny to rest, her legacy continued with her placenta’s research contributing to creating a new, more accurate giraffe pregnancy test, and to creating a giraffe stem cell line.

Laikipia was the first giraffe in our herd to be tested with the new pregnancy test. Laikipia was thought to be pregnant at the same time Muzuki was pregnant with Penny, but the fact that she never gave birth puzzled giraffe experts at CMZoo and beyond. Throughout the international network of AZA-accredited organizations with whom CMZoo shares and gains input on rare cases, like hers, she was one of only four giraffe ever known to consistently falsely test positive for pregnancy.

Ever since breeding with CMZoo giraffe bull, Khalid, Laikipia had tested positive for pregnancy – but did not test positive before breeding. The CMZoo giraffe care team used the usually reliable methods of confirming pregnancy in a giraffe, including a lack of menses and elevated progesterone levels in blood and fecal samples. They even attempted logistically challenging ultrasounds, which proved inconclusive, as they often do in giraffe.

By October 2018, Laikipia had surpassed her gestation window without signs of miscarriage and with consistently elevated progesterone levels, and Dr. Dadone and her team continued to look for ways to diagnose Laikipia’s condition.

The timing was almost perfect. The new pregnancy test, developed by Columbus Zoo’s lab partner BioTracking, Inc. was ready for real-world trials in spring 2019, after being used to successfully detect pregnancy in two giraffe at the Columbus Zoo. Knowing there was no way Laikipia was still pregnant, despite her continued positive pregnancy test results, Dr. Dadone knew Laikipia was the perfect candidate to test the accuracy of the new test.

“We thought, ‘if any giraffe could break this new test, it’d be Laikipia,’” said Dr. Dadone. “We also knew Msitu was pregnant, so we tested her pregnancy to validate the accuracy of this new diagnostic.”

The new blood test, which detects a protein only present in pregnant giraffe, called Pregnancy-Specific Protein B (PSPB), could also help confirm pregnancy sooner than traditional progesterone-detecting pregnancy tests. Even more helpful for veterinary staff and animal care managers everywhere, early results suggest it could more precisely predict when a calf might be born.

“On the anniversary of Penny’s birth, we got the news that the new pregnancy test, developed in part thanks to Penny’s contribution, appears to be a great new diagnostic tool for giraffe,” said Dr. Dadone. “Laikipia’s pregnancy test came back negative and Msitu’s came back positive. While the lab is still running samples from more pregnant giraffe, this is hugely promising. We have Penny and her mom, Muziki, to thank for helping us detect and confirm this new test can work in giraffe.”

Dr. Dadone and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will continue collaborating on ways to better diagnose and monitor giraffe pregnancy. The new pregnancy test, once fully validated, should help the zoo community more accurately predict when their giraffe are pregnant and due to give birth.

At this stage, the vet team believes Laikipia has a hormone-secreting cyst, which isn’t life-threatening and doesn’t appear to be causing her any pain or discomfort, but can cause long-term elevations in progesterone. The team now plans to start her on hormone therapy to try to help her return to normal cycling. This is a therapy used in cattle and sometime other hoofstock, but has not been previously reported for giraffe.

New Treatments in Giraffe Medicine: Stem Cell Therapy

The second half of Penny’s placenta was sent to Colorado State University, to grow a new line of stem cells used for therapeutic purposes in giraffe.

The Zoo previously used stem cell treatments grown from blood collected from a giraffe in our herd, that already trained to donate blood. However, there was some indication that stem cell lines developed from placentas could provide even greater therapeutic benefits for giraffe with chronic issues like arthritis.
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Penny’s stem cell line was used on two patients, the first of which was herself. Some of the cells were used to try to help Penny recover from a splay injury and infection. While that ultimately wasn’t enough to turn around her case, a second giraffe was also treated with stem cells grown from her placenta. At Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa, a 21-year-old giraffe named Zuri was treated with cells to help manage her advanced age-related conditions. Following this treatment, Zuri’s coat grew in thicker and she had some clinical improvement. While Zuri passed away in May 2019, both of these cases are helping the zoo community learn more about clinical applications and potential benefits of stem cell therapy in zoo giraffe.

