COMMUNITY EVENT – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, 2024. Guests and members who visit the Zoo on Sun., March 3 can visit five conservation education booths with a Conservation Explorer Card to learn all about the Zoo’s conservation partners. Guests who visit all five booths earn a free feeding with a giraffe, budgie, chicken or goat! Animal keepers will have special conservation-themed presentations with their animals throughout the day. Advance tickets are required and available at cmzoo.org. Event details available at cmzoo.org/Q4C5.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and its guests and members are celebrating a huge milestone, having raised $5 million for wildlife and wild places, since the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program launched in 2008.

Every visitor to the Zoo receives three “quarter” tokens representing the 75¢ Q4C allocation from their admission fee. They can then show support for the legacy projects they love by placing their tokens in the corresponding slots in the Q4C kiosks in the Zoo’s admissions plaza.

Before launching Q4C in 2008, CMZoo was supporting conservation, but at a fraction of what is possible now. As more people visit the Zoo each year, the Zoo can contribute more money to conservation. In the past few years, thanks to community support and the growing number of annual visitors, CMZoo collects about a million dollars every eighteen months through Q4C. The Zoo’s membership and EdVenture program participants also contribute to conservation. CMZoo’s current conservation species include giraffe, Panama frogs, orangutans, black-footed ferrets, African elephants and rhinos, Wyoming toads and Amur tigers.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Q4C Legacy Projects
Q4C beneficiary species truly run the gamut, from 18-foot-tall giraffe in Africa to tiny toads in Wyoming.

Q4C supports Giraffe Conservation Foundation and their efforts to protect, relocate and grow wild giraffe populations. While CMZoo staff help raise awareness of giraffes’ silent extinction by inspiring guests at the Zoo, Q4C funds on-the-ground efforts and sends staff to assist with wild giraffe relocations in Africa, supporting anesthesia and moving the giraffe from threatened habitats to safer locations. Ongoing Q4C funding supports the teams who continue to monitor and protect these newly established wild populations.

Q4C also funds CMZoo’s on-site breeding programs for black-footed ferrets and Wyoming toads. These endangered prairie species were declared extinct in the wild in the 1980s and early 1990s, and are only around today because of decades of recovery efforts from zoos and partner organizations.

Wyoming toads are symbolic of so many amphibian species in decline all over the world, including Panamanian frogs, which also receive support thanks to Q4C funds and CMZoo staff support in the field. CMZoo staff members assist the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project by sharing important lessons learned from successful Wyoming toad breed-and-release efforts, and travel to Panama to help study the endangered amphibians in the wild.

CMZoo’s work to save habitats for orangutans through advocacy for sustainable palm oil production is also largely supported by Q4C. Thanks to that financial support, CMZoo’s sustainable palm oil team consults staff at other conservation organizations on starting their own palm oil programs. The CMZoo sustainable palm oil team continues to focus on international work through the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). The team was instrumental in the creation of the WAZA PalmOil Scan – a global free sustainable palm oil shopping app, which allows shoppers to scan the barcodes of items to learn whether producers have committed to using sustainable palm oil.

Through Q4C, CMZoo also supports Tsavo Trust – a conservation organization in Kenya that works to protect the last of the big tuskers, which are African elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds, and Eastern black rhinos. CMZoo’s funds helped Tsavo Trust build permanent housing that allowed staff to live on the land where these critically endangered giants live. It also paid for a vehicle maintenance shop, community outreach and pilot hours for frontline aerial surveillance that protects rhinos and elephants from poachers.

The seventh Q4C legacy partner is Wildlife Conservation Society, whose dedicated staff works to protect and define secure habitats for wild Amur tigers in Eastern Russia. Amur tigers, previously known as Siberian tigers, are critically endangered. Their numbers in the wild continue to be treacherously low at around 500. CMZoo supports efforts to prevent human-wildlife conflicts as well as anti-poaching efforts and staff funding for field conservationists to study this species in the wild.

For more information about these projects and Quarters for Conservation, visit cmzoo.org/conservation.

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 2023, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #4 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised $5 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 238 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.


Six life-sized bronze giraffe sculptures will welcome guests to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, as part of the new admissions and giraffe habitat updates happening in the coming years – and their creation is a tall order.

