The Waterhole Archives - Page 27 of 40

Since Goma, our 29-year-old silverback Western lowland gorilla, came to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2016, Primate World keepers have worked to socialize him with the four female gorillas who live at the Zoo. Each of the ladies has her own personality, which means Goma – who came to CMZoo without much experience living in a cohesive troop – has his work cut out for him.

Roxie, 44, is playful and outgoing. Juju, 40, is direct and likes to push boundaries. Asha, 28, is the peacekeeper and has developed the best relationship with Goma, so far. Kwisha, 27, is confident and can have unpredictable moods. Thanks to the Primate World animal care team’s commitment and expertise with gorillas, the troop is making great progress.

Currently, Goma prefers to spend the night in his own area, but they come together for socialization most mornings. A cohesive gorilla troop will spend most of its time relaxing and foraging. So before socializations, their care team prepares their spaces with ample food and enrichment. Just like with humans, if there’s nothing to do during a potentially tense situation, things can get uncomfortable quickly.

“The last two and a half years, they had access to multiple indoor spaces and the yard during socializations,” said Dina Bredahl, senior lead keeper in Primate World. “But, this summer, we’ve seen them adjusting well to having just the outside space and one indoor space for a short time. That might not seem like a big deal, but seeing that they’re comfortable in close proximity means they’re developing communication skills and trusting relationships.”

Cooler temperatures mean big changes for the gorillas, because they won’t want to spend as much time outside for socializations. Recently, the keepers gave the gorillas the opportunity to try a new socialization setup indoors.

To avoid surprising Goma with the new scenario, keepers communicated with him and the females that this time was different.

“The first time we started the socialization indoors, there was an element of surprise because it was new,” said Amy Tuchman, Primate World keeper. “But, Goma caught on right away. The second day we did it, he was watching us and already knew what was about to happen. When the girls came in, he went to check them out and then went back to eating. It was great to see him really relaxed.

“Now, instead of asking them to go outside to see each other first thing in the morning, intros can happen comfortably indoors,” said Tuchman. “We wait for Goma to settle into the large indoor space, and then we open doors for the girls to join him in there.”

Preparing for days the gorillas won’t want to go outside because of the cold will be vital in setting the gorillas up for continued development as a cohesive troop. The gorillas are consistently showing their keepers they are ready for the next step.

“It used to be more tense with all five of the gorillas inside,” said Tuchman. “They weren’t necessarily aggressive, but they were watching each other and weren’t totally relaxed. Now, on most days, they have found a really good balance. Goma will still display sometimes, but now it seems like they’re communicating more effectively.”

When nearly-500-pound Goma displays, he usually sprints a short distance on all fours, sometimes throws an object or shoves a log, and then poses in a dominant stance with his chest pronounced. Silverbacks display for a multitude of reasons, including establishing dominance, protecting themselves or their troop from perceived threats, disrupting interactions between troop members, or changing a situation that makes them uncomfortable.

“Displaying isn’t always a bad thing, but Goma is still learning how to lead the troop,” said Tuchman. “If he displays to a point that makes the females uncomfortable, they might tell him, ‘That was too intense.’ The girls can be more reactive when communicating those boundaries with Goma. They’ll usually vocalize, band together, and chase Goma into another room. He has the right to tell them what to do and where to go, but he has to do it appropriately. He’s learned so much. I’m really proud of him.”

There are many factors the Primate World team considers when creating the best possible environment for gorilla socializations, including weather, relationships within the troop and the health of the individuals. If a member of the troop is ill, socializations are usually put on hold.

Last year, the troop’s resilience was tested when Roxie had a health scare. While she was treated and recovering, she was separated from the group. That could have been detrimental to the overall well-being of the group, but it wasn’t. Thankfully, Roxie’s health has been stable the last several months.

“Roxie is doing amazing,” said Bredahl. “It’s been years since she’s gone this long without an episode. When she’s been with Goma consistently, it seems like she does better! That could just be a coincidence, but it’s something I’ve noticed. She’s been on a new diet to help her gain weight and it could be coincidental that she’s feeling better, but she recently seems so happy and energetic. She’s running around with the girls and being her playful self. When she’s feeling good and sees us setting up to train with her, she gets excited and hugs herself. She has this awesome energy and kind of shimmies while she’s sitting down. It’s really fun to see.”