Stem cell therapy is now being used for 9-year-old CMZoo giraffe Mashama.

“Mashama has been dealing with sprained ligaments and a fracture in his right foot,” said Dr. Dadone. “Combine those issues with a ligament strain in his right front wrist [that looks like the right front knee], which preceded the fracture, and we have a pretty complex case to solve. We have tried therapeutic shoes, laser therapy, rest, and more. The next logical step is a cell stem treatment.”

While Penny’s placental stem cells have all been used with those first two cases, in July, Mashama was treated with a stem cell line grown at CSU. CMZoo is watching him closely and is hopeful the stem cell therapy can help him continue to heal, and help the zoo community learn more about applying novel therapies like stem cells to better manage health issues in giraffe.

The placenta from the calf born at CMZoo on July 6, 2019, will also be used to contribute to scientific advancements to make a stem cell line, like Penny’s did. Dr. Dadone and CMZoo staff will continue contributing to research and studies that will benefit the health of giraffe in human care, and in the wild.
 
 
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KEEPERS SAY CALF IS STRONG, INDEPENDENT, AND FULL OF PERSONALITY

July 6 at 1:20 p.m. MDT, we welcomed a baby girl to the herd! Hear from Jason, CMZoo giraffe animal care manager, about how the new calf’s first few weeks of life have been, and learn about what’s next for Msitu’s not-so-little girl.

CMZoo welcomes reticulated giraffe calf; mom and baby doing well

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo – Msitu (muh – SEE’ – too), a 10-year-old reticulated giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, welcomed a calf to the herd at 1:20 p.m. MDT. Msitu and the baby are doing well.

Quick Calf Facts

  • The sex of the baby has not been confirmed.
  • The calf appears to be about six feet tall.
  • The calf was born at 1:20 p.m. MDT.
  • First steps were taken at 1:55 p.m. MDT.
  • The calf nursed for the first time at 3:17 p.m. MDT.

Following Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition, the calf will be named after he or she is 30 days old. Keepers first noticed Msitu was in labor, in the outdoor main yard, at 11:10 a.m. today. Msitu shifted inside to the birth stall, where we welcomed the baby to the herd.

The calf is the sixteenth member of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s reticulated giraffe herd. The calf is the third offspring for mom, Msitu, and the fifth to be sired by dad, Khalid (pronounced cull-EED).

The giraffe building will be closed the remainder of today to allow mom and baby some quiet time to bond and nurse. The rest of the CMZoo herd will be available for viewing and feeding in the outside yard from elevated platforms, where guests can get eye-to-eye with and feed lettuce to the herd, weather permitting. Assuming that mom and baby are nursing consistently and doing well, the public will be allowed limited viewing opportunities starting tomorrow.

As long as keepers observe that baby and mom are doing well, they will continue to let Msitu take the lead on providing care. When they’re born, giraffe calves are typically five to six feet tall and 150 to 200 pounds. This calf appears to be within those healthy parameters. The gestation time for giraffe is a long 14 to 15 months.

Approximately ten thousand worldwide viewers witnessed the calf’s birth on Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s live camera feed, which will continue to stream live from the sand stall, where Msitu and the calf will remain for the next few days. The live stream of the birth stall, and both outdoor giraffe yard camera feeds, are available at cmzoo.org/giraffecam. The birth stall live camera is also available through a direct link: cmzoo.org/birthcam. The Zoo will continue #MsiTuesday Facebook Live broadcasts each Tuesday afternoon, with updates on Msitu and the calf for the coming weeks.

Because Msitu was also born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, she has grown up in the culture of voluntary husbandry training that the Zoo is known for in the industry. This means that she voluntarily participates in her own health care, which fosters a strong trust relationship between keeper and animal.

Through this training, the Zoo was able to voluntarily draw blood, confirming Msitu’s ovulation at the time of breeding, and ultimately, confirmed the pregnancy early on. The Zoo was able to get ultrasound images of the calf during the pregnancy with Msitu’s cooperation, and they were even able to bank some of Msitu’s plasma, in case the calf had needed it after birth.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is not only a leader in the training and health of giraffe in human care, but they are also making a huge difference in conservation of giraffe in the wild. Reticulated giraffe, the subspecies to which CMZoo’s herd belongs, are endangered. There are just over 11,000 mature reticulated giraffe individuals in the wild, and that population is decreasing. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the reticulated giraffe population has declined by 56% in the last thirty years.

