There’s a new fuzzy face in My Big Backyard: Hutch, the eight-month-old Virginia opossum! Opossums might get a bad rap, but they eat thousands of ticks in the wild, which can help prevent the spread of disease to other mammals, including humans.
Opossum peering around a corner
Opossums are important members of our ecosystem and can be found right here in Colorado’s wild places. Hutch lives in the window habitat between the turkey and chicken yards in My Big Backyard. He’s a nocturnal mammal who usually looks like a ball of fluff, as he sleeps through most of the day. His keepers often take him out to enjoy some fresh air or to do some training in The Loft. You might see him out and about during these times.

Hutch is quickly learning lots of new ways to interact with guests. He recently debuted as a ZOOMobile animal and brings smiles to guests outside of the Zoo.

If you want a chance to meet, touch, and help train with Hutch, you can schedule a special animal encounter with him. This is a guaranteed way to interact up close with this incredible guy.

Hutch is just one of many animals with which you can schedule special encounters. Maybe you have a love for raptors and meeting Hoosier, the barn owl, is on your bucket list. Are large aquatic mammals your favorite? Then Ginger the beaver would love to meet you! Perhaps reptiles are more your speed. If so, then a snake like Rustle, a bullsnake, or a lizard like Wasabi, a prehensile-tailed skink, can be your new animal best friends. Just visit https://www.cmzoo.org/encounter to find out about all the amazing animals ready to meet you!
 
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This summer Cheyenne Mountain Zoo launched a new program to help connect people of all ages with the outdoors. CMZoo’s Outdoor School offers hands-on and interactive experiences and programs for people interested in connecting with nature, the outdoors, and their families. Classes engage the whole person (physically, mentally and emotionally) and develop a stronger connection with our natural world. Outdoor School classes occur on Zoo grounds, or offsite in other nature-based environments. The focus is less on animals at the Zoo and more on the powerful impacts nature has on us.

Winter classes include:

 
– Animal Portrait Photography: An introductory photography class focusing on animals. Use your cell phone or your DSLR camera to capture up-close photos of some of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s residents. Two professional photographers will mentor you through the process. From composition to lighting, they will help fine-tune your new skill.

– The WILD Series: Look for classes for women, families, or kids with WILD in the title and you’ll be sure to have a great time outside! WILD Women hikes are in the works as well as WILD Families nature play groups. Activities include hiking, fort building, nature games, track making and more! WILD kids series is in the works, and we’ll share more about it soon.

– Utilitarian Basket Weaving: Get creative while you learn to weave a beautiful and functional basket that fits your lifestyle. Spend time learning the history, reviewing terminology, and walking through the process of weaving a basket to completion. You’ll have two full days to put your creativity to the test as you finish the course with a completed basket to take home and put to use!

These classes are just a small sampling of what to expect from the Outdoor School. Classes like wilderness photography, family hikes, primitive shelter building, primitive fire building, bird banding and more are soon to be listed as class options. Be sure to visit cmzoo.org/outdoorschool to see what is currently offered and sign up for a class that excites you!
 
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In October and November 2019, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo joined Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching School and other worldwide partners to support Uganda Wildlife Authority in establishing a new population of critically endangered Nubian giraffe.

CMZoo VP of Mission and Programs, Dr. Liza Dadone, traveled to Uganda to assist with the reintroduction of 15 giraffe to an historic habitat where they haven’t existed in nearly 25 years. Dr. Dadone assisted with research and anesthesia, and provided care for the giraffe during the translocation from Murchison Falls National Park to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.

“The reintroduction of this founding population of Nubian giraffe to Pian Upe is important because the established population in Murchison Falls is facing threats due to oil exploration, road development for drilling vehicles and other human impact issues, like snaring,” said Dr. Dadone. “The population is also dealing with a skin disease, which we have been studying and were able to do additional research on while we were there for the translocation.”

Uganda Wildlife Authority protects and monitors the Nubian giraffe in Murchison Falls National Park. When oil was recently discovered in the park and construction to support drilling began, Dr. Robert Aruho, Uganda Wildlife Authority senior wildlife veterinarian, coordinated with partners to lead the effort to establish the population in Pian Upe, a protected wildlife reserve.