Roxie’s energy impacts Goma, too. Keepers have seen her scooting closer and closer to Goma until he tells her she’s too close. But outgoing Roxie keeps trying.

“When she’s getting into his personal space too much, he might stand up and purse his lips, or he’ll just give her a look,” said Bredahl. “She usually doesn’t listen at first, but he’s patient with her. She’s funny.”

Juju recently had a few days when she didn’t seem to be feeling well. She was lethargic and lost her appetite. Juju is normally physically fit and active, so when she doesn’t feel well, her keepers notice right away. After a few days of rest and monitoring, she returned to feeling well and socializations could continue. These situations and others are closely monitored by keeper and veterinary staff. Although they sometimes pause integrating the troop, CMZoo’s gorillas have overcome these challenges with flying colors.

“Over the winter months, we’re going to work hard to support their continued progress, whatever situations may arise,” said Bredahl. “We do a lot of looking back at what has worked, but it’s like our animal behavior manager, Rick, said, ‘These are different gorillas than we had last winter. They have different relationships and new skills, so we need to keep adjusting how we set them up for success.’ What was helpful last winter might not work this winter. We’re committed to helping Goma be successful as a member of this troop, and given what we’ve seen over the summer, we’re optimistic about what we can maintain for now and support even further over next spring and summer.”

Back to The Waterhole

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s EdVenture Department is looking for creative ways to support our community with familiar favorites and some amazing new programs during these unusual times. From homeschoolers and scout groups, to 21-and-up evening tours and more, CMZoo’s EdVenture team is sure they have an exciting program for you, no matter your age.

Hands On Homeschool is a new supplemental homeschool program offered for kindergarteners through fifth graders, whether they’ve been homeschooling for a long time or are new to the format. The curriculum focuses on Colorado Department of Education school science standards through inquiry-based, hands-on exploration, and investigation of wild animals and wild places. If you are hoping to drop the kids off for the day, we can also schedule private “camp” days for groups of five or more kindergarteners through sixth graders.

Saturdays for Scouts is a program dedicated to helping Scout groups gain skills, knowledge, and up-close experiences to help earn badges, all while exploring CMZoo on a Saturday. Troops are responsible for signing off on badges, but Zoo educators can help provide the resources and know-how to supplement the experience. Another favorite in the Scout community is evening tours of the Zoo! Starlight Safaris are a great way to learn about wildlife, meet animal ambassadors and spend time together safely as a troop.

These are just two of several programs available, detailed at cmzoo.org/events. If an existing program date doesn’t fit your schedule, or you would rather create your own group, the EdVenture team can work with you. Almost every program can be customized and scheduled for private groups. Want to plan a girls’ night out? We can do that! Looking for a place to send a group of kids for a day? We can do that, too!

If you find a program that you want to participate in, but would rather schedule it as a private event, just email [email protected], and we can help create an activity suited to your individual needs.

Back to The Waterhole

Winter is a season of opportunity for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Pallas’ cats, 3-year-old female, Nancy, and 3-year-old male, Bo. The two Asian Highlands residents are often referred to as the original grumpy cats because of their intense stares, furrowed brows and downturned mouths. Their unique ears sit on the sides of their fluffy round faces, which could also give the impression they’re holding their ears back – a behavior sometimes associated with irritation with other cats. But, their appearances don’t actually mean they are grumpy!

Nancy weighs just seven pounds and Bo tips the scales at 10 pounds. Don’t let their small size and adorable fluffiness fool you. The petite Pallas’ cat commands respect. They’re mesopredators, which means they prey on smaller mammals and are preyed upon by larger predators. That middle-of-the-food-chain status requires them to be skilled hunters and defenders.

Pallas’ cats are native to central Asia’s cooler climates at elevations up to about 15,000 feet above sea level. They share these habitats with snow leopards, the swift and powerful apex predator of the Himalayas. Pallas’ cats are classified as ‘near threatened’ and snow leopards are classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. Because they share habitat with snow leopards, which are threatened in part due to habitat loss, Pallas’ cats are also at risk for declining populations.

“Part of the Pallas’ cats’ defense is how elusive they are,” said Basia Dann, Asian Highlands keeper. “Their innate wariness makes them difficult to study in the wild, which can hinder conservation opportunities.”