In addition to keeping the species alive, by participating in a species survival plan and breeding a genetically diverse population in human care, CMZoo supports ongoing conservation efforts to help giraffe in the wild. To learn about the latest partnership effort to save West African giraffe in Niger, read about Operation Sahel Giraffe. Through Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, by which 75 cents of every Zoo admission is allocated to conservation, guests have helped CMZoo send more than $2.5 million to support important conservation efforts since 2008.

CMZoo invited the public to make its own guesses about when the newest member of the CMZoo giraffe herd would be born. The person who submitted a guess with the closest correct hour, minute and date of birth will win a behind-the-scenes animal encounter with the CMZoo giraffe herd. CMZoo will notify the winner by mid-July.

Msitu was born at CMZoo in February 2009. This is Msitu’s third calf, after giving birth to Emy in August 2013 and to Rae in April 2017. Emy, a female, now lives at Peoria Zoo in Peoria, Ill. Two-year-old female Rae was the youngest member of the herd at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, but her new sibling, born today, has now changed that. CMZoo’s breeding program began in 1954. This calf’s birth brings the number of reticulated giraffe in the CMZoo herd to sixteen.

Photos and video of Msitu and the calf available for media use:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w1w9l6ajo63792b/AADhwe4WKtMPLxmYkfFnPLTka?dl=0

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cmzoo
Live Birth Cam (YouTube feed): www.cmzoo.org/birthcam

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.

CMZoo animal care manager, Jeremy Dillon, gives Waterhole readers the first look inside the hippo building, a sneak peek at the nature trail, and updates on the penguin exhibit. Water’s Edge: Africa is scheduled to open late summer/early fall 2019.

FIRST-TIME LOOK INSIDE THE NEW HIPPO BUILDING, SET TO OPEN EARLY FALL

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo recently launched a new series of programs for those who are interested in connecting with nature, the outdoors and their families through hands-on and interactive experiences. Outdoor School programs are designed to encourage people of all ages to explore and engage with our Colorado home in a whole new way. Classes will engage the whole person (physically, mentally and emotionally) to help develop a stronger connection with our natural world.

Outdoor School classes may take place at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, or offsite in other nature-based environments. The focus is less on animals at the Zoo and more on the powerful connection nature has on us as humans.

Upcoming classes offered through the Outdoor School beginning June 30 include:

– Watercolors in the Wild is an introductory program to a quick and mobile painting style that helps capture the best moments in nature. Take a break from the noise of the city and join us for an afternoon of exploring nature through art at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Class participants will spend a little time in the classroom learning some techniques, then will head out into the park to start creating their own paintings. Each participant will receive their own “pocket palette” to travel with them and find inspiration and subject matter from nature.

– Dutch Oven Cooking is an alternative to your typical camping grill or freeze-dried meal options. Dutch oven cooking is a great way to make truly delicious meals in your backyard, while car camping, or on a river trip. This class will teach attendees to prepare three courses: appetizer, dinner with sides and a dessert. Each participant will walk away with recipe cards and a full stomach. Students will prepare their very own Dutch oven dinner to enjoy as part of the class.

– Pack Basket Weaving is a truly hands-on crafting experience. Pack baskets are an alternative to a typical backpack. They are not only sturdy and durable, but eye-catching and versatile. This class will take place over a series of days, during which each participant will construct his or her own pack basket. Attendees will learn about the weaving supplies, process, technique and traditional uses.

These classes are just a small sampling of what to expect from CMZoo’s Outdoor School. Classes like wilderness photography, family hikes, primitive shelter building, primitive fire building, bird banding and more are soon to be listed as class options. Be sure to visit our Outdoor School page to see what is currently offered and sign up for a class that excites you!
 
 

The animal care and guest services teams at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are a hard-working and dedicated bunch. Each day, they navigate their mountain Zoo, preparing it for thousands of guests to safely explore and make connections with the animals who live there. That means, at a minimum, working with the commissary team to prepare and deliver hundreds of pounds of food, collaborating with the veterinary and animal behavior staff to ensure their animals are healthy and enriched, maintaining the safety of guest viewing areas, and, yes, scooping a fair amount of poop.