Uganda Wildlife Authority identified giraffe from the population in Murchison Falls National Park that were ideal for establishing the new population. The giraffe would need to be young and healthy, but old enough that they weren’t dependent on their mothers’ milk.

After identifying key members of the population, the team went into the park to capture them. The process involves locating the giraffe, administering anesthesia, reversing the anesthesia, doing a quick health assessment, collecting blood and flies from the giraffe, and then fixing guiding ropes and a harness to the giraffe. All of this happens within a few minutes.

“Members of the team have to be quick once the giraffe is down, because it’s dangerous for the giraffe to be under anesthesia for very long,” said Dr. Dadone. “While a few members of the team hold the giraffe, others apply a blindfold and put cotton in the giraffe’s ears to minimize stimulation and keep the giraffe as calm as possible. At the same time, we administer the anesthesia reversal; take blood, fecal and skin samples; and document other measurements that we use to advance care for giraffe in the wild and in human care.”

Dr. Dadone and Dr. Matt Johnston, from Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching School, are part of a team studying a skin disease found in wild giraffe. They also expanded their ongoing studies of field anesthesia, which will be shared with organizations internationally. The anesthesia research continues to make field immobilizations safer for giraffe.

Once the giraffe wakes up from anesthesia, it is guided by ropes onto a trailer and transported to a boma – a temporary holding paddock where the giraffe are monitored and prepared for their trip to Pian Upe.

“While they’re in the boma, we’re bringing in additional giraffe to transport and are monitoring their health before the trip,” said Dr. Dadone. “The time in the boma also gives the giraffe an opportunity to bond. They’re social animals and the trip can be less stressful for a group of giraffe rather than an individual.”

One of the giraffe selected to establish the Pian Upe population is a young male named Mr. Kevin, who the team quickly realized could make an ideal founding father.

“Mr. Kevin is one of the largest males in the founding group,” said Dr. Dadone. “After a day in the boma, we saw him representing himself well with the females, so we’re optimistic he will be a great founding father for this new population.”

The trip from Murchison Falls National Park to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is about 300 miles. Because of flooding on portions of unpaved roads along the way, each of the three trips took between 12 and 16 hours.

“We experienced quite a bit of flooding along the way to Pian Upe,” said Dr. Dadone. “There were times the trailer got stuck in the mud, and we had to be towed out. The bright side was that some of the locals got more time to see the giraffe in the truck. Many people think giraffe are everywhere in Africa, but they’re not. Giraffe are locally extinct in seven countries, and a lot of local people have never seen them before, so in a way, this group of giraffe served as ambassadors for their species along the way, too.”

After the arduous travel, the giraffe were released, five at a time, into the protected Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in Eastern Uganda.

“Watching the giraffe leave the trailer and run free into their new home was such a joyous moment,” said Dr. Dadone. “We’re hopeful this new population will thrive in their new home, providing Nubian giraffe another population and a better chance at survival.”

Having multiple populations of the same subspecies helps avoid what Dr. Dadone calls having, “all of your eggs in one basket.” Geographically diversifying populations means that if one location succumbs to disease or habitat destruction, the subspecies will live on in another region.

Our contribution to this effort is possible thanks to ongoing support from our CMZoo members, guests and donors. Through our Quarters for Conservation program, each ticket to the Zoo raises 75 cents to support wildlife conservation around the world. CMZoo guests and members contribute half a million dollars annually to critical conservation projects, like Operation Twiga, simply by visiting the Zoo.
 
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CMZoo’s aging Canada moose, Tahoma, is doing well at his impressive age. Rocky Mountain Wild Keeper, Basia Dann, walks us through some of 12-year-old Tahoma’s training and specialized care – and gives us the inside scoop on when to watch out for Tahoma’s annual antler shed.

 
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In early December 2019, four staff members from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will travel to the Andes Mountains of Ecuador for an important conservation expedition to help save critically endangered mountain tapirs.

