At 6 weeks old, the Rocky Mountain goat kids are hitting milestones, including eating solid foods, sparring with each other, exploring all the yards, and meeting their dad, Albert, and older sister, Blanca. They are finding their footing like little pros and learning how to be Rocky Mountain goats from their mom, Lena. Visit the twins across from the Sky Ride during your next trip to CMZoo!
Kids, kits, joeys and pups! This season, we’ve welcomed seven baby skunks, two Rocky Mountain goats, two wallaby joeys, and five meerkat pups. These adorable littles are already awesome ambassadors for their species and quickly becoming guest favorites, each bringing their own unique energy and playfulness to CMZoo.
The seven skunks will head to other AZA zoos when they’re mature and independent in the coming months. At their new homes, they’ll represent their wild counterparts and help even more people learn to love and appreciate skunks. There are no current plans for meerkats, joeys or Rocky Mountain goat kids to leave CMZoo.
Be sure to visit the cuteness overload firsthand during your next visit!
Adding animal demonstrations to your next Zoo day itinerary is one of the best ways to kick off the summer. Included with your regular daytime ticket, you’ll have access to multiple animal demonstrations throughout the day. From brachiating orangutans to a guinea pig parade, these demonstrations offer fun and educational experiences for our guests while also enriching and engaging our animals. Highlighting their natural behaviors and unique features, these demonstrations provide insight into some of the residents of CMZoo.
(Animal demonstrations are weather and animal permitting.)
Summer Schedule
9:30 a.m. — Penguin Keeper Talk in Water’s Edge: Africa
10 a.m. — Guinea Pig Parade in Water’s Edge: Africa (Tues., Wed., and Sun. only)
10 a.m. — Lion Enrichment in African Rift Valley (Tues. and Sat. only)
10 a.m. — Wolf Feeding in Rocky Mountain Wild (Thurs. and Sun. only)
10:45 a.m. — Caring for Elephants in Encounter Africa
11:15 a.m. — Orangutans are Awesome in Primate World
11:30 a.m. — Barn Owl Training in Scutes Family Gallery
11:30 a.m. — Alligator Feeding in Australia Walkabout (Mon. and Tues. only)
2:15 p.m. — Caring for Elephants in Encounter Africa
2:30 p.m. — Skunk Training in The Loft
3 p.m. — Treetop Acrobats in African Rift Valley at the colobus monkey exhibit (Fri., Sat., and Sun. only)
3:15 p.m. — Caring for Awesome Apes in Primate World
3:30 p.m. — Grizzly Demo in the temporary bear habitat above the tapir yard
4:15 p.m. — Meet the Hippos in Water’s Edge: Africa
Advance tickets are required and can be purchased at cmzoo.org.
Are they rabbits? Deer? Jackalopes?
None of the above! Patagonian maras are rodents native to South America. They are part of the cavy family and are related to capybaras and guinea pigs. Four-month-old mara siblings, Poa (male) and Briza (female), recently moved into their new home in My Big Backyard. The friendly duo is quickly stealing hearts with their energetic leaps, adorable dirt baths and whiskered snoots. Visit Poa and Briza during your next visit to My Big Backyard!
World Tree Kangaroo Day is Tues., May 21, and we have an exciting day of activities planned in Australia Walkabout to help raise awareness for tree kangaroo conservation.
Only about 2,500 Matschie’s tree kangaroos remain in the wild in their only known habitat: The Huon Peninsula of northeastern Papua New Guinea. Threatened by logging and mining exploration, the marsupial arboreal species is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
At CMZoo, we support the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan (SSP) by providing a home and care for tree kangaroos that don’t have current breeding recommendations, like Som. While Som receives quality care, she’s also contributing to the conservation of her species by inspiring and educating guests.
Check out some of the fun activities we have planned for World Tree Kangaroo Day!
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – join us for family activities in Scutes Family Gallery:
– Coloring pages
– Paper masks
– Button making
– Simulated pouch peek activity (find an imitation tree kangaroo joey in a pouch replica)
– “Walk like a tree kangaroo” activity - 