Scutes Family Gallery will soon welcome two new residents: Mike and Sully.
As venomous lizards, the two male Gila monsters require special handling. In this video, learn how to identify Mike from Sully, their interesting adaptations, and how you can help protect this near-endangered species.
It may feel like spring just arrived, but it is time to start planning for summer vacation! With Zoo Camp options for kindergarten through 12th grade, there is truly an adventure for everyone.
New this year: each camp week has an over-arching theme that all grade levels will explore in their own adventurous ways (more about that below). There are also new ways for families to get involved with camp this year, featuring a few “Flock Parties” during the evenings. We are very excited about these new opportunities and can’t wait for summer to start!
An example of an over-arching theme for a week is “Critter Construction,” focusing on all the ways animals can be architects and build amazing structures.
Even teens can attend Zoo Camp. 7th through 12th graders get the opportunity to discover what it is like being a part of the CMZoo community. Learning directly from seasoned Zoo teens, these camps focus on peer engagement and diverse Zoo experiences.
All these options (plus a few more for each age group), more information, and registration can be found at cmzoo.org/summercamp. Be sure to sign your child up for the grade they are entering in the fall. Summer camps are very popular and space is limited, so sign up your camper today!
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Which plants attract early pollinators? Which will help you conserve water? What kind of maintenance should you make a priority this time of year? CMZoo’s horticulture team answers all of these questions and more.
In anticipation of Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating some of the animal matriarchs who live with their offspring at CMZoo. Take a walk down memory lane as we remember their adorable babies and check in with the moms and their growing offspring today.
Providing excellent health care for the hundreds of animals at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo comes in many forms. Depending on their individual needs, animals might receive special diets, exercise plans, laser therapy treatments, vaccines, medications and more. Their health care plans often involve injections, both proactively in the form of annual vaccinations, and reactively with medications that can help them through an illness or injury.
Most CMZoo animals participate in voluntary injection training, designed to help keepers and animals prepare for and reduce stress involved with real injections when necessary. Some CMZoo animals participate in their own health care by also taking part in voluntary blood draws. During injection and blood draw training, the animals have the opportunity to walk away at any time but typically choose to stay and participate. These blood draws allow vets to test animals for any issues and respond to them accurately. The blood draws also contribute to national and international research projects that benefit countless species in human care and in the wild.
Through these voluntary blood draws, CMZoo is able to contribute to a giraffe blood plasma bank. The plasma bank is shared with other AZA-accredited institutions, and can help giraffe calves who are struggling to survive in their first days.
As amphibians face mass extinction, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s conservation team works to repopulate the Wyoming toad. Hear from Field Conservation Coordinator, Jeff Baughman, about what’s contributing to the widespread eradication, what CMZoo is doing to try to stop it, and how you can help.
In March, CMZoo howler monkey, Charlie, became a first-time-mom. We checked in with CMZoo lead keeper, Michelle Salido, for an update on the baby and to hear the story of the afternoon Charlie went into labor on exhibit.
With keeper talks and animal demonstrations throughout the day, The Loft provides hands-on and up-close opportunities with smaller animals like tortoises, skunks, snakes, lizards and more. My Big Backyard is home to chickens, bunnies and a treehouse that’s home to lots of amphibians and invertebrates.
What you may not know is that with a little planning, your afternoon at the Zoo could foster lifelong memories, connections and inspiration. Read on to learn about private animal encounters, animal painting experiences, and keeper-led educational programs that will inspire children of all ages to appreciate the little animals of the world who are so vital to our planet’s complex ecosystems.
Animal Encounters
Have you ever been to the Zoo, visited our three-banded armadillo, Frida, and thought, “I wonder what it would be like to feed her?” With an animal encounter, guests can meet reptiles, birds or mammals from The Loft or My Big Backyard up close. With a keeper’s help, guests prepare animal diets, feed the animals, and even help train them. Plus, you can feel good knowing the fee helps support the care of the animals that inspire conservation action, right here at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Visit cmzoo.org/encounter for more information and a full list of animals who can choose to participate.
Animal Art Experiences
It’s no secret that there are several animal artists at the Zoo, and their art is available for purchase online or from their habitats. But, did you know that you can set up an experience to be a part of the painting process from start to finish? Animal art painting experiences allow you to help a keeper train an animal and decide which paint colors will adorn your very own modern art masterpiece, sure to spark conversation. To learn more about animal encounters and painting opportunities, visit cmzoo.org/LoftEncounters.