Pallas’ cats in human care could one day contribute to a dwindling species in the wild. CMZoo supports Species Survival Plans (SSPs) managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which focus on species whose populations are either decreasing in the wild or whose assurance populations in human care need genetic diversity and growth, like Pallas’ cats. Based on SSP breeding recommendations for matching the most genetically diverse animals, and based on the animals’ interactions with each other, animal care teams work to provide environments that give CMZoo animal ambassadors the choice to breed and contribute to the future of their species.

CMZoo’s Asian Highlands team hopes to contribute to Pallas’ cats’ assurance population by supporting Bo and Nancy’s breeding recommendation. Bo came to CMZoo with his brother, Tate, in December 2017. Nancy joined Bo on a breeding recommendation in March 2018, when Tate moved to another AZA-accredited organization. Bo and Nancy were introduced about a month after she arrived. They were immediately comfortable together and have been seen breeding in the past. But, successful Pallas’ cat breeding requires a lot more than congeniality.

Changing seasons impact us all. For Pallas’ cats, they set in motion a whirlwind of important annual hormonal changes.

“Their opportunity to breed successfully typically takes place from December to March,” said Dann. “Female Pallas’ cats are usually only fertile for a maximum of 46 hours per year, which is really short compared to other cats and animals. We work with them all year long to give them the best chances at breeding when the very limited time is right.”

Leading up to winter solstice, when days slowly begin to get longer, Asian Highlands keepers work to make Bo and Nancy’s environment as natural and undisturbed as possible. Estrus, the short period of time that the female is receptive to male breeding, is typically triggered by lengthening days. If breeding occurs but isn’t successful, female Pallas’ cats have been known to go into estrus once more in the same season. But it would be a month later, only if still within the December-to-March timeline.

Voluntary husbandry training is a year-round focus for the keepers and cats. Keepers are continually thinking about what’s next. Part of the reason for building a trusting relationship with Nancy is in preparation for kittens. If the pair is successful, kittens could be here as soon as March. With that short timeline in mind, keepers need Nancy to trust them before she’s pregnant, in case she or any kittens need medical intervention. Pallas’ cat gestation is only 66 to 76 days, so potential kittens would likely be born before Nancy even shows signs she’s pregnant.

Pallas’ cats typically have two to five kittens per litter. This would be Nancy’s and Bo’s first adventure with parenting. Other than breeding, Pallas’ cats are typically solitary in the wild, and fathers don’t usually play a role in raising kittens.

Be sure to stop by Asian Highlands next time you’re at the Zoo to visit Bo and Nancy!

Back to The Waterhole

The female Siamang born on Labor Day in Primate World to parents, Eve and Wayan, is growing well and will soon get a name! Our partner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, partnered with us to invite the public to vote on four names chosen by the baby’s keepers.

The public can vote on her name through Sunday, Nov. 1, at cmzoo.org/baby.

The names on the list, chosen by the keepers are:

Binti, which is Indonesian for “daughter”
Rahsia (RAH’-see-uh), which is Malay for “secret,” since she was a surprise baby
Rosie, after Rosie the Riveter, since the baby was born on Labor Day
Naomi, the real name of the woman who became known as Rosie the Riveter

Although the baby was a surprise, she and her family are bonding and growing together as expected. As firs-time parents, Eve and Wayan follow their instincts to support their baby’s needs. Children’s Hospital Colorado compiled a list of 10 common questions first-time human parents might have.

“Not a whole lot has changed since she was born, other than she gets more and more adorable,” said Eleanor Knox, Primate World keeper and Eve’s primary trainer. “She’s still staying on mom a lot, but we’re starting to see her reach out to touch things. She seems pretty curious so far. She’ll touch my finger just a little bit when Eve comes over to see me. That’s super cute.”

Nine-year old Eve and 12-year-old Wayan are first-time parents, but have picked up parenting without skipping a beat. For about the first week, Eve would hold the baby in one arm and swing around with the other. Since then, the baby has shown Eve that she’s strong and can hang on tight – even when Eve climbs high up into the corners of her outdoor space – so Eve can use both arms to swing with confidence.

