If you’re a carousel enthusiast, make plans now to merry-go-round at the Zoo one more time before the end of the year. Our historic roundabout will soon be temporarily disassembled to make way for a new road through the Zoo!

“Although this has been a huge focus for all of us behind the scenes for a very long time, this will be the first visible signal that big changes are coming to the Zoo,” said Tracey Gazibara, executive vice president at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “We’re looking forward to our guests, members and donors being able to see the beginning of the progress we’ve been planning for the last few years.”

The carousel will be safely stored for at least a year, so a new road can be constructed just west of the current main road into the Zoo. The ultimate goal is to expand and improve animal habitats in African Rift Valley, create a new admissions plaza, and drastically reduce the amount of time pedestrians and vehicles share paths, but that’s not all.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’ll soon start work to:

  1. Advance animal care by improving existing animal exhibits, including plans to update and expand African Rift Valley and giraffe indoor spaces. The funds will also allow us to design new habitat for orangutans, but will not fund construction. The next animal-centric capital campaign will focus on construction costs for those habitats and play space.
  2. Improve animals’ fresh food security by growing the majority of needed lettuce and other high-demand produce at the Zoo. CMZoo’s horticulture team is already testing an on-site shipping container farm, made from a recycled shipping container, and will soon add another to continue testing. This plan also includes building a larger and more easily accessed hay barn.
  3. Expand the entry plaza with an updated look and feel. Guests and members will enjoy more space and beautiful mountain rustic aesthetics as they start their Zoo day.
  4. De-emphasize the main road’s impact on guest experiences by rerouting traffic. Imagine a more peaceful meander from the Zoo’s entrance up to Australia Walkabout. Cars visiting Shrine Road or Broadmoor Cloud Camp, above the Zoo, would enter the Zoo behind Water’s Edge: Africa, and cross pedestrian paths only briefly, instead of continuously sharing the main road with foot traffic.

We’ll keep you informed as these exciting projects take shape. For more information on how you can support the Zoo’s future, visit cmzoo.org/support.

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How Do the Grizzly Bears at CMZoo Spend the Winter? As our 17-year-old grizzly bears, Emmett and Digger, prepare for the winter, they will start living at a much slower pace.

We often associate bears with hibernation, but science has shown that many animals, like raccoons, skunks, and bears, survive the winter using torpor instead, which is a much lighter form of hibernation. True hibernators include animals like chipmunks, ground squirrels and woodchucks. Animals in true hibernation remain in a low-energy state through the entire winter, and waking up takes a lot of time and energy for these animals.

Instead of this deep hibernation, grizzly bears enter into torpor, where they fall into a deeper-than-normal sleep during their inactive moments of the day, which conserves energy. When in the torpor state, they will also experience decreased breathing, heart rates, lower metabolic rates and a slightly reduced temperature. Bears are still intermittently active during the winter months but are able to sleep more than 100 days at a time without passing waste, eating, or drinking.

But do all bears go into torpor?

While there is still lots of ongoing research being done on bears, biologists have found that torpor behaviors tend to depend on location, climate, food supply in the wild and the individual bear. Certain bears in warmer climates will only spend two or three weeks in torpor. If bears have a lack of food supply, they will come out more often to find food.

When Emmett and Digger’s wild grizzly bear cousins up in Montana head into winter, they “den up,” or build a den with natural materials that they sleep in most of the winter. Emmett and Digger have access to their outdoor day beds year-round but also like to create their own dens throughout their yard in the winter.

They even cuddle with each other!

Emmett and Digger move a little slower in the winter, but are still active and captivating. They will casually splash in their pond, play-wrestle, and slowly explore their habitat. Keepers reward the grizzly bears with special treats like salmon, other meats and fruits for participating in husbandry training and shifting.

Emmett and Digger can often be seen snuggling together, investigating enrichment items, and training with keepers throughout the whole winter season. Visit them in Rocky Mountain Wild.

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Before we know it, kids will be on school break for the holidays. Did you know you can register Pre-K through sixth graders for an enriching week at the Zoo, with our Winter Break Zoo Camp? Registration is open now!

Winter Break Zoo Camp is Mon., Dec. 26 through Fri., Dec. 30. Full-day camps, for first through sixth graders, go from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pre-K and Kindergarteners can enjoy half-day camps from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Campers can attend for one day or any combination of all five days. This year’s theme is Winter Around the World. Campers will learn how animals in different parts of the world experience winter, with hands-on winter animal-based activities and explorations at CMZoo. Every day the programming is different, so campers can pick a favorite theme and attend that day, or attend all five days and learn something new every time.