Animal Care 101 and Backyard Exploration Classes
Maybe you are thinking about bringing a new pet rabbit into your home. Does a backyard chicken coop sound superb, but you’re not quite sure where to start? Or, are you curious about the native birds that live in Colorado and want the chance to learn how to spot them?
The Loft and My Big Backyard have many classes just like these, perfect for a unique afternoon activity. Whether you are curious about to how to care for an animal or want a nature-based Zoo experience, there are options for both! You can even choose to sign up for classes when they occur, or get some friends and family together and schedule your own private program! Visit cmzoo.org/AnimalCare101 to learn more about animal care classes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Since 2015, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Member Conservation Grants has provided $300,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide. Last year, members voted to fund projects from Central Asia to right here in Colorado. Once again, it is time for members to help CMZoo decide which staff-championed conservation projects will receive full funding.
It also allows the Zoo to support immediate needs that might not fit into our annual Quarters for Conservation donations. One such member-elected conservation effort was providing emergency care for radiated tortoises that had been confiscated from the pet trade in Madagascar. The emergency pangolin project up for vote this year is another example.
“These conservation grants help our Zoo support really impactful conservation projects around the world,” said Dr.Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs, and head veterinarian at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “Most of the projects have a connection to species that live at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and often involve wildlife that are on the brink of extinction.”
A team of CMZoo employees forms the committee that spends months reviewing the staff-nominated conservation projects to select proposals with the greatest potential impact. The committee narrows the number of applicants down to a small group for the member vote. This year, there are eight projects for members to consider.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for members to make a direct positive impact in the wild because they get to vote on which grants get fully funded,” said Emma Repp-Maxwell, CMZoo membership manager. “It’s also a way for our staff to get support for conservation projects in our back yard and around the world.”
The three projects that receive the most votes will be fully funded. CMZoo will determine how to distribute the remainder of the annual $75,000 Member Conservation Grants among the remaining five projects.
Of the $100,000 of conservation funding annually raised through membership revenue, $25,000 goes to Quarters for Conservation legacy projects and $75,000 goes to these annual conservation grants.
“Our Zoo members are directly helping wildlife and make these conservation grants possible,” said Repp-Maxwell. “Every vote for these grants and every visit is directly helping our Zoo help wildlife.”
Learn about the individual staff-championed projects up for members’ consideration below, and click here to find out about becoming a Cheyenne Mountain Zoo member.
African Lions – $3,000
A continued partnership, the Ewaso ‘Lion Kids Camp’ educates Kenyan children of pastoral families in ways to avoid lion predation of their livestock. Without the help of local communities, African lions could be extinct in the wild within 20 years. This funding would help support a youth camp designed to connect these children to the local wildlife and nature, encouraging them to protect and champion big cats.
Project Anoulak (white-cheeked gibbon, Asian otter, saola, etc.) – $11,250
Based in the Annamite Mountains of Laos, Project Anoulak works to conserve and study wildlife in the Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area. One of the most important and biodiverse forests left in the region, it is threatened by unsustainable harvesting and farming practices, as well as illegal poaching. This funding will purchase the equipment needed to continue their critical conservation monitoring and research.
Golden Lion Tamarin – $16,466
Urban expansion in their native Brazil has reduced golden lion tamarin habitat by 98 percent. While re-introduction programs have been successful, the survival of this species will rely on habitat restoration, protection and expansion. Through a local partner, these funds will support the planting and care of two acres of forest for three years. By connecting fragmented forests in protected areas and working with local communities, golden lion tamarins’ population and habitat will continue to grow and succeed.
Mountain Tapir – $26,566
Found in Columbia, Ecuador and the far north of Peru, only 2,000 mountain tapirs remain in the wild. CMZoo is one of two zoos in North America that this species calls home. A continuation of past monitoring projects, these funds would support the radio collaring of five additional tapirs in the wild. This project, based in Ecuador, has already yielded important information regarding the movement, behaviors and territory of this critically endangered species. That data is vital in proving which areas of wilderness need protection if this species is to survive.
Saola Working Group – $5,000
Found in the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam, the saola, nicknamed the ‘Asian unicorn,’ is one of the rarest large animals on earth. Scientifically discovered in 1992, their main threat is not deforestation, but commercial poaching and snare hunting. Because not much is known about this elusive species, this funding will purchase 25 camera traps to continue to monitor and research the forests they call home.
Pollinator Garden for Local Schools – $9,000
Pollinators, like butterflies, birds and bees, are incredibly important to a healthy habitat and help fertilize many of the plants, fruits and vegetables we enjoy. For the second year in a row, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will provide pollinator grants to three local elementary schools for $3,000 each. This program will help teach students the importance of protecting pollinators by building a garden they nurture and grow.