“I’ve been using a lot of ladders,” said Antonia Chastain, public art manager at CMZoo. “These are the largest sculptures I’ve ever done, and it’s quite a process. We have probably years ahead of us in this creation. But it’s exciting to see the first one coming together now, and the plan is to unveil them as part of the hundred-year anniversary of the Zoo, in 2026.”

The sculptures started as six-inch clay thumbnail sketches. Once the team was happy with the general design, Chastain sculpted detailed four-foot clay maquettes. To create the most lifelike sculptures, she relied on the expertise of the giraffe team to portray giraffe attitudes and postures correctly.

Chastain spends weeks with the CMZoo giraffe team, leaning on the giraffe herd’s voluntary hoof care behaviors to measure the giraffe. They measure from hoof to knee, around the diameters of their calves, the lengths of their tails, legs, necks and more, to get the proportions right in the maquettes phase. Known for her attention to detail, Chastain also meticulously studied and sculpted eyelid wrinkles, hair, hoof texture, spots and skin folds.

“Then, you need to make sure the four-foot models’ knees and ankles are proportional, because if you enlarge them to five times the size for the final sculptures, you could end up with knees that look like elephant knees above ankles made for giraffe,” said Chastain. “It’s so important that the proportions are correct.”

To create the next size up, the foundry artists scan the four-foot clay models into a 3-D printer that produces foam pieces five times their size – one piece at a time. The foam pieces are reconstructed into a life-sized full giraffe, then Chastain reapplies a layer of clay to the huge replicas. Once every detail is carved back into the clay, the team casts each piece in bronze and welds them together.

The one being sculpted in its final size now is posed bending down to nuzzle her calf, and she is ten feet tall at the curve of her neck. The other mother giraffe sculptures are posed more upright, and will be around 18 feet tall when they’re finished.

As of now, the plan is to create three visual stories of mother giraffe and their calves. The statue of Penny, a giraffe calf who inspired millions during her short life at CMZoo, will move from its current location by the giraffe barn to become part of this larger display. The three mother giraffe and two additional giraffe calf statues are not representations of any individual giraffe. However, especially attentive giraffe fans might notice spot patterns, poses or ossicone shapes inspired by other giraffe from CMZoo.

“The various poses are homages to their nurturing instinct and the special connection between mother and baby,” said Chastain. “One set is stretching towards each other to nuzzle face-to-face and there’s a line between their necks that’s just beautiful form and flow. The third pair is a nod to when kids are little and they’re shy to meet someone new. Their instinct is to lean against mom for security, kind of a ‘hold my hand’ feel.”

As the sculptures continue to take shape and eventually make their way to the Zoo, CMZoo will share updates.

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February is International Hoof Care Month, so come behind the scenes for an up-close look at giraffe hoof care training! Hoof care is important for the overall health of all hoofstock animals. Brushing, picking, and trimming contribute to maintaining healthy hooves, directly influencing the health of a giraffe’s entire body. At CMZoo, keepers have built trust with the giraffe herd through positive reinforcement, offering them the choice to train with their favorite crackers or walk away.

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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Teen Summer Program has inspired and prepared future biologists and conservationists for decades. Soon, it will welcome new and returning participants for summer 2024. Applications for the highly competitive program for sixth through 12th graders open Thurs., Feb. 1 at cmzoo.org/teenprograms. Applications will only be accepted for two weeks, so nature-loving teenagers should start considering the program now.

From Mon., May 27 through Fri., Aug. 9, 2024, Teen Summer Program participants will work alongside CMZoo staff to interact with animals, guests, keepers and each other. Mabel Kim has been in the Teen Program since the summer before her high school freshman year, and in 2024, she intends to come back for her fourth year.

“Some might assume the Teen Program at the Zoo is all about animals, but it’s one of the richest experiences like this you can get in Colorado Springs,” said Kim. “I’ve learned presentation skills, public speaking, mentoring, writing a resume, interviewing and more. It’s a really fun environment, and we do focus on animals and conservation. Because of this program, I feel prepared to apply for college, internships and jobs.”

In addition to gaining valuable experience working at CMZoo, teen participants learn to be nature’s best stewards with life-changing experiences off Zoo grounds, in Colorado’s wild places and beyond. Teens can expect educational, inspirational experiences, like whitewater rafting, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, visiting local animal sanctuaries and Associations of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos, and learning to be a leader and an advocate for wildlife and wild places.

