Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Author at CMZoo

Colorado Springs, Colo. – A Mexican wolf pup was born at 5:10 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2019 to second-time parents, Luna and Navarro, to the excitement of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff and guests. The pup appears to be strong, and Luna is exhibiting quality maternal instincts.

“It’s very squirmy and snuggly with Luna, and has already grown a lot since it was born on Friday, which is a good sign,” said Dina Bredahl, Rocky Mountain Wild animal manager. “It’s got a really cute full, round belly and dark fur. Mexican wolves grow up to have sandy, gray fur, but their pups are born with dark fur.”

The Rocky Mountain Wild animal care team wasn’t sure how many pups Luna was carrying, and watched for a full 24 hours after the first pup was born before concluding that the pup was a singleton. The newborn pup joins the existing wolf pack consisting of the two parents, Luna and Navarro, and nearly one-year-old sisters Bluestem, Hope and Shadow, and brother Phoenix, who were born May 8 and 9, 2018.

“Wolf packs in the wild will stay together as new litters join the pack, so we don’t see any need to separate the older siblings from this new pup,” said Bredahl. “It’s a win-win for all. The yearlings get to observe Luna with a young pup, which helps them gain experience they can use if they become parents later in life. The single pup benefits because it has a larger pack to learn from and bond with, instead of just its two parents.”

A couple of hours before Luna gave birth early Friday morning, the yearlings were seen on camera in the den nuzzling and cuddling with her.

“It was really cool to see the one-year-olds observing Luna’s behavior, probably noticing something was going on and wondering what was about to happen,” said Bredahl. “Every individual pup makes an impact on the survival of the species, because the Mexican wolf population is so small. Even in human care, we rarely intervene with wolves, so we’re cautiously optimistic that this pup will grow into a healthy adult that can contribute to the long-term survival of Mexican wolves.”

The birth is not only incredibly exciting for the Zoo staff, who have been actively working to successfully breed the species for many years, but it is also highly significant for the future of the species. It is possible that this pup could go on to help repopulate the species in the wild.

For now, Luna is caring for the pup in a cozy underground den within the wolf exhibit. A camera mounted inside the den is connected to a monitor in the guest viewing area, so everyone who visits the Zoo will be able to see live footage of mom and baby at the exhibit.

“From time to time, we see Luna move around outside of the den, carrying the pup with her,” said Bredahl. “We didn’t see that with her litter last year, but that’s probably because this individual pup is so much more ‘portable’ than a full litter. In the wild, mothers will sometimes move their pups from one den to another. Luna has multiple dens in her exhibit, so she’s taking advantage of that and finding the most comfortable spot.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will share photos and video clips of mom and pup, as they become available, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and The Waterhole, the Zoo’s monthly e-newsletter.

For many years, the Zoo housed a bachelor pack of wolves, but within the past eight years, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA’s) Species Survival Plan (SSP) has placed various breeding pairs at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with the hopes of offspring. Until Luna and Navarro, none of the breeding pairs were successful. When they are older, it is possible that Luna’s pups could be released to help provide genetic diversity in the wild.

The birth of this pup is significant because there are currently only 131 Mexican wolves in the wild, and only about 300 in human care. Until the 1900s, the Mexican wolf thrived throughout central Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas. But by the 1950s, the species was virtually eradicated, with the last known wild wolf in the U.S. shot in 1970. When the Endangered Species Act went into effect in 1973, it led to the Mexican wolf being declared an endangered subspecies. Their number has since been increasing through captive breeding programs.

The population of Mexican wolves in human care at Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoos is an important part of the plan to repopulate the species in the wild. The Mexican Wolf Recovery Program is run by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, with cooperation from the AZA Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has been a participant in the program since 1994.

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 ten operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

Four-mile walk/run fundraiser offers once-a-year views from Shrine Road

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo hosts its 11th annual Run to the Shrine Saturday, May 18. Online pre-registration saves participants five dollars per registration, and closes May 15, 2019. The annual Run to the Shrine fundraiser is the only day of the year foot traffic is allowed on the road to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun.