Check out the daily themes offered throughout Winter Break Camp 2022:

– Mon., Dec. 26 – Frosty Forest: Grab your blanket and pillow as we join alongside our local hibernating animals on a mission to sleep through winter.
– Tues., Dec. 27 – Snowy Safari: Start stocking up as we learn about which animals store food for their long winter months and how they keep their snacks safe.
– Wed., Dec. 28 – Icy Underground: Learn all about our underground friends and what changes they make to survive the winter!
– Thurs., Dec. 29 – Winter Waters: Dive into the world of winter water adaptations as we learn how aquatic animals thrive under the ice.
– Fri., Dec. 30 – Warm Walkabout: Investigate the differences between various warm weather regions and what those differences mean for the animals that live there.

Campers should sign up for the camp that reflects the grade they are currently enrolled in. Each day of camp includes hands-on experiences, up-close encounters, games and more! Register for the whole week, or just a few days. Space is limited and camps are subject to selling out. Don’t wait to register your young explorer for the best winter break ever!

Visit www.cmzoo.org/camp to learn more about our Winter Break Camps and to register your camper!

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It’s that magical time of year when many people search for the perfect holiday gifts for friends and family. Whether you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience or a truly unique stocking stuffer, these options are sure put a smile on every face on your list. Plus, when you purchase something from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, you know your funds are helping us continue our important work. As a nonprofit that doesn’t receive any tax support, we rely on admission, memberships, events and special programs like these to continue our work.

Animal Art Holiday Ornaments

The Loft animals and their keepers have been painting the perfect stocking stuffers or gifts for your holiday party gift exchange. These 3” x 3” canvases with twine hangers are one-of-a-kind, because they were painted by an animal ambassador! Skunks, parrots, reptiles and even Bean the sloth added their artistic touch to the ornaments by participating in voluntary training with their keepers. Some animals walk through paint and onto the canvasses, leaving their adorable footprints in a variety of flashy colors. Others slither through the paint and some even hold the paintbrushes themselves! These ornaments are only available for purchase in person in The Loft, now through the end of Electric Safari.

VIP Tours

If you really want to spoil someone, give them the adventure of a lifetime: a CMZoo VIP Tour! During this private tour, your group of up to five people will experience three behind-the-scenes animal encounters of your choosing, plus a meet-and-greet with one of our ambassador animals in The Loft and a super-sized giraffe feeding. You can help train our lion pride, get up-close with the grizzly bears, say hello to the hippos, or choose from our many other animal encounter options. Along the way, one of our experienced guides will tell you all about the Zoo, our animals and our conservation impacts around the world. When your tour ends, enjoy the rest of the day at the Zoo, because admission is included. Visit cmzoo.org/viptour to see our animal encounter options, to get all the details and to sign up.

CMZoo Annual Membership

How about a gift that keeps on giving all year long? Memberships can be purchased as gifts! CMZoo members can take advantage of free daytime admission (with advance ticket reservations), discounts on programs and merchandise, free members-only summer nights, free Electric Safari visits in the winter and more. Visit cmzoo.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information.

 

Tickets to Electric Moonlight and Electric Safari

Give the gift of memories made by purchasing tickets to a holiday special event at the Zoo, and be early to the gift-giving season! In December, we have options for an adults-only date night (there will be a lot more than milk and cookies on the menu) or a festive evening on the mountain with the entire family.

Electric Moonlight returns to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Thurs., Dec. 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This event is just for our 21-and-up guests, complete with holiday lights, live music and food and drink samples from local vendors, restaurants, distilleries and breweries (while supplies last). Plus, an elf told us that jolly old Saint Nicholas will be there to hear holiday wishes from the grown-ups! Tickets will be available at 8 a.m. on Mon., Nov. 7 at cmzoo.org/em.

Electric Safari starting Dec. 2, the Zoo opens its gates in the evenings where all ages can explore the Zoo and enjoy the wonder of 50 acres of twinkling lights, illuminated enormous inflatable animals, and more than 80 handmade light sculptures on display throughout the Zoo. Until Dec. 23, Santa Claus will be at Electric Safari to meet guests and listen to holiday wishes. This event is a magical way to get into the holiday spirit on the side of Cheyenne Mountain, where the views of the city lights below the Zoo can’t be beat. Electric Safari runs Dec. 2-4, 9-23, 25 – Jan. 1, 2023 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. CMZoo members have access to early-entry by reserving tickets between 4 and 5 p.m. Electric Safari is free for members, but everyone needs to reserve an advance timed ticket. Tickets will be available at 8 a.m. on Mon., Nov. 7 at cmzoo.org/electric.