“Ultimately, we hope that by offering these experiences that connect the hands, the heart, and the mind to the natural world, these teens will stand up for, and advocate for, the wild places and wild animals of our world,” said Austin Kennedy, CMZoo Extended Education Supervisor. “We focus on leadership training, animal husbandry, interpretation and public speaking, empowerment, and so much more.”

Participants also have the chance to go on an EdVenture Trip with the team, led by EdVenture staff. In 2023, the teens embarked on a six-day off-grid adventure to the wilderness of Glacier National Park. [LINK TO: https://www.cmzoo.org/news/archive/teen-program-inspires-the-next-generation-of-land-and-wildlife-stewards-in-glacier-national-park/] This year, managers are planning for another excursion full of adventure and nature-inspired leadership learning.

“I can’t encourage people enough to apply,” said Kim. “Definitely go for it. You’ll have amazing opportunities with animals, but you’ll also learn real-life and career skills. Plus, you’ll form bonds and make friendships with people who have similar interests, like science, nature, conservation and advocacy.”

EdVenture staff recommends each teen commits to a minimum of 120 program hours for the season. However, to complete the program, there is no minimum or maximum number of participation hours required.

Applications are open Thurs., Feb. 1 until Wed., Feb. 14 at midnight MT. The non-refundable application fee is $25, and no late applications will be accepted. Typically, only one-third of those who apply will be accepted.

After the application period, EdVenture staff conducts interviews with candidates, and ultimately accepts about 100 teens to the summer program. CMZoo’s Teen Summer Program is a tuition-based experience, and scholarships are available. Participation in EdVenture trips requires a separate fee.

If a summer timeline won’t work, consider participating in an off-season Teen Program. The Teen Winter Program runs November through February, with applications opening for two weeks each October. The Teen Spring Program is only open to teens who have participated in a Teen Summer or Winter Program. The spring session runs February through May, with applications opening for two weeks each January.

For more information – and to apply between Feb. 1 and 14 – visit cmzoo.org/teenprograms.

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Two redheaded charmers from Texas arrived in African Rift Valley earlier this month, complete with gorgeous ear tassels and pointy hooves. While they complete their routine quarantine period behind the scenes, Red River hog sisters, Rey and Finn, are cooing their way into the hearts of their keepers. Hopefully, the Zoo’s male Red River hog, Augustus, will be just as excited to welcome them to the family.

After their quarantine, they’ll start exploring more spaces and getting to know 17-month-old Augustus, known as “Gus” around here. In the meantime, keepers are getting to know the girls.

“They’re gorgeous animals, and these two are extremely vocal,” said Lauren Phillippi, lead animal keeper in African Rift Valley. “They have been making quiet, content ‘cooing’ sounds to each other and to us when we approach them. They like to do things together, like forage, solve puzzle feeders, roll around in the hay and snuggle while they sleep.”

The 7-year-old sisters were born in the same litter at another zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Rey is the leader of the two, and she is a bit bigger than Finn. Rey has darker orange-brown coloration compared to Finn’s much lighter white-and-brown face. Finn is a little more cautious. Being bold and outgoing, Rey is quick to approach keepers, wasting no time to communicate that she is a big fan of belly rubs.

“We quickly noticed how tactile these two are,” said Phillippi. “They enjoy enrichment that requires a lot of motor skills, and they like to get scratches from keepers. Especially Rey.”

Keepers use wooden back scratchers and their hands to give Rey the tactile interaction she likes. Just a few seconds into a scratch session, 165-pound Rey gives an enthusiastic lean and a floor-shaking plop onto her side. She knows how to give keepers every opportunity to scratch her sides, belly and back. Her care team is happy to oblige.

“We’re using this time to develop relationships with them,” said Phillippi. “We want to build that rapport and make sure they know that they’re going to live with choice and control here.”

Finn and Rey are already willingly approaching keepers and staff from behind a protective barrier. They’re also taking training treats well and moving to different spaces when asked. Next, keepers will work on target training and then more complex voluntary behaviors that allow them to care for the girls.