Pangolins – $5,000
Found in Africa and Asia, pangolins are the most trafficked animals in the world. Because they are also threatened by deforestation, all eight species of the pangolin are considered threatened with extinction (two of which are critically endangered). Save Vietnam’s Wildlife focuses on the recovery and release of native species confiscated in the illegal wildlife trade. They are seeking emergency funding to assist in the care of 168 recently confiscated pangolins, the largest group confiscated to date. These funds would help provide veterinary care until they are re-released.
Okapi – $6,000
Found in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and one of the most biologically diverse areas in all of Africa, okapis have only been known to science since 1901. Threatened by habitat destruction, mining, poaching and civil unrest, there may be as few as 10,000 left in the wild. Through the Okapi Conservation Project, this funding would support a community outreach program for World Okapi Day to promote local education and co-existence between okapis, their habitat and local villages. This projected is co-supported by four other zoos.
Eve is a vocal, active, seven-year-old female siamang gibbon who lives in Primate World at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. She came to the Zoo nearly two years ago, as a non-breeding companion partner for Wayan, who is 11 years old. Now, she is adjusting to another major life change, and is demonstrating her species’ resiliency, once again.
When she arrived, she was shy and unsure. Through naturally developing into an adult, building trust with her keepers and bonding with Wayan, she has become the dominant partner, as female siamangs often are.
Eve and Wayan didn’t warm up to each other right away. After months of introductions, one day keepers noticed them swinging and singing together on either sides of their glass barrier – in place to give the two siamangs space and time to acclimate to each other. Seeing this promising interaction prompted keepers to open the door between them.
“They bonded pretty immediately from that point, grooming each other and singing duets together,” Dina Bredahl, CMZoo Primate World animal care manager said. “Forming that great bond with Wayan helped her become a confident animal.”
In early March 2019, keepers noticed normally-active Eve was not using her left foot or leg. Under anesthesia, CMZoo vet staff did a comprehensive exam including radiographs, and determined she needed immediate and extensive treatment.
That same night, Dr. Matt Johnston, Dr. Rebecca Webb and Dr. Sarah Marvel, from Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, joined our vet team for an after-hours surgery that saved Eve’s life. Surgeons and staff decided Eve’s only chance at recovery would unfortunately mean her leg would have to be amputated. During surgery, they discovered a blood clot in her left femoral artery. The blood clot was blocking circulation from the mid-thigh down, causing irreparable damage to the tissue in her leg and foot.
As with humans, there are many possible causes for a blood clot in an animal. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know a blood clot is present until immediate action needs to be taken. After 12 days of recovery, Eve rejoined her exhibit partner Wayan, and the two of them have reunited well.
“It has been incredible to see how quickly she’s adjusted to her new situation,” Bredahl said. In the video accompanying this article, Eve can be seen swinging through her indoor and outdoor exhibits with finesse.
Lesser apes are extremely resourceful and resilient. Other organizations that house gibbons that have lost limbs have observed that they still have an excellent quality of life.
Animals don’t seem to suffer the emotional trauma that humans sometimes suffer associated with this kind of change, and will quickly find new ways to navigate their environments and thrive when they lose limbs.
The two gibbons sleep cuddled up together every night. The two nights she was back in her exhibit, but still separate from Wayan to make sure she had recovered adequately and was taking her medications, they slept together on either side of the mesh ‘howdy door.’ Just like during their initial successful introduction, they began swinging and singing together on either side of the glass. When keepers witnessed that, they knew it was time to bring the two back into the same space.
“For about the first 30 minutes, Wayan seemed unsure of her. Her new modes of mobility and the fact that she’s shaved from the surgery probably contributed to that,” Bredahl said. “After a few moments, Wayan was fine if she came and sat with him on the big platform, but in other places in their exhibit, he wanted to ease into the reintroduction more.”
For primates, the more dominant partner receives the most grooming. The more submissive animals groom to appease them and show them respect. Wayan and Eve have already adjusted to Eve’s new way of life, and Wayan is picking up right where he left off.
“She gets most of the grooming,” Bredahl said. “The only difference is that he grooms mostly her head and shoulders now. She’ll lie down and he sits next to her on a platform and will groom her from anywhere from five to 30 minutes. It’s relaxation time.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is her interactions with people. Despite experiencing unfamiliar examinations in unfamiliar settings during her recovery, which can be detrimental to animals’ relationships with their keepers, Eve’s trust in her Primate World keepers is reestablishing quickly.
Eve can be found swinging through her exhibit with Wayan in Primate World, where guests can visit her any day of the week.