The 4-mile up-and-back course offers breathtaking views of Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak as they wind by roaring lions and more through the Zoo and up to the Shrine. The challenging course, with a nearly 1,000-foot elevation gain, is good practice for competitive runners gearing up for summer races, and a fun challenge for weekend warriors and families. Runners and walkers are welcome, and jogging strollers equipped with safety features are allowed on the course.

Registration includes Zoo admission for the day, a commemorative performance T-shirt featuring Dusty, CMZoo meerkat matriarch, and access to a post-event celebration at the Zoo’s Lodge at Moose Lake. All proceeds help feed and care for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s animals. Since the Zoo doesn’t receive any tax support, community events like Run to the Shrine help keep the zoo “running.”

Fast Facts

Run to the Shrine at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Saturday, May 18, 2019

4-mile run/walk
7:30 a.m. registration, 8:30 a.m. race start
Carpooling and use of rideshare services are strongly encouraged.
https://www.cmzoo.org/run.

Run to the Shrine is sponsored by Children’s Hospital Colorado and Colorado Springs Pediatric Dentistry.

Colorado Springs, Colo. – This morning, a team of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff used specialized equipment to successfully assist Malaika, a 33-year-old African elephant, who was found lying on her side 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. The team responded in the early-morning hours to mobilize a specialized crane-and-hoist system in the barn to help the elephant to her feet, since she was unable to stand on her own.

The team was made up of more than 20 cross-discipline Zoo staff members, including Malaika’s animal keepers, veterinary staff, maintenance and grounds personnel, The Colorado Springs Fire Department Heavy Rescue team, Broadmoor Fire Department, and more.

The Zoo’s emergency response team was able to use 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, with the hoist strap still in place for support, at 6:47 a.m. Since then, her care team, including her keepers and veterinary staff, have been monitoring her for any additional medical concerns. She is drinking electrolyte water, eating some of her favorite treats, and taking medication for inflammation and pain.

Malaika has a history of not being able to get back up from laying down, and had to be rescued once before, on Jan. 1, 2018. Some elephants are able to lie down and get back up with no problem, but some, like Malaika, don’t ever lie down and instead just 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.

Because of Malaika’s history, Zoo staff monitor her throughout the day and with checks every two hours overnight. Our monitoring system shows that Malaika went down around 3:45 a.m., from what appears to be a leg wobble during a deep sleep. She was discovered down during the 5 a.m. check. A core Zoo team was assembled at the elephant barn between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m., with a full team on-site by 6 a.m. Protocols were immediately put into place to help her stand.

The Zoo cares for an aging female elephant herd, so the barn is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that helps address the inevitable complications that come with multi-ton animals that need medical assistance. Equipment includes a remote video surveillance system for animal care staff to monitor the elephants, the crane-and-hoist system that can lift a disabled elephant and a care system that provides a safe area for weighing, veterinary care and husbandry training. Outdoor wellness features of the exhibit include an exercise path, built-in enrichment activities, a pool and a spacious vacation yard, where our elephants can take time to roam and explore by themselves.

Zoo staff performs drills to practice and test protocols for situations like these. The last “down elephant” drill occurred in January 2019, which is likely one reason the procedure to help Malaika today ran as successfully as it did.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Colorado Springs, Colo. – The first day of spring was still hours away when we welcomed a special springtime arrival of our own.

Three-year-old howler monkey Charlie gave birth Tuesday, March 19 at 3:45 p.m., much to the delight of her keepers, who say mom and baby are bonding quickly and appear to be in good health.

Charlie gave birth to her yet unnamed baby, whose gender likely won’t be confirmed for months, in their exhibit in Monkey Pavilion. The baby appeared to be strong immediately after the birth, and Charlie’s maternal instinct was evident within the hour. Within moments of her baby’s birth, Charlie was cradling and grooming the baby, even softly patting the back of the baby’s head as she held it.