The big question: when will the sisters meet Gus? Finn and Rey are used to sharing space with other hogs, as is Gus. Once the sisters have completed quarantine, the team will introduce the group with a protective barrier between Gus and the girls. Then, based on the hogs’ behaviors toward each other, they’ll move towards sharing space without barriers between them.


The goal is for all three hogs to live together full-time. Red River hogs are social animals, often living in groups, and Finn and Rey came to CMZoo on a breeding recommendation with Gus. At 17 months old, Gus is approaching the age when Red River hogs typically reach reproductive maturity. Red River hogs’ usual breeding season ends in April, so depending on their interactions and Gus’ maturity, hoglets could be here as soon as this summer. More likely, their first chance at reproducing will be next year.

If the hogs eventually welcome babies, all three would be first-time parents, making their genetics valuable to the Red River Hog Species Survival Plan and the population in human care.

When Finn and Rey are ready to explore spaces where guests can see them, the Zoo will provide updates.

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Rambunctious ‘Baby’ Omo has discovered little joys like the feeling of the hose on his gums and the excitement of exploring on his own while still living under the protective eye of his mom, Zambezi. At two and a half years old, Omo is learning and refining foundational training behaviors while also regularly getting the zoomies.

Omo and Zambezi still live together full time but are working on training in different spaces with the doors open between them. With a 1,300 pound ‘hippo tween’ always at the ready to play, Zambezi continues to nurture and teach her wiggly son while recently discovering the little joys of solo time. This time allows Zambezi and Omo some one-on-one time with their care teams and the opportunity to learn, grow, and rest in different ways.

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A sleek, high-energy, 2-year-old domestic ferret named Blizzard recently joined ferrets, Cyclone and Alfred, in The Loft. She quickly made friends with the other ferrets, especially Cyclone, and is already comfortable with her new keepers and training. Visit Blizzard in her new home during your next visit to CMZoo!

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Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, Aysan, has spent the last few months adjusting to her new life, and her new roommate, in Scutes Family Gallery. Aysan came to CMZoo to join 31-year-old male sloth, Bosco, on a breeding recommendation. As an older sloth, Bosco is very familiar with keepers and guests, and he has helped Aysan come out of her shell.

Aysan is interested in training, especially when her favorite snacks are involved, and is currently working on voluntary injection training. Because keepers have built a trusting relationship with Aysan, she allows them to touch her back and stomach and has already voluntarily participated in x-rays. This training is especially important should Aysan become pregnant in the future.

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In early November, the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (The Giraffe Center) traveled to Bristol Zoo, in the United Kingdom, to host their first giraffe care workshop abroad. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo established The Giraffe Center in 2022 to serve as a resource for giraffe caregivers worldwide.

“We have hosted giraffe care workshops all over the U.S. and virtually with teams in other countries, but Bristol Zoo’s workshop was our first international in-person outreach,” said Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at The Giraffe Center. “It’s really helpful for us to work hands-on with teams and their giraffe herds in their facilities. Our training and care teachings share a common foundation, but we can understand their challenges and obstacles better when we experience them, which means we’re better able to customize their training.”

Through their combined decades in the giraffe care field, The Giraffe Center team had previous working relationships with a Bristol Zoo giraffe keeper, who managed logistics for the workshop in England so The Giraffe Center team could focus on the 4-day workshop curriculum. Attendees included Bristol Zoo’s giraffe care team and British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Giraffe Focus Group members. The workshop included lecture-style presentations, group discussions, role-playing and actual practice focused on giraffe nutrition, natural behaviors, hoof anatomy and care, and positive reinforcement training.

“Just like when we’re training animals, we use small approximations to move through training steps with our workshop attendees,” said Diana Miller, giraffe specialist at The Giraffe Center. “Before we start training with the giraffe, we practice hands-on with humans, so we’re presenting the best polished training to the giraffe. Instead of realizing questions you need to ask while you’re working with a giraffe, you can recognize what you don’t know while you’re practicing with a human.”

Practicing hoof care on humans isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Attendees move through the motions they will present to giraffe, with Schilz and Miller guiding them. They role play where they’ll stand, where the giraffe needs to stand, how they’ll hold their target stick and hoof trimming tools, how they’ll deliver verbal and physical cues, how they’ll access reinforcers – like crackers or carrots – and how quickly to reinforce the right behaviors. They also practice trimming hooves on cadaver hooves from reputable sources.