What many might not ordinarily consider, though, is how they safely operate during their daily encounters with animals. Keepers have protocols (otherwise known as administrative controls) and protective barriers (also known as engineering controls) in place that protect them from accidental and potentially harmful encounters with animals. The systems vary depending on the animal and the space.

In Australia Walkabout, alligator keepers use extended tongs to feed the gators, along with a portable Plexiglas barrier that can be positioned between the keeper and the alligator being trained. In African Rift Valley, the boardwalk around the giraffe yard allows guests to get close enough to feed the giraffe, but it is also designed to protect them. The height of the railing protects guests and keepers from a giraffe’s natural defense in the wild: swinging its muscular neck. CMZoo’s elephant feeding area has a marked safety zone that keeps visitors and staff out of reach of the elephants’ powerful trunks, along with vertical bollards that allow keepers to access elephants (without sharing the same space) for training and medical care, but which are close together enough to prevent the elephant from squeezing between them.

All of these safety measures, and many more throughout the Zoo, help keepers and guests stay safe while interacting with animals throughout the Zoo. In areas that have potentially dangerous animal areas, keepers have adopted a system that not only limits the physical opportunities for danger, but also the mental opportunities.

Basia Dann and Courtney Rogers are animal keepers in Asian Highlands, where the majority of CMZoo’s big cats live. Statistically, big cats in human care are the most dangerous to keepers. Tigers, leopards and mountain lions make up a small but significant number of the animals they care for daily.

Dann and Rogers are collaborating with the rest of the keeper teams at CMZoo, CMZoo Animal Collections Director, Jeff Halter, and other Associations of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited organizations, to adopt a safety system that is gaining traction nationally. The system establishes a series of engineered controls intended to make their time with these animals as human error-proof as possible.

The system, in a nutshell, involves restricting personal conversations; ongoing two-person visual and verbal confirmations of animal locations, actions taken and next steps; and a color-coded, two-lock system that ensures that two people must verify that a space is safe to enter, reducing accidental keeper access to a space where a dangerous animal might also have access.

“When we prepare to enter a dangerous animal space, we have agreed that all casual conversation has to stop, and we communicate strictly about the task at hand,” Dann said. “We say, out loud, every step we’re taking and vocally confirm each other’s observations and next steps. It’s a way to slow each other down during routine tasks, and to hold each other and ourselves accountable for checking every box in place to make sure we’re as safe as possible.”

The first step the keepers take is to agree upon their mission. Then, they confirm the location of the animals, rather than their absence.

While entering the Amur tiger dens at CMZoo, but before unlocking animal access doors, the keepers confirm with each other that the two male Amur tigers, Chewy and Thimbu, are in their outside yards. They confirm Chewy’s location in an outside yard, and then move on to locate Thimbu, who is lying in a sunny, grassy spot in the side yard, watching the keepers intently. Their goal is to place enrichment into one of the tiger dens, and then give Thimbu access to that den.

“I see Thimbu in the side yard,” Dann said.

“Yep, there’s Thim, creeping on us right there,” Rogers confirms.

Next, they ensure all doors between the tigers and the space they plan to enter are closed and locked with color-coded padlocks. The series of color-coded locks is designed to prevent one keeper from entering a space where a tiger might be.

Each keeper is assigned a color-coded key for the day. In this case, Dann has a blue key that only unlocks blue locks. Rogers is assigned a yellow key, for yellow locks. Each animal access door is secured with one blue lock and one yellow lock, so no door can be opened without both keepers present and in agreement that the door is safe to open.

The keepers call it creating a “blue and yellow bubble” around the potentially dangerous animal. When they enter a dangerous animal space, access points have those locks in place, preventing them from being opened accidentally by themselves or someone else in the area.

“Not only can we not enter a dangerous animal space by ourselves, but because the animal shift doors are locked, no one can accidentally move an animal into the same space as you,” Dann said.

After the locks are applied to the door, the keepers also check each other’s locks. Once they’ve completed their task and they’re ready to ask the animal to shift into another space, the process repeats, now with the locks on the doors that access the space the animal is moving to. With each area the animal or the keepers enter, the system ensures there’s a secure and locked door between them.