“We watch for certain indicators that the baby is strong,” said Cheyenne Mountain Zoo senior lead keeper Michelle Salido, who was there during the birth. “We like to see them grasp on to their mother’s fur and for their tails to wrap around their mother’s arms or nearby branches. Nursing is the ultimate sign that the mother and baby are doing well. We’re seeing all of those things, so we’re excited it’s going so well.”

Charlie and her baby will remain in their exhibit in Monkey Pavilion, where guests can view them any day of the week. Charlie’s mate, Howie, a three-year-old black howler monkey, who was in the habitat with Charlie during the birth, is in the same space as Charlie and the baby, but seems most content keeping his distance for now.

Charlie and Howie were recommended to breed based on their genetics as part of the Black Howler Monkey Species Survival Plan, managed by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. This baby’s birth is contributing to a program that is working to help guarantee 100 years of genetic diversity for the species in accredited organizations.

Keepers will keep a close eye on Charlie and her baby, and will be happy to share their joy with members and guests who come to visit.

“It’s unusual for howler monkeys to give birth during the day, and it’s unusual that all three of her primary keepers are in one place at one time to witness it,” said Salido. “It was a really special family moment.”

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

As we prepare for the opening of Water’s Edge: Africa later this summer, we’re excited to introduce the future exhibit’s newest residents, Penelope and Alexander, eight-month-old common warthogs.

Have you ever seen a warthog do “zoomies”? Click below to learn about these two rambunctious siblings who will live alongside our hippos, and perhaps even venture outside to meet our guests face-to-snout!

Four kits and four adult black-footed ferrets (BFF) are one step closer to life in the wild, thanks to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo conservation team. In mid-September, the ferrets were moved to a preconditioning center outside of Fort Collins, Colo., where they’ll spend about 35 days in a semi-controlled environment. During this phase, biologists observe the ferrets to ensure they can hunt, avoid predators and shelter themselves to survive without human intervention and continue to increase the endangered species’ population when they’re introduced into the wild.

With their black and white bandit-mask markings, inquisitive expressions and fluffy fur so similar to their adorable domestic cousins, it’s easy to assume the black-footed ferret is another one of North America’s plentiful wild small mammals. But, this is the only ferret species naturally found in the wild on this continent – and it was recently thought to be extinct.

During the western frontier exploration in the early 1800s, cargo ships from Europe and Asia brought sylvatic plague to North America. The spread of this disease, combined with poisoning and eradication programs led by newly settled farmers and ranchers, who saw prairie dogs as pests, drastically reduced the prairie dog population. Because prairie dogs are black-footed ferrets’ main food source, the BFFs’ population declined dramatically. By the 1980s, black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct.

Since the 1981 discovery of a small population of BFFs in Meeteetse, Wyoming, conservationists launched a black-footed ferret recovery plan which continues to increase the population. Numbers fluctuate, but recent reports estimate 350 BFFs are thriving in the wild, thanks to this program.

Preconditioning is the final program stage for these born-to-be-wild individuals, and Jeff Baughman, CMZoo field conservation coordinator, makes it his life’s work to prepare them to thrive without relying on humans.

“We limit the human interaction as much as we can,” Baughman said. “We feed them and keep them healthy and clean while they’re with us, but other than that, we try not to let them hear or see us very much. Wild animals need a healthy fear of humans, so they’re not tempted to get close.”

From weekly lighting adjustments to reproductive monitoring and only four breeding opportunities (once per year, for four years) to pair a compatible couple to conceive, the intricacies of black-footed ferret breeding success are meticulously managed by the CMZoo conservation team. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of only five zoos in the world supporting the black-footed ferret species survival plan, with partners at Toronto Zoo, Louisville Zoo, Phoenix Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation and Biology Institute along with the USFWS National Black Footed Ferret Breeding and Conservation Center just outside of Fort Collins, Colo.