“The fact that Bristol Zoo invested in this workshop shows how dedicated their team is,” said Schilz. “When we started working with their giraffe, it was even more obvious how strong their relationships are with their keepers. The Bristol Zoo giraffe were comfortable, social and engaged, and that gives us a great foundation to build upon with new or different techniques.”

In positive reinforcement training, one of the first questions The Giraffe Center team asks themselves is, ‘what does the animal need to know in order to know something else?’ Because giraffe are often food motivated, the first thing they need to know is how to eat politely.

“Teaching a giraffe to eat and stay still while they’re eating is a prerequisite for blood draws, ultrasounds, hoof care and more voluntary behaviors,” said Miller. “It’s a lot harder than you think to teach that. You’re learning to communicate as a giraffe-caregiver team, and you’re finding a balance between maintaining their excitement for the reward food item and teaching them they can trust that we will deliver it when they stand still.”

The teams worked together to make progress on hoof care, stand-still behavior, target training and more. They also shared insight on giraffe nutrition and natural foraging behaviors, and other topics central to good giraffe welfare in human care.

The Giraffe Center team’s experience with their first overseas workshop further ignited their passion for giraffe care and for supporting the people who can truly make a difference in setting the standard for excellent giraffe care.

“In 2015, when we were starting training programs, we were focused on showing people what’s possible,” said Schilz. “Now, we’re really honing our teaching skills. We’re constantly pursuing education, connecting with other experts in our field and sharing what we’re learning, so we can be the best central resource for other giraffe organizations.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo made an investment in The Giraffe Center that gives all giraffe caregivers access to a dedicated team focused entirely on giraffe care and conservation.

“The more we host these workshops, the more we learn and share,” said Miller. “It’s all about creative collaboration. We take the same science and apply it differently depending on the animals, humans and environment they are in. That’s our goal for the Giraffe Center – to be a custom-built resource for other giraffe care teams.”

The Giraffe Center is booking workshops for giraffe care teams and giraffe enthusiasts globally. For more information, visit cmzoo.org/giraffecare.

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During the winter months, many Coloradans stay active by enjoying the state’s 300 days of sunshine or embracing the alpine lifestyle and hitting the slopes. For some nature enthusiasts, it can be hard to know where to start in the winter world of outdoor adventure. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s EdVenture team has just the program: Outdoor School!

Outdoor School is a year-round program that includes special winter-themed courses. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado say helping kids stay active, despite colder temperatures and shorter days, has countless mental and physical health benefits.

“As outdoor and environmental educators, we see first-hand the health benefits of spending time outside in nature,” said Russell Friedman, education specialist at CMZoo. “Learners of all ages can enjoy safe, natural settings at the Zoo and at spaces around our community as a way to boost their mental and physical health.”

Studies have shown that spending just 15 minutes outside each day can immensely improve a person’s mental state of mind and overall happiness. Outdoor School’s variety of programs can be both soothing and exciting.

“Whether we are hiking on our Zoo’s behind-the-scenes nature trail, learning about animals by spending time with them or meditating outside, we are providing ways for all our participants to practice healthy habits for mind and body,” Friedman said.

Each course is $24.75 and includes daytime admission to the Zoo that day. In January and February, Outdoor School programming includes nature-driven courses focusing on animals’ winter weather adaptations, animal tracking 101, mindfulness practices in nature and animal habitats for winter. Students learn through hands-on activities and unique nature-based experiences.

No matter the season, there are always fun opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and the EdVenture team at CMZoo is committed to helping people discover those outlets. Cooler temperatures add to the experience, too.

“With each program, we emphasize the first principle of Leave No Trace, which is ‘Plan Ahead and Prepare’,” Friedman said. “We provide a checklist prior to each workshop so everyone is prepared for time outside, especially during the winter season. We also constantly move throughout the Zoo, so our bodies are staying active and warm. When necessary, we will take learning breaks in many of the Zoo’s heated indoor animal habitats to help connect participants to wild places and our wildlife.”

New Outdoor School programs are added to the schedule throughout the year, so consider letting CMZoo’s EdVenture team help your family members take safe steps into nature in a variety of ways. See current programming and register at cmzoo.org/outdoorschool.

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