“Eve is really confident with the baby now,” said Knox. “That’s great to see because it means the baby appears to be strong and that Eve is comfortable with her. Eve has been really good with us keepers, too. She’s been coming over to us with the baby and letting us get close looks at the little one to see if she’s okay. We have a close relationship with Eve, so she’s been really good about letting us touch the baby, too, just very lightly while she hangs on to mom. That’s going to be important in developing our relationship with the baby, which will allow us to start working on voluntary behaviors that help her participate in her own care when the time comes.”

The baby will continue to nurse for up to two years, but could start tasting solid foods around three months. Her interest in solid foods helps solidify her relationship with keepers, as they can reinforce her behaviors and show her that it’s a positive thing to interact with them.

“We’re already starting working on training, but it’s a slow process,” said Knox. “We’ve started touching her a little if Eve brings her close enough to the mesh and is comfortable, so baby can get used to interacting with us. The next step will be getting her really comfortable taking food from keepers, so we can reward her. In terms of a specific trained behavior, we could start with practicing for an injection. The little guys need injections pretty early, so we start working on that relationship and behavior as soon as possible.”

Many of the primates in Primate World are trained for voluntary injections, including 2-year-old Kera, a Sumatran orangutan born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Their experience training for this behavior with other primates will benefit this little one, too.

“We ask them to present their hips and start with a touch with our fingers,” said Knox. “Once they’re comfortable with that, we’ll touch them with something else, like a pencil, so they are comfortable with receiving the touch from an object instead of our hands. We usually introduce a syringe without a needle, next then a syringe with a dull needle, and finally a normal needle and syringe. It takes time and we want to make sure she’s really comfortable with every step before her first injection.”

Siamangs receive tetanus and rabies vaccines, typically. The training is helpful in case her care team needs to intervene with injectable medications to address any unforeseen medical concerns.

Wayan, the baby’s dad and the last Siamang born at CMZoo before his baby girl, is also bonding with the baby and maintaining his great relationship with Eve.

“She could start moving off of mom as early as five or six months old,” said Knox. “After that happens, the dads will usually play a bigger role in carrying the baby and playing, with mom’s permission. That timeline can really vary, though, especially with a first-time mom. For now, Wayan is grooming the baby while Eve holds her. Grooming and rest time is pretty adorable. Eve will lie down with her head in Wayan’s lap and the baby on her chest and he grooms the both of them while mom has a moment to relax. He’s been great. He sticks pretty close to them, but is respectful of Eve when she shows him she’d like a little space, too.”

Having adjusted to family life so well, the Siamangs’ new neighbors, white-cheeked gibbons Debbie and Tanh-Linh who moved to Primate World from Monkey Pavilion, have been their latest focus.

“Eve is really curious about them,” said Knox. “They can see each other from their yards and through the windows between them in their indoor exhibits. Wayan is cautious, which is just his personality. The gibbons are settling in well, and are really used to having neighbors from their previous home in Monkey Pavilion.”

Several CMZoo fans have given the family new things to be curious about, too. As part of the naming vote, people can send the family gifts from a registry listed at cmzoo.org/baby. Keepers and the animals have been excited for the support.

“We’re super excited and thankful that we’ve been receiving items from the baby registry,” said Knox. “We have received food, blankets and swings, which Eve really seems to enjoy. We see her hanging out on the swing with the baby pretty often. We were lucky to get three of the saucer swings, so we have placed one inside and one outside for the Siamangs and shared one with the white-cheeked gibbons.”

Baby, Eve and Wayan are often visible to guests, but as they continue to bond, they might choose to spend quiet time in their back den. Visitors can say hello to the new family in Primate World. CMZoo will announce the baby’s name on social media channels after voting has closed on Nov. 1.

Back to The Waterhole

As you may know, 8-year-old reticulated giraffe, Bailey, gave birth on Sept. 28, 2020, to a healthy female giraffe calf, who we named BB on her one-month birthday! Join African Rift Valley Senior Lead Keeper, Amy, for a recap of the littlest herd member’s first month of progress.

You can watch BB, Bailey and the rest of the 17-member giraffe herd on our two outdoor yard cameras, live daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. MT, on the Zoo’s YouTube channel at or on the giraffe cam page on our website at http://cmzoo.org/giraffecam.