The process of shifting Thimbu, an Amur tiger, from one space to another takes about ten minutes, but that’s because the keepers have been practicing this new process and are taking it very seriously. Everyone agrees that additional time equals additional safety.

The system is not a CMZoo-original idea, and isn’t unique to the Zoo industry. It was first implemented in zoos by Palm Beach Zoo, in response to a tragic incident with an experienced keeper and a tiger. Halter is part of an AZA safety committee which shares many example practices developed in AZA-accredited zoos, including engineering controls.

“Just because another facility isn’t using this system doesn’t mean their system isn’t safe,” Dann said. “We’re working to collaborate with our fellow CMZoo keepers and keepers from other AZA-accredited organizations to see if this system would work for them, and to see what we can learn from them.”

The team says they think their process will keep evolving, and that the collaboration with other animal keepers is the best way to learn what’s working and what might have potential to be an unsafe situation. Dann is scheduled to present what the CMZoo big cat teams have learned, at a national zookeeper conference in July.

Keepers demonstrate system in behind-the-scenes tiger den:


 

– CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO PRESENTS OPEN-TO-THE-PUBLIC BIRTHDAY PARTY, SUNDAY JUNE 30 AT 10 A.M. –

Turning fifty years old is a big deal for anyone. When an elephant turns fifty, it’s an enormous occasion. Missy, one of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s female African elephants, is half a century old this year, and Children’s Hospital Colorado is partnering with CMZoo to make it a momentous celebration fit for a true golden girl. Staff from Children’s Hospital Colorado will have a booth at the event, and encourage guests to stop by to say hello and enjoy some party favors.

Missy, who moved to CMZoo from Lee Richardson Zoo in 2015, is one of the oldest African elephants in the country. But, according to Senior Lead Elephant Keeper, Ilana Cobban, that doesn’t slow her down.

“She’s always the first one out of the barn and into the main yard every morning,” Cobban said. “Missy’s personality is, in my opinion, like one of “The Golden Girls” characters. She does what she wants, when she wants and isn’t afraid to demand what she needs or wants.”

Cobban says that during training, Missy will sometimes misread her trainer’s request and will launch into a training routine because she’s so eager to participate.

“If she sees you move her ‘target stick,’ which we use for training, she might think it’s time to do yoga and will start offering those behaviors right away,” Cobban said. “It usually happens in the demo yard, and guests think it’s hilarious. Once we can get Missy’s attention to convey the behavior we’re actually asking her to do, she looks at you like she’s thinking, ‘Why would I not do my yoga routine right now?’”

Although blind in her left eye, Missy is in remarkably good health for her age, Cobban said.

“She’s old, but she’s in such good health,” said Cobban. “We have to train a little differently with her when we’re on her left side, but it really doesn’t impact her. She’s smart, and she’s fast. Don’t get in her way.”
Missy the African elephant swimming in pool
When keepers call Missy’s name to shift to another part of the elephant exhibit, she doesn’t waste a moment. She does her signature ‘power walk’ on the most direct route to where she’s going – no matter what (or who) is in the way.

While younger members of the CMZoo African elephant herd may take 45 minutes to walk the quarter-mile elephant trek at the Zoo, Missy often finishes in ten minutes. While she’s patient, she seems to enjoy quickly embracing what’s next.

“Usually, during elephant feedings, we ask the elephant to ‘rest’ between each piece of produce a guest is feeding them,” said Cobban. “When they ‘rest,’ they relax their trunks on the ground. With Missy, we just stopped asking her because she never wanted to rest. She would gently take the item from the guest’s hand with her trunk, pop it in her mouth, and immediately reach her trunk out for the next piece. She doesn’t get impatient waiting for the next piece; she just doesn’t want to rest.”

Guests will have the chance to see Missy in action at her 50th birthday party, presented by Children’s Hospital Colorado, on Sunday, June 30, 2019 at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

The party starts at 10 a.m. in Encounter Africa and ends at noon. Guests can enjoy watching Missy and her best friend, LouLou, participating in some special birthday enrichment activities, then have the chance to feed Missy at 11 a.m. and see Missy dive into an elephant-sized birthday cake, made with her favorite snacks, at 11:30 a.m.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
(Subject to Missy’s choice to participate or not)

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Write a “Message to Missy,” take a free photo with elephant-themed props at our photo booth, and learn about African elephants from our CMZoo Docents with elephant biofacts.