Small group events and programs

These also make great gifts! See all of our options at cmzoo.org/events.

Animal Grams

Do you know someone who would love to open their front door to a skunk, tortoise, owl or otherwise? Surprise them with a CMZoo Animal Gram! Our EdVenture team will come to your home or workplace with a very special guest: an animal ambassador from The Loft or My Big Backyard. Each Animal Gram includes a 5- to 10-minute visit from an animal and staff, an animal art piece and photo opportunity. Get all of the information at cmzoo.org/grams.

 

Adopt an Animal

Lions, tigers, and bears – oh my! Gift a hippo, giraffe, moose or another animal of your choosing that we’ll mail to you or a loved one. Depending on the level of adoption package you choose, it could include a plush animal toy! All of our adoption packages include a certificate of adoption, an animal fact sheet and a photo of the animal at CMZoo. Each adoption directly supports the care of all our animals. You can find our array of adoption packages at www.cmzoo.org/adopt.

 

Water’s Edge: Africa – Tile Program – Coming Soon!

Our super-popular tile program is coming back! Have your name, a loved one’s name, or a short message engraved on a tile on our new Community Tile Wall, to be located in Water’s Edge: Africa. You can visit your tile every time you come to the Zoo and your donation will directly contribute to the care of our animals. Tile purchases will be available in November. Learn more at cmzoo.org/tiles.

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Next time you’re exploring downtown Colorado Springs near the brand-new playground in Acacia Park, look down! You’ll see Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s logo on a storm drain cover on the southwest corner of E. Platte Ave. and N. Tejon St.

The CMZoo-branded drain cover is neat, but what’s underneath is the real interest: a special filter that catches debris. CMZoo members funded the installation of three drain filters that will each prevent around 20 pounds of waste from getting to Fountain Creek per month. There’s one member-funded filter underneath the CMZoo-branded manhole and two others around the city.

In March, CMZoo members voted in the annual Member Conservation Vote to support this effort for $10,873, which funded three drain filters that are already hard at work protecting our city’s waterways and the wildlife that depends on them.

“The mesh nets catch litter and debris that washes into the drains from the street, and the City cleans them out every six weeks or so,” said Nicole Chaney, CMZoo conservation and sustainability coordinator. “We’re playing part of a much larger effort led by the City, and our three filters alone will capture around 720 pounds of pollution per year before it reaches Fountain Creek. Imagine the impact we will make combined with the rest of the filters the City and other partners are installing. We’re protecting our local ecosystems from multiple tons of waste negatively impacting them, and our Zoo members should be proud.”

To help keep trash and debris from washing into Fountain Creek, the City of Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise Department partnered with Frog Creek Partners and launched a program piloting this special storm drain filtration device, called the Gutter Bin, in July 2019. This pilot study was a success, and in August 2020, the City purchased six more Gutter Bins. Since then, with support from community partners like CMZoo, the City continues to install the drain filters around town. There are currently 31 filters in place.

“Our members voted this the number one project they wanted to support this year,” said Chaney. “We’re thrilled they want to prioritize local water conservation work, and that we live in a city that makes these opportunities possible for us.”

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Pumpkin SMASH! It’s that time of year again! Not only are pumpkins a tasty treat, they also serve as exciting enrichment for a number of animals at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. As you can see, each animal has a different approach to ripping into a pumpkin. The hippos like to crunch the pumpkins with their powerful jaws while the skunks like to ‘go all in’ and tear pieces apart with their tiny claws and teeth. The elephants use their strong trunks to squeeze the pumpkin open before delicately directing the gourd to their mouth. The behavior of our mountain lions is probably similar to your cat at home! They bat at the pumpkins and use their sharp claws and rough tongues to retrieve the meat their keepers hid inside.

Enrichment opportunities like this are important for the bodies and brains of our animals, because it’s good for our animals to problem solve. Enrichment is good for both animals and humans! As the holidays approach, it can be hard for us humans to eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, and lower stress. Our partners, Children’s Hospital Colorado, have provided some great tips for eating well, navigating holiday travel and having happy, healthy holidays this year: https://www.childrenscolorado.org/conditions-and-advice/parenting/parenting-articles/happy-healthy-holidays/.