WATCH THE VIDEO PLAYLIST ON YOUTUBE

Join Digger and Emmett, CMZoo’s two 15-year-old male grizzly bears, and Rocky Mountain Wild Keepers, Sarah and Kristen, to get up close with the bears and learn about hibernation and torpor. Cooler temperatures mean the boys are preparing for winter, when they go into a slight stage of torpor and generally slow down a bit.

Their keepers say the seasonal change doesn’t impact Digger and Emmett as much as it affects their wild relatives, because our boys have year-round access to food sources.

Three pink-backed pelicans, Pluto, Penelope and Pandora, joined Water’s Edge: Africa at the beginning of October, and they’re settling in well sharing space with our flock of African penguins and guests!

Water’s Edge Keeper, Grace, tells us about the pelicans as we get up close with these big-beaked birds and say hello to the penguins. Pandora, who is with us temporarily while her new exhibit at another Associations of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facility, and Penelope start the video on the guest sidewalk and then take a dip in the lower outdoor pool. Plato shows off his impressive fish-catching skills from the inside beach.

Next time you’re at CMZoo, swing by Water’s Edge: Africa, our new home for hippos, penguins, pelicans, warthogs, lemurs, guinea pigs and guineafowl, to say hello!

International African Penguin Awareness Day is October 10, and the African penguin keepers at Water’s Edge: Africa have a special social media celebration in the works. On our Facebook and YouTube channels, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will share a video about our flock of 16 African penguins, who serve as animal ambassadors for their wild counterparts.

“Our flock does an incredible job helping our guests form lasting connections with them and their species,” said Mandy Hester, keeper in Water’s Edge. “The exhibit really sets them up by removing as many physical barriers as possible.”

The flock is getting even more confident sharing space with our guests. Penguin beach, at Water’s Edge, is designed so penguins can walk right up to guests. Hester says the best way for guests to get that experience is to be in the right place at the right time, and to remember that penguins investigate things with their beaks – since they don’t have hands to feel things with.

“We’re encouraging guests to let the penguins approach them instead of approaching the penguins, and to avoid kneeling down – as tempting as that is to get face-to-face,” said Hester. “The penguins like shiny things and anything they can feel with their beaks, so keepers on the beach will sometimes give toys to guests that they can offer to the penguins. It’s been really fun watching these little guys make our guests fall in love with them.”

When guests enter penguin beach while the penguins are outside, a keeper is present to help guests learn how to best interact with them. Making sure penguins have space and have the opportunity to approach guests, we’ve seen that they most often will.

“When they waddle down on the path together, they’re so funny and curious,” said Hester. “If there’s a moth or something flying around, they’ll get really interested in that and follow it around for a while and then they lose interest and move on to something else.”

Keepers provide all kinds of enrichment to keep them stimulated, like wind chimes that shimmer. One guest that bought a bubble maker in our gift shop was playing with it on the path and the penguins loved it, so keepers bought some bubbles for them. That’s another favorite form of enrichment for the flock.

The penguins also like to investigate what treasures guests might have. They like to dig around in the underneath cargo areas of strollers if guests are comfortable with that and there’s nothing dangerous for them.

“Things that babies like, penguins like,” said Hester. “A stroller or diaper bag is a treasure trove. The guests who have interacted with them on penguin beach have formed those meaningful relationships with our penguins that we work so hard to foster. We’ve also seen them standing in line to the limited-capacity indoor penguin building with guests, which is just adorable.”

As well as bonding with guests and their keepers, they’re bonding with each other.

“We have a couple of breeding recommendations in our flock,” said Hester. “One is a pair that most recently joined the flock, but have successfully had chicks before. Ichaboe [ick’-a-boh], a 15-year-old male is one of my favorites. He’s huge. He was the largest chick on record when he was born at his previous facility. When penguins first arrive at CMZoo, they have to earn the respect of the flock. The flock members would try to push him into the pool, but he is so big and solid, he’d just stand there and they couldn’t move him. His mate is Spheniscus [sphah-nesk-us], a 14-year-old female. They’re both really confident. They are already bonded, so we have high hopes for them bringing another chick to the world.”

African penguins are endangered, so zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums work to maintain the species’ viability through a Species Survival Plan, which matches penguins to breed based on genetics. That doesn’t always mean the individuals – whether they’re recommended to breed or not – are always interested in their selected mates.