10:10 a.m.
Missy and her best friend, LouLou, have the opportunity to enjoy special birthday enrichment activities in the main elephant yard.

10:45 a.m.
Keepers Caring for Elephants Demonstration

11 to 11:30 a.m.
Elephant Feeding Opportunities with Missy ($10 to $15 per feeding)

11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Join us in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Missy, as she enjoys an elephant-sized birthday cake, made with her favorite snacks.

For more information about Missy’s 50th Birthday Party, visit our Facebook Event Page

Missy is the eldest of the six female African elephants who live at CMZoo. She’s often in the yard with LouLou, who is 37 and came to CMZoo from Lee Richardson Zoo with Missy. Kimba, 41, is the largest of the group, weighing in at just over 8,500 pounds. Lucky, 39, sometimes shares space with Kimba. She is playful and can often be seen splashing around in the water in their main yard. Jambo, 36, and Malaika, 33, are known as the sassiest and prefer to spend solo time in one of their many spaces at the Zoo. Guests can visit the African elephant herd any day of the year, in Encounter Africa at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

– GUESTS SHOULD SOON SEE CUBS AND KAYA IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN WILD –

The three mountain lion cubs who were orphaned in Washington in late May are growing, playing and getting settled in their new home with their new “grandma” Kaya, 13-year-old CMZoo mountain lion.

Kaya came to CMZoo in 2006, from Wyoming, with her three brothers. The four cubs were unfortunately also orphaned thirteen years ago. Kaya’s brothers, Yuma, Motega and Tocho, have since passed due to age-related issues. While CMZoo keepers and veterinary staff work through age-related health issues with Kaya, who is blind and arthritic, they’re hopeful the new cubs (which we also call kittens, because they’re still only 10 weeks old) quickly acclimate to their new home in Rocky Mountain Wild.

Rocky Mountain Wild Senior Lead Keeper, Rebecca Zwicker, shares the latest update on the cubs, Kaya’s health, and when she hopes guests can see these adorable new CMZoo residents.

One of the oldest elephants in the U.S. becomes a true “Golden Girl”


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is inviting media and the public to celebrate our oldest resident’s 50th birthday. Children’s Hospital Colorado is presenting the birthday party for Missy, a female African elephant, who will have the opportunity to participate in special birthday enrichment activities, including an elephant-sized birthday cake. Guests can take free photos in our elephant-themed photo booth, learn about Missy and the CMZoo African elephant herd of six aging females during a keeper demonstration, participate in paid feeding opportunities with Missy, and more.

Missy has surpassed the median life expectancy (MLE) for her fellow female African elephants living in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. At 50, she has surpassed the MLE by about 12 years, and it’s possible that she could continue to thrive for many more years. Missy is in good health, and is one of the fastest power-walkers in the herd. Her keepers describe her as, “patient but demanding, kind of like you’d expect a ‘Golden Girl’ to be.” She is one of the oldest African elephants currently living in the U.S.

WHO – Missy, CMZoo African elephant
CMZoo guests, members and staff
Children’s Hospital Colorado

WHAT – A birthday party to celebrate Missy’s 50th birthday

WHERE – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Encounter Africa Exhibit

WHEN – Sunday, June 30, 2019
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

SCHEDULE
(Subject to Missy’s choice to participate or not)

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Write a “Message to Missy,” take a free photo with elephant-themed props at Children’s Hospital Colorado’s photo booth, and learn about African elephants from our CMZoo Docents with elephant biofacts.

10:10 a.m.
Missy and her best friend, LouLou, have the opportunity to enjoy special birthday enrichment activities in the main elephant yard.

10:45 a.m.
Keepers Caring for Elephants Demonstration

11 to 11:30 a.m.
Elephant Feeding Opportunities with Missy
($10 to $15 per feeding)

11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Join us in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Missy, as she enjoys an elephant-sized birthday cake, made with her favorite snacks.

 

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.