“Some people wonder why we invest so much energy to saving this species,” Baughman said. “They’re not just cute; they’re vital in helping secure healthy prairie ecosystems. BFFs are predatory prey, so their environmental role is to help control prairie dog populations while occasionally being a food source to owls, coyotes and badgers. BFF reintroduction sites are managed for plague which keeps the prairie dog populations healthy. This safeguards all of the other prairie species that rely on prairie dogs (a keystone species) as well. Black-footed ferrets are rare and important because they serve the ecosystem up and down.”

The black-footed ferrets at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are being born and raised for genetic assurance of the Species Survival Plan population with about half of the offspring being allocated for release into the wild.

Although the BFF conservation area isn’t open to the public at CMZoo, visitors can still experience one of these endangered, beautiful creatures at The Loft. In 2015 after the age of four (when BFFs’ reproduction windows close), Sylvester came to the Zoo from the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center as he was a great candidate for being an educational ambassador.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is committed to continued support of wildlife conservation efforts like the black-footed ferret Species Survival Plan. Through its Quarters for Conservation program, you can help by simply visiting the Zoo. For each paid admission to the Zoo, 75¢ is directly allocated for conservation programs just like this one. Each membership also helps support conservation efforts.

Giraffe conservation was given a generous boost from many helping hands when Operation Twiga III rolled out in Uganda earlier this month. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff and other concerned conservationists took part in translocating endangered Nubian giraffe to a safer location, where they could establish new herds and maintain the important genetics of their subspecies. Additionally, the operation generated more critical health data which will feed research that helps conservationists understand disease management and threats facing all giraffe in the wild.

“The team was able to capture and move a total of 14 giraffe from Murchison Falls National Park, where oil drilling is set to begin, to their new home in Kidepo Valley National Park,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, head veterinarian and VP of Mission & Programs at CMZ. “These giraffe, which include 13 females and one male, will join the approximately 35 Nubians that currently live there. Those 35 giraffe grew out of a founder population of only 3 giraffe, so we know translocations like this can work. An exciting development this year was the observation of giraffe calves in two other recently formed giraffe populations; one on the South bank of Murchison Falls National Park from Operation Twiga I and II, and one in Lake Mburu National Park from a 2015 translocation.

“The translocation process is really helping to create larger, more stable populations in multiple parks in the country,” Dr. Dadone said. “Previously, the majority of all remaining Nubian giraffe in Uganda lived in Murchison Falls, and up until four years ago there was only one other population of giraffe left in the country – those 35 or so animals in Kidepo Valley National Park.”

The Twiga operations have been successful in large part due to their partnership structure. Operation Twiga III was a combined effort among the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which led the project, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, and Cleveland MetroParks Zoo, with support from other organizations that sent supplies and staff to help. Making the trip this year on behalf of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo were CMZ Animal Care Manager Jason Bredahl, CMZ veterinarian Dr. Sara Ferguson, and Dr. Miranda Sadar, who is an assistant professor of avian, exotics and zoological medicine at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital/Colorado State University.

In addition to capturing and translocating the giraffe, the team was able to continue important research about health threats facing wild giraffe in Uganda.

“Over the past three years, we have been conducting anesthesia studies to try and increase patient (giraffe) safety,” explained Dr. Dadone, who was part of the Twiga I and II operations. “We have also been doing health assessments, so now our hope is to establish some baselines on animal health in Murchison Falls so we can try to evaluate whether oil drilling – which is expected to start by the end of 2018 in the park – is causing chronic stress, illness or mortality in wild giraffe.”

The team has also been investigating the cause of a skin condition seen in many giraffe in the park. While not currently causing health issues for the giraffe, the condition does not exist in Kidepo National Park giraffe, so they are trying to prevent the spread of the disease by developing a treatment.

“In 2017, we collected skin biopsies that were imported to the U.S. for study at the Colorado State University vet school,” said Dr. Dadone. “Our team there confirmed preliminary findings that the skin condition is associated with a parasite, so in April 2018 we started a treatment trial in Murchison Falls with a long-acting parasite treatment. The Operation Twiga III team treated all the giraffe with this parasite medication before they were moved from Murchison Falls to Kidepo to help prevent the possible spread of disease to a new habitat.”