“Captain is recommended with Percy, Pearl or Roxy, but he’s bonded with Darby,” said Hester. “Biggs and Roxy were bonded and lived together before moving here, but they are not recommended for breeding. While Roxy was back in Toledo, finishing her yearly molt, Biggs came to CMZoo and bonded with Percy, but they are not recommended either. When Roxy arrived, Biggs and she bonded again, but Biggs was already bonding with Percy, so we saw Biggs spending time in both Percy and Roxy’s nest boxes. Then Biggs picked Percy, and Roxy bonded with Rico. Rico used to be bonded with Napoleon, but they lost interest in each other and now Napoleon likes Pearl, but Pearl doesn’t seem to feel the same way. Rufaro, who came with his parents, Safara and Alex, and his brother, Rudo, has bonded with Pamona, who came by herself. We track all of this, but don’t expect everyone to keep up. It’s like a reality TV show.”

There are no scheduled times that the penguins explore the areas they can share with guests, so it’s a special experience that occurs several times a day. Next time you’re at CMZoo, swing by and say hello to our penguin flock at Water’s Edge: Africa.

Back to The Waterhole

Most people who have been to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have seen our African lions majestically gazing out over Colorado Springs from atop Pride Rock, or hanging out on the perches and heated floors in their Relaxation Room. Abuto, CMZoo’s 9-year-old African lion pride patriarch, is an amazing ambassador for his species, having formed countless connections with our guests and members.

Abuto came to CMZoo in 2013, around the same time African Rift Valley lead keeper, Amy Schilz, came to the Zoo.

“We’ve been working together since he was a year old,” said Schilz. “Right away we started working on behaviors and training that still help us take great care of him as he deals with ongoing health issues.”

About four years ago, he started showing signs of illness. He is usually really energetic and can be seen roaring, running around and enthusiastically participating in training and enrichment. At around five years old, he started having ‘off days,’ when he seemed lethargic, which led his team to investigate what was going on.

At the time, Abuto participated in a voluntary blood draw that revealed he was in the beginning stages of kidney disease. While investigating further, Abuto’s team also discovered he has high blood pressure.

We’ve been monitoring Abuto’s issues closely and managing them with medications and diet. Abuto’s father had a rare form of kidney disease that can be hereditary. Chronic kidney disease is unfortunately prevalent in big cats. The disease is progressive and can’t be cured, so his team manages Abuto’s symptoms with diet, medications and fluids to keep him comfortable.

His symptoms subsided for a while, but over the last few months, Abuto has started to show the same signs as before that he is having an ‘off day’ here and there, and maybe isn’t feeling well. CMZoo’s veterinary team and Abuto’s care team in African Rift Valley has been performing frequent voluntary blood draws and blood pressure tests with Abuto to see what’s preventing him from feeling his best.

“We are seeing some of his kidney values climbing higher, which is unfortunate,” said Schilz. “We’re doing the best we can for Abuto, but kidney disease is something that affects big cats and domestic cats often. We’re monitoring him closely, because the levels are higher than they have been in the past, and we want to do everything we can to prevent them from increasing further.”

Abuto’s blood tests have shown the progression of his disease over the years, most recently indicating a significant jump in levels. His team is working to adjust his treatments with hopes they can manage his symptoms in this next stage of the disease.

Abuto is the total package, from his gorgeous mane, to his impressive roars and his incredible intelligence. He, like most CMZoo animals, participates in voluntary training that allows his keepers to provide top-notch care for the 500-pound feline.

“He’s so smart,” said Schilz. “You can tell he likes participating in training. He gets really excited and runs over to train. He knows how to show us his mouth and teeth, so we can check on his dental health. He’ll also flop down on his side and show us his paws when we ask, so we can make sure he doesn’t have any cracks in his pads and his nails are a healthy length. He also voluntarily participates in blood draw training and blood pressure checks, so we can keep tabs on those long-term health issues he’s facing.”

How do you draw blood from a 500-pound lion? By asking him.