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Join us for an update on our 1-week-old giraffe calf! In case you haven’t heard, 10-year-old Bailey had her second baby on Wed., Oct. 19 at 10:49 a.m. The calf is a girl and is already showing us that she is strong, brave, and very curious in the way that she interacts with her mom and her keepers. The calf is not afraid to ‘trot’ around her enclosures and explore everything, including her water bowl, while also staying close to Bailey. The calf is gradually meeting other members of the herd and appears to be very comfortable with her new friends. This cutie can be seen by guests in the giraffe barn and sometimes outside in our smaller yards with Bailey.

Thank you so much for playing our guessing game with the calf’s birth date and time! Our closest guess was for Oct. 19 at 10:47 am., just two minutes from her birth time! The winner has been notified. Thank you for following along with our herd and supporting Bailey and her second calf! We’ll keep you posted as this little one grows up with us.

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Over the summer, you may have seen our ZOOMobile out in the community as we traveled across the state visiting various events! Did you know we can bring the Zoo to your birthday party, event, school class or group meeting?

Booths and birthday parties are offered throughout the year, but with the school year starting up, it is time to think about another popular ZOOMobile program: classroom visits! From kindergarten to 12th grade, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s EdVenture team offers engaging, age-appropriate programming for students of all ages!

Each classroom program includes 30 to 45 minutes with Zoo staff, interactive activities that reinforce the program content, and two to three animal encounters that also relate to the program material.

If an in-person program isn’t an option for your classroom, check out our virtual tours and programs! They can still provide a valuable up-close experience for students that allows them to receive answers to their questions in real time.

Additionally, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has scholarships available for schools and groups that may need financial assistance.

These classes and more can be found at cmzoo.org/zoom, where you can find more information on program themes, pricing, scholarship applications and booking. We recommend getting the request form in at least two weeks prior to your preferred program date, but dates book up fast, so get your request in today!

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It’s time to check in on our mountain tapir, Cofan, as he lives out his golden years! In early 2021, Cofan underwent a life-saving surgery to remove his damaged left kidney. Since then, Cofan’s keepers have worked closely with him and given him extra love and scratches, which are his favorite rewards. Giving Cofan scratches puts him into a ‘tapir trance,’ allowing his care team to collect voluntary blood draws without any sedation. His post-surgery blood draw results have been encouraging and are a great way to keep tabs on his overall health.

Mountain tapir are very rare. Only six live in human care in the United States. Even though tapir look similar to anteaters or bears, they are actually closely related to rhinos and horses. Because tapir are so rare, but have the commonalities of horses, Cofan’s medical team refers to equine medicine and their own experience with tapir to give nearly 19-year-old Cofan the best care as he ages.

As Cofan gets older, enrichment is important for his health and quality of life in his golden years. Cofan loves eating lettuce, apples and fresh leaves from branches. Keepers will hang snacks from trees and bushes to encourage Cofan to problem solve and use his incredible nose. When he is not actively participating in enrichment, Cofan can often be found taking naps by his waterfall.

Mountain tapir, from the Andes Mountains in Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru, are one of four species of tapir. Due to habitat loss, mountain tapir are endangered with approximately 2,500 left in the wild. CMZoo staff, thanks to support from Zoo members in our annual Member Conservation Vote, work diligently to save mountain tapir and their habitats south of the equator.

Easy-to-love Cofan helps his species by teaching us more about how to care for mountain tapir, and by inspiring countless visitors to learn about and protect wild tapir. You can visit Cofan living out his golden years across the road from Encounter Africa.

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International African Penguin Awareness Day (IAPAD) is Sat., Oct. 8, and we have an exciting day of activities planned on the beaches of Water’s Edge: Africa to help raise awareness for African penguin conservation.

Although African penguin populations continue to struggle in the wild, strides have been made to save this endangered species, and you can help them simply by coming to the Zoo. One of the ways we support African penguins in the wild is by supporting our conservation partner, Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB). SANCCOB rescues, rehabilitates, rears chicks, conducts important research, and educates the public. Join us on Sat., Oct. 8, starting at 9 a.m. to celebrate and learn more about SANCCOB and African penguins.

Check out some of the fun activities we have planned!
— Attendees get a free wristband that matches the name band of a penguin in our flock.
— Post a photo from the onsite photo station and win prizes!
— 9:30 a.m. – penguin feeding and keeper talk
— 9 to 10:45 a.m. – sign up for our rubber ducky race.
— 11 a.m. – rubber ducky race, with prizes – including a penguin encounter!
— 3:15 p.m. – penguin feeding and keeper talk – including recognition of winning game participants!

This event and all activities are included in the price of your daytime admission to CMZoo. Please note: advance tickets to the Zoo are required for members and the general public, and some days may sell out. Get tickets at cmzoo.org/visit.

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