It is hoped that ongoing research at CMZ and other zoos using giraffe trained for voluntary blood collection will reveal how long the drug treatment lasts in giraffe, thus helping with disease management moving forward.

All three Twiga expeditions have been financially supported by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s conservation programming, which is funded primarily through Quarters for Conservation (guest tokens) and allocations from membership revenues. While $75,000 in direct support from CMZ was donated to the Twiga effort, many other zoos and organizations around the world also helped fundraise for this important work. In addition, many generous individual donations have been made consisting of both money and goods.

“The team brought many other much-needed things with them on the trip,” said Dr. Dadone. “These included medicines and supplies to help with anesthesia monitoring, patient health assessment, medical management and research, and three large field tents funded through a grant. The team also brought 22 pairs of combat boots for the Ugandan ranger team, donated by the 440th Affairs Battalion at Fort Carson and Jose Contreras of GI Jose Military Supply.

“The rangers previously only had galoshes,” said Dr. Dadone, “so the donation was greatly appreciated.”

Also greatly appreciated was the individual support given a Ugandan ranger by the name of Bridget. Bridget was part of Operation Twiga II, during which she revealed her desire to attend university for a degree in wildlife management. She simply didn’t have the money.

“When one of CMZ’s docents heard Bridget’s story, they provided a scholarship for her to attend Makarere University in Uganda! She started school a few weeks ago,” Dr. Dadone said, adding that another anonymous docent purchased a laptop for her, while CMZ keepers pitched in for a backpack and school supplies. The team delivered the supplies soon after arriving in Uganda. They also visited the zoo in Entebbe to continue building conservation, education and animal care collaborations.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is committed to continued support of conservation efforts on behalf of wild giraffe, and you can help simply by visiting the Zoo. For each paid visit to the Zoo, 75¢ is directly allocated for conservation programs just like this one. Memberships also help support these efforts.

“Our community can also help by raising awareness for wild giraffe conservation,” said Dadone. “Their future is not secure; giraffe are already locally extinct in seven African countries. We know that oil drilling is a direct threat to some giraffe populations, so consider carpooling and taking other actions that help reduce your personal use of fossil fuels. Please also mark your calendar and help us celebrate World Giraffe Day each year (June 21) – the longest day of the year for our tallest land mammal.”

Favorable strides in the management of endangered Wyoming toads were made this spring and early summer as CMZ experienced a robust egg-laying season, followed by the release of hundreds of year-old toads into the wild. Wyoming toads are currently listed as “extinct in the wild” by The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The effort to save one of the most endangered toads in the world has been a bit of a “two steps forward, one step back” process since 1994 when the last known wild toads were brought into human care for future recovery efforts. The threats that caused them to disappear are only slightly curtailed, so various strategies have been employed to help re-establish the population in the wild. Currently, eight zoological and governmental organizations are breeding centers for Wyoming toads. CMZ joined the effort in 1992.

The effort to successfully re-establish Wyoming toads in the wild is basically three-pronged: first, develop fertile egg strands in breeding centers using genetically desirable cohorts (pairs); next, increase the number of tadpoles released into the wild; and third, maintain head-start programs that allow some tadpoles to overwinter at facilities and grow into stronger one-year-olds before being released into the wild. The third prong was added to help increase the survival of toads to maturity and have more breeding in the wild.

“We want to employ all these strategies, as they will hopefully increase the chances of survival for this species,” said Jeff Baughman, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Field Conservation Coordinator. “We need to keep thinking and adapt to what is or isn’t working.”

On May 30, our Zoo’s staff released more than 200 head start toads into the wetlands of the Laramie Basin of Wyoming. At the same time, 856 head-start toads were released by Saratoga National Fish Hatchery and around 50 were released by the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. Several surveys are conducted annually to determine if this strategy is helping to recover the species.

Head-start toads develop from tadpoles hatched the previous year. This year’s breeding season at CMZ began June 4 when, after hibernating for 35 days, 11 pairs of adult Wyoming toads were put together in the breeding center. Nine of the pairs produced fertile egg strands, which included 14,822 eggs! How do we know? Because staff counted them.