Abuto is trained to present his tail through a specially designed blood draw panel at the base of a training area by the Relaxation Room. During this training, his keepers open an access door for Abuto and leave it open, so he can choose to leave if he wants to. From the other side of the panel, Schilz, his primary trainer, asks him to enter the space and then cues him to adjust his body so his tail fits through the port. Abuto runs into the space and positions himself quickly, knowing he’s going to be engaging with Schilz and getting lots of rewards: tasty meatballs. Schilz sits on the other side of a protective barrier to Abuto’s left, while African Rift Valley keeper, Kayla Ringuette, and CMZoo veterinary technician, Brenda Cordova, sit behind fencing near his tail at the blood draw panel. They provide verbal cues, like, “touch” and “poke,” to let Abuto know they’re going to touch his tail and then draw blood. Abuto does the same behaviors for blood pressure tests, when he also presents his tail for the team to attach a quick-release blood pressure cuff.

“Abuto is just the absolute best,” said Schilz. “When we first see him in the mornings, he’ll make ‘baby calls’ like coos and little moans to us. He’s so chatty. It’s like he’s telling us all about his night. We’ve been working together for so long that he recognizes my voice. If he hears me laugh, even from the bottom of the hill, he’ll run over to see me. He’s so special to me, the team, our whole staff and so many of our guests. We’re making sure he’s getting the best possible care, and we are hopeful we can address these issues as they progress, just as we have helped him in the past.”

Keepers are tracking quality-of-life markers for Abuto, as they do for any animal with ongoing health conditions. Abuto’s keepers are tracking whether he shows any symptoms or behavioral changes, including lethargy, presenting a droopy jaw, has squinty eyes, or holds his head low – which could indicate he’s not feeling well. They’re also tracking whether he chooses to participate in training or perks up for keepers as he normally would. Along with blood tests, the long-term data will help his team adjust his treatments and make any future decisions necessary.

“Abuto is really special to us and has a huge piece of our hearts, so when he gets sick, we want to do everything we can to make him feel better,” said Schilz. “He’s in great hands with our vet team and our keeper team, and we know all of his fans will continue sending him well wishes for a quick turnaround.”

We will keep you posted on Abuto’s ongoing issues. Guests can visit him in African Rift Valley.

Back to The Waterhole

Last year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo joined the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund (RMWAF) and other partners to collect signatures for a petition that successfully landed a proposition on this year’s general election ballot. Proposition #114 asks Colorado voters to decide if gray wolves, once native to the state, should be carefully reintroduced to the Western Slope. The plan, if approved, would be led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife with the support of other wolf and ecology experts.

“There are a lot of issues competing for voters’ attention this November,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs at CMZoo, who led the Zoo’s efforts to support RMWAF’s campaign to bring this issue to voters in 2020. “We have seen significant support from the public throughout this project, but voters should know this isn’t a done deal. We still need people to look out for Prop #114 on the ballot and give the experts involved a chance to restore this amazing species that is vital to our local ecosystem.”

Other than noting that Prop #114 is an issue worth voting on, there are important dates to keep in mind for this year’s election. Ballots will be mailed to Colorado voters October 9 and must be returned by November 3, 2020 – when polls open for in-person voting.

While Prop #114 is a complex and controversial question, for CMZoo it’s a simple question: do we want to live in a state with wolves in the ecosystem or not? For us, the answer is yes, no matter how hard we need to work to collaborate with all involved parties to address the valid concerns on every side of the question.

“This vote is the best chance we have had at restoring wolves to the wilds of Colorado in a very long time,” said Dr. Dadone. “For the Zoo and the 15,298 registered voters whose signatures we collected last fall, we feel obligated to see this through. The initiative outlines the reintroduction of gray wolves to include ongoing collaboration from all stakeholders, and a solid plan from Colorado Parks and Wildlife incorporating research-based findings.”

CMZoo is home to a pack of seven Mexican wolves and has a long history of working to restore and relocate species in the wild, including black-footed ferrets, Wyoming toads, Mexican wolves, giraffe in Uganda, amphibians in Panama, and more. As an organization that contributes to the survival of species around the world, we see this is an exciting opportunity for Colorado residents to help restore a species that once roamed free, right here at home.

CMZoo’s role in this issue is as trusted wolf experts and animal advocates. One way we want to help is by addressing common misconceptions about wolves, based on our extensive experiences with them.

While many are excited about the chance to see wolves in the wild, popular culture has positioned wolves as dangerous and aggressive villains that could lead others to feel unsafe around them. Unlike mountain lions and other predators found in wild and populated areas throughout Colorado, a wolf’s natural reaction to human presence is to retreat.