Their prehensile noses with long snouts, odd-and-even-toed hooved feet and furry, bear-shaped bodies make this unique species look like something out of a children’s book. It’s not surprising that CMZoo’s mountain tapirs, 25-year-old female, Carlotta, and 16-year-old male, Cofan (pronounced co-FAWN), steal the hearts of just about everyone who meets them. Carlotta and Cofan are two of only seven mountain tapirs in the U.S.

This will be the third mountain tapir expedition CMZoo has supported in Ecuador, thanks to annual Member Vote Conservation Grants. Each year, CMZoo members vote to decide which staff-championed conservation efforts receive support from the $75,000 of membership revenue allocated annually for conservation. Earlier this year, members voted for the fourth year in a row to support mountain tapir conservation. Aside from the three expeditions in Ecuador, the grant funded tapir conservation in Columbia.

Found in Columbia, Ecuador and the far north of Peru, it’s estimated that only 2,500 mountain tapirs remain in the wild. CMZoo is one of two zoos in North America that this species calls home. This project has already yielded important information regarding the health, behaviors and territory of mountain tapir, about which relatively little is known. The team documents wild tapir measurements, reproductive trends, biometrics and geographic data. The studies are vital in proving which areas of wilderness need protection and are important in learning about how to best care for them, if this species is to survive.

Mountain tapir in Ecuador are threatened due to loss of habitat from natural gas exploration, expanding cities, agriculture, and potential traffic accidents, due to a growing human population. One goal of the ongoing conservation efforts is to equip policymakers with complete data they can use to encourage finding compromises that protect tapir without hindering the economic and infrastructure progress being made in the country.

CMZoo Animal Care Manager, Joanna Husby, will return to Ecuador for the third time and Lead Animal Keeper, Michelle Salido, will return to Ecuador for the second time contributing to this conservation project. CMZoo veterinary technician, Brenda Cordova, and CMZoo EdVenture keeper, Bryce Oberg, are both embarking on the Ecuador expedition for the first time.

CMZoo’s mountain tapir conservation partner at Andean Bear Foundation (ABF) and Smithsonian National Zoo reported that the high-tech GPS collars fixed to tapirs on previous field projects collected more geo-data in a week than the previously used radio collars collected in five years.

“Their native habitats are being developed for pipelines, mining and agriculture. The tapirs living in those areas are considered a nuisance,” Salido said. “One morning we were there on a previous trip, it took only a matter of hours to see the difference in habitat destruction going on in the forest. Seeing their habitat destroyed in front of my eyes made our work that much more important to me.”

The team is dedicated, and with such physically demanding tasks ahead of them, it’s a good thing.

“It’s incredible to be able to see these animals in the wild, where they live natively in elevations between 6,000 and 12,000 feet,” said Salido. “Part of what makes it rewarding while we’re in the field is how difficult it is to find them.”

Carrying their research equipment on their backs, the team hikes with local guides and partners from the Smithsonian and ABF for hours through high-elevation mountain forest terrain. Once they locate an animal they can briefly capture (they are careful not to capture mothers with calves because there’s a risk the calf will be permanently separated from its mother), they have minutes to anesthetize the animal and gather as much information as they can.

“Unfortunately, these wild animals don’t know we’re here to help, so they can see us as a threat,” said Salido. “A threatened tapir instinctively retreats to water, which means we’re often trying to keep them out of the water before we can assess them.”

The average female tapir weighs about 400 pounds and males generally weigh about 30 pounds less than females.

“We have to attach ropes to the tapir to prevent it from wading into water as it’s waking up, and then detach them once we see it has fully recovered and won’t be in danger in the water,” said Salido. “We only have minutes to measure and document their size and other morphometrics, take blood and fecal samples, attach the GPS collar and administer the anesthesia reversal. Then, we’re monitoring to make sure the tapir is stable and ready to be released.”

The research is critical, given the limited number of animals left in the wild and the lack of available data about them. In addition to collecting data, this year, they’re expanding their efforts with an education component. The team will visit a local Ecuadorian school to talk with them about tapirs, hoping to inspire the next generation of local conservationists to take pride in this local, rare species and to take steps to protect them.