“We start by taking a photo of the strands,” says Baughman. “Then we take a Sharpie and dot each egg and use a finger counter to make clicks. It’s a pretty tedious process, but it’s really important we do this because we want to know our fertility average.”

This year’s fertility average was 62 percent, which Baughman says is really good. That means close to 8,400 of the eggs started tadpole development, which occurs 5-7 days after eggs are laid. Most of the tadpoles (7,644 of them) were released to the wild, but a few hundred were also sent to the Leadville and Saratoga fish hatcheries. CMZ also held back over 300 to become part of the Species Survival Program (SSP) breeding population and to be next year’s head start toads.

“Every year, transfers are conducted between facilities to ensure genetic variability for future breeding seasons, which is why we held back some of our tadpoles from this year for other zoos and facilities,” explains Baughman. “The rest of the tadpoles will become our next generation of head-start toads. These toads will grow from now until May when we will release them as adults into their Wyoming habitat.”

On June 27, CMZ staff travelled to Wyoming to help with a Wyoming toad field survey that looked specifically for tadpoles. When tadpoles are found during a survey, they are measured to differentiate between those that have been released from breeding facilities versus wild tadpoles. Although the aim of this survey was to document and measure any tadpoles found, toads were also seen in the field. These toads were observed but not interfered with to avoid causing unnecessary stress.

These surveys are crucial in determining if the population is making a comeback. We expect there to be ups and downs as the recovery of a species is never immediate.

Vulture conservation has been a focus at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for nearly a decade, and while strides have been made toward protecting them, this critically important species still hovers on the brink of extinction. They need our help more than ever.

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums has just voted to include African vultures as one of their SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) projects, thereby creating an opportunity for more united conservation efforts. Currently, 12 zoos across the country are committed to partnering with African conservation organizations in order to address the African vulture extinction crisis. As part of this group, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is helping to re-introduce African vultures to their wild habitat as one of our Quarters for Conservation legacy projects.

In addition, these birds have been part of our annual membership vote the past three years. We are proud to say that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has donated nearly $67,000 to vulture conservation to date.

Africa currently has two species of vultures that are endangered and four species that are critically endangered. The main threats to African vultures are poisoning and power line collisions, says Jenyva Fox, lead animal keeper of African Rift Valley at CMZoo.

“Poisoning is a serious threat to vultures, which are nature’s clean-up crew,” said Fox. “Poisonings occur when farmers want to target larger predators like jackals and lions, so they lace meat with poison. Since vultures are very good at their job, they will clean up any carcasses they find – even the poisoned ones. Another newer issue is connected to elephant and rhino poaching. Poachers are lacing the elephant/ rhino carcasses with poison to target the vultures, so they do not give away the presence of a poached animal.”

In 2017, Zoo members voted to fund the monitoring of 34 vultures that were released back into the African wild in order to learn more about the threats they face and help them be successful. The funds are also helping conservationists determine which power line locations cause the bulk of collisions. In turn, raised or rehabilitated vultures will be trained to avoid those lines before they are released back into the wild.

Unfortunately, Africa is not the only place where vultures are threatened by poison. In Asia, an estimated 40 million vultures have died due to an anti-inflammatory drug called Diclofenac, which is used to treat fever and inflammation in cattle.

Because they scavenge for carcasses, vultures are often depicted as macabre or fatalistic symbols. But their role in the natural world is to help stop the spread of disease, and they are ideally suited for it.

“Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew,” said Fox. “Because they eat dead animals, they are thought to be dirty or gross birds. But they have a few adaptations and behaviors that help them stay clean, such as bald heads and necks to prevent bacteria from sticking. Some species of vulture will urinate on their own legs to kill bacteria from the carcasses they fed on, and vultures bathe regularly – both in the water and the sun. The UV rays from the sun kill the pathogens on their feathers after feeding.