“When Rocky Mountain Wild keepers go into the expansive enclosure with CMZoo’s pack of Mexican wolves to clean and replenish food, water and enrichment items, the wolves typically get as far away from them as possible,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal care manager. “We see it all the time. Their natural instinct is to be wary of humans. Even with our wolves in human care, we like to see that instinctual behavior intact, because the hope for our wolves is that they or their offspring are one day restored to the wild to support their dwindling wild population.”

The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project reports that since 1900, there have been only two possible cases of a wolf-related human fatality in North America, and no cases in the lower 48 states.

This is a complex issue, and we recognize this restoration could create hardships for some people who live in the region where they would be reintroduced, especially for farmers and ranchers in the regions proposed for reintroduction. As caretakers of animals, CMZoo understands that farmers and ranchers care for their animals and have invested generations of energy into them. We also know that both compensation for their livestock and mitigation strategies are essential if wolves are restored to Colorado. The health of public and private lands is critical for a healthy statewide ecosystem and its wildlife. We support a bill that helps us live in balance, uses management systems that support both of those standpoints, and puts experts in charge of the reintroduction who will hear all concerns and adequately address them as they meticulously implement the plan.

There is evidence of wolves’ positive impact on restoring balance in struggling ecosystems, too. Some may be familiar with the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, in 1995. The National Park’s elk population had grown to levels not healthy for the ecosystem, due to the absence of predators, like the wolf. The elk drastically reduced the number of trees and shrubs that prevent erosion and serve the rest of the ecosystem.

Birds lost their habitats, as a result of the fauna’s inability to grow to maturity. The water temperature in streams rose, due to a lack of shade from trees and shrubs, which made them uninhabitable for fish and other aquatic species. Without competition from wolves, coyote populations increased, which reduced the number of small mammals in the area that served as a food source for many smaller predators, like foxes.

Since reintroducing the wolf, Yellowstone National Park’s elk population has decreased and become healthier. The wolves single out the weak, old, sick and young elk, leaving the strongest elk to reproduce and carry on healthy genetic lines. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project also says the wolves’ presence near waterways reduced the negative impact elk had on streams, trees and shrubs and the animals that live there, simply by redirecting the elk. Coyote numbers have decreased, creating a better balance and more available food sources for dwindling numbers of foxes,
badgers, weasels and raptors, which share their prey.

Until the 1940s, when wolves were eradicated from Colorado’s wild places, wolves thrived in the Rocky Mountain State. The last wolf was shot in 1945, as a result of an extermination campaign that didn’t consider the wolves’ important role in our delicate mountain ecosystem. Today, wolves roam the Rocky Mountains from Mexico to Canada and Alaska, but not in Colorado.

“Our state is one of the last gaps in connecting these wolf packs, which is detrimental to the long-term health of the species,” said Zwicker. “Colorado’s wild places can provide additional habitat for wolves and contribute to the safe and natural ‘wildway’ (like a highway) between subspecies of gray wolf.”

A wolf pack recently confirmed in Colorado may lead some people to believe that the species doesn’t need our support to thrive again naturally.

“Although one small pack of wolves has been located in northern Colorado, there’s no way those few remaining individuals could create a healthy, genetically diverse, sustainable population of wolves in Colorado,” said Zwicker. “Thinking about the greater goal of providing positive ecological benefits of a healthy and established ecosystem, these few wolves couldn’t have an adequate impact.”

As an apex predator, their presence at the top of the food chain in Colorado is vital, as it is in Yellowstone National Park. Western Colorado, where the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project seeks to reintroduce wolves, has more than 15 million acres of public land with an abundance of wild prey for hunters and wolves.

Returning wolves to our state in adequate numbers will surely impact Colorado’s big game species, such as elk, and there are concerns that this will negatively impact our hunting economy.

“When wolves have been removed from the ecosystem, populations of elk and deer can reach unhealthy numbers which can lead to disease spread, starvation and a devastating impact on plant life and waterways,” said Dr. Dadone. “To some, wolves will make hunts more challenging. For others, their presence will create memories that make the hunt live forever in their minds. When you think of how amazing it would be to see a wild wolf pack, we lean towards the latter.”

As with all election propositions, it’s important to think critically about how the return of wolves to Colorado could impact our state in positive ways and the potential obstacles we’ll need to creatively overcome as a statewide community.

Back to The Waterhole