“We’re really excited about the education opportunities we have on this trip,” said Salido. “Tapirs need more local advocates, and part of the challenge is that there’s very little local pride in this awesome species. We hope that once people learn about tapir, they’ll appreciate and want to protect them the same way that we do.”

The team will spend nearly three weeks tracking tapir and raising awareness about them in their native country. CMZoo will post social media updates as the team has opportunities to relay progress from the field.
 
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This month, a very special delivery arrived at our mountain Zoo: a female Amur tiger named Savelii (sah-VEL-ee).

Eight-year-old Savelii joins CMZoo from Bramble Park Zoo, in Watertown, South Dakota. In September, the plan was for nine-year-old CMZoo male Amur tiger, Thimbu, to move to Bramble Park Zoo. Since then, plans have changed, and Thimbu has a recommended breeding match. He will instead move to Rosamond Gifford Zoo, in Syracuse, New York, in the next few weeks. Through the Species Survival Plan’s (SSP) management of Amur tigers in accredited Zoos, CMZoo four-year-old male Amur tiger, Chewy, was selected as a breeding match for Savelii and will remain at CMZoo for the foreseeable future.

Wildcats Conservation Alliance estimates there are only approximately 500 Amur tigers in the wild. They’re listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). If breeding is successful between Savelii and Chewy, they would both become first-time parents and add to the assurance population of tigers in human care.

Savelii is about halfway through her routine quarantine period in the tiger building, behind the scenes. This time allows Savelii to adjust to her new surroundings and for Chewy to recognize her scent and presence, while Savelii clears exams and medical tests.

Savelii’s keepers at CMZoo say they’re optimistic about her, and she’s showing signs that she’s adjusting well. But, as with any new addition to the CMZoo family, there are a lot of milestones for her to reach before starting the introduction process with Chewy, like clearing quarantine, building trust with her keepers, getting familiar with her new exhibit and shifting areas, and training.

Savelii is already training with all of the Asian Highlands animal keepers, who are getting to know her personality.

“She likes to rub her face against the mesh, like a housecat does. She’s super ‘chuffy’ when we engage with her, which is a good sign,” Kristen Cox, Asian Highlands animal keeper said. (A ‘chuff’ is a quick outward breath, which is like an outgoing tiger greeting.) “She’s interested in Chewy’s presence. When we’re training with her and she hears Chewy or Thimbu chuffing or playing with enrichment in the dens nearby, she perks her ears up and turns her attention from us to listen to them.”

Savelii participated in training at her former zoo, which provided a strong foundation on which keepers are excited to build.

“We’re working on asking her to eat from tongs, which allows us to provide food rewards during training and helps her build trust with us. Next, we’ll ask her for a stand-up behavior, which allows us to get a good look at her feet and body to make sure everything looks healthy,” said Courtney Rogers, Asian Highlands keeper. “She’s great at the sitting and lying down training behaviors. Next, we plan to work on her voluntary injection training, which lets us provide vaccinations and other necessary medications in a low-stress way. She seems to be a quick learner so far.”

Savelii is smaller than Chewy, weighing in around 230 pounds compared to Chewy’s 360 pounds, which is a normal size difference between female and male tigers. She has beautiful almond-shaped eyes and a round face. Another way guests can distinguish Savelii from Chewy, when they visit the Zoo and see her on exhibit soon, is her shorter hair around her face and darker lines on her forehead.

When Savelii will be on exhibit for guests to see has not yet been determined. Chewy and Savelii will take turns accessing the yards and spaces separately. Sharing the same space at separate times allows them to become familiar with each other’s scents.

“The breeding recommendation is important and an ultimate goal, but we’re not going to rush into introducing them,” said Rogers. “We’ll pay attention to how confident they are with each other’s smells and how confident Savelii is getting with us, and we’ll go from there.”

During animal introductions, keepers follow the animals’ leads and observe behaviors that indicate that they’re comfortable and receptive with each other, or not. They start very cautiously by observing behaviors during ‘howdies,’ which are introductions with a barrier between the cats. ‘Howdies’ allow animals the opportunity to see, smell and investigate each other without the risk of potentially aggressive physical interactions.