“But the thing that I think makes them the most amazing is that they have very strong stomach acids that kill diseases and bacteria in the food they are eating,” said Fox. “This is why they don’t get sick like other scavengers could. Sadly, these acids are not able to overcome man-made poisons.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to three Cape vultures and one Eurasian griffon vulture. Guests can see our Cape vultures in African Rift Valley and can learn more about vultures at our Wings of Africa Bird Show, held daily at 10 a.m. (weather permitting).

A nine-day trip to the jungles of Panama to help release hundreds of critically endangered frogs into the wild is just part of the job for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo veterinarian Dr. Eric Klaphake.

As part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation project (PARC), the Zoo is actively involved in helping save dozens of species of Central American frogs and toads threatened by an infectious disease called chytrid fungus. Dr. Klaphake is part of the research team investigating the fungus’ impact while trying to preserve what remains of these species. There are currently 13 critically endangered frog species in human care at PARC, but the group is studying many more at risk.

The January release was composed of 500 Atelopus limosus frogs, also known as harlequin frogs or clown frogs due to their bright coloring. While not the first release of harlequin frogs by PARC, it was the largest. Like many release trials, it is uncertain how many may survive, as their resistance to chytrid is still in question. Also, determining perfect release sites for the frogs can be difficult. A site can appear good initially, but new issues can be revealed once it’s put into practice. However, it will provide the PARC researchers with valuable data.

“We will gain critical information for future releases, including understanding the challenges faced by a frog as it transitions from captivity into the wild,” said Dr. Klaphake.

Before being released, the frogs were injected with a harmless, under-the-skin fluorescent “tattoo” so they could be identified by black light upon recovery. In addition, a subgroup of about 30 frogs were outfitted with miniscule radio transmitters. The transmitters will provide valuable feedback, even though expense and limited battery life (approximately 21 days) limited the size of the subgroup.

“The transmitters will help the consortium understand where the frogs go after release, including how they respond to weather, what type of vegetation/location they like to use, and their preferred basking temperature,” explains Dr. Klaphake. “They will also make it easier to find those frogs to confirm life/death, and, if dead, hopefully discover whether chytrid, predation, or other causes contributed to death to help us better guide future releases.”

The frogs were released near the Cobre mine in Panama’s Colon province. Cobre is one of the largest copper reserves in Panama and the mining company contributes generously to PARC.

“In addition, it’s well secured, so it was a location we knew would not be easily disturbed by outsiders,” said Dr. Klaphake.

While January is considered the dry season, the weather was abnormally cool and rainy during Dr. Klaphake’s visit. Traversing the site involved wading up a creek, traversing its steep, clay banks, and battling the dense jungle understory. Along the way, the team observed other frog species, giant millipedes, rats, and baby anole lizards. They were careful to give wide berth to the few venomous fer-de-lance snakes they encountered.

As a founding partner for PARC, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has provided instrumental support to the project, including participation in field expeditions and surveys, development of education programs, and veterinary and husbandry support in Panama. Dr. Klaphake has visited the PARC project in Panama once before, while Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Conservation Coordinator Jeff Baughman travelled there last year to participate in a smaller release.

The project is considered significant due to the immediate, and not inconsequential, threat of losing multiple amphibian species forever. Frogs are considered an indicator animal, meaning if they were to go extinct in Central America, eventually the delicate balance of our ecosystem would be upset and we would start to see a ripple effect caused by their absence.

While researchers in the PARC consortium and around the world are investigating how to halt the spread of chytrid and/or increase amphibians’ immunity to the fungus, there are other important steps we can take in our everyday lives to help amphibians thrive.

“Remember, all water flows downstream, so being careful about what we dump into sewers, drains, and waterways is important,” notes Dr. Klaphake, adding “especially medications – they can concentrate and lead to many problems, including fertility issues in many aquatic species, even at very low levels.”

To learn more about the threat to Panama frogs, visit http://amphibianrescue.org. Panama Frog Conservation is one of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation projects, so you can also choose to support our work with PARC every time you visit the Zoo.