“We prepare as much as possible, but we know from experience that big cats can be unpredictable, so we stay flexible during introductions,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Asian Highlands animal care manager. “We look for signs of interest or aggression between the cats during ‘howdies,’ and respond based on their interactions. That could mean we steadily increase the amount of access they have to each other. It could also mean we give them more time, but limit their access, to get used to each other.”

Having experienced a heartbreaking loss during a previous big cat breeding session, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is fully aware of the dangerous scenarios it presents. CMZoo Amur tiger, Zoya, was killed by her mate in one such breeding session in 2016.

Since then, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has not participated in tiger breeding. Now, as wild populations decline and the SSP’s past three years of efforts to breed Amur tigers prove unsuccessful, CMZoo has accepted the SSP’s recommendation to try again.

Although big cat breeding has proven to be risky, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo animal care and veterinary staff take all precautions possible. Ultimately, CMZoo acknowledges that the work to continue the existence of these species is so necessary that we want to try.

“Savelii and Chewy have valuable genes that will help ensure the genetic diversity of Amur tiger assurance populations in zoos, so we’re looking at lots of options about the best ways to get her and Chewy’s genes in the population,” said Rogers.

Many ask if artificial insemination (AI) is a better option for riskier breeding scenarios, like these. It can be a last-resort option, but isn’t historically successful with tigers because of the females’ unique ovulation patterns.

Female tigers are induced ovulators, which means the act of mating causes the female to release an egg for fertilization. It can take several days of mating interactions to stimulate ovulation and guarantee fertilization of the egg. Because of this, AI success in tigers has historically been very low; only three out of 60 procedures in the last 20 years have resulted in a cub. Even with the odds stacked against AI, CMZoo has collected samples from Chewy in case this last resort needs to be explored.

“For now, we’re focused on setting Savelii up for success,” said Rogers. “We see her confidence building and look forward to sharing her with everyone as soon as she’s ready.”

As Savelii makes progress at CMZoo, we will keep guests posted on social media and through The Waterhole monthly newsletter.
 
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This week’s snow has been warmly welcomed by many CMZoo residents, including our three six-month-old mountain lion kittens. Visit our Instagram account and click on our Snow Day story to see our Rocky Mountain Wild animals soaking up the fun.Watch mountain lion video here.

“When will the new hippo and penguin exhibit open?” has been a common question we’ve received both in-person and online for the past several months. Our President & CEO, Bob Chastain, is here to give you a few updates on why we can’t pinpoint an exact opening date for you just yet, and what has to happen before we can.

‘Golden Girl’ Malaika, an African elephant who required emergency assistance after not being able to stand up on her own earlier this year, continues to receive specialized care for her broken tusks, thinning foot pad, deformed back leg and other age-related issues.

Elephant Animal Care Manager, Jason Bredahl, gets us up close and describes the specialized care Malaika receives in CMZoo’s state-of-the-art barn, designed to provide veterinary care for our aging giants.

If you’re looking for fun and educational activities for the kids the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week, look no further than Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Fall Break Camps! Registration is open now.

On November 25, 26 and 27, 2019, kids from kindergarten to sixth grade can take part in one or all three days of available camps at the Zoo. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Zoo member discount rates apply. Kindergarten half-day camps are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day and first through sixth grade camps are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

The Zoo also offers early morning and late afternoon one-hour extended camps to fit your busy schedule the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Early Birds Camp is from 8 to 9 a.m. and Later Gators Camp is from 4 to 5 p.m.
 

Monday, Nov. 25, the camp theme is Hopping into Harvest. Join us as we all prepare for the cold months ahead. From growing long fur coats to stocking up on food, campers learn about how animals get ready to survive the winter.

Tuesday, Nov. 26, campers discuss the interesting varieties of family structures in the animal kingdom, with this day’s theme: FALLing for Family. Learn which animals are independent infants, which families stay together and what types of animal families lie somewhere in between.
 

Wednesday, Nov. 27, the theme is Happy ZOOgiving. Campers will help create special Thanksgiving enrichment items for the animals of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. We’re thankful for our animals, and this is your child’s chance to help thank our animals by contributing to a unique Thanksgiving dinner.

Click here to find out more or to register.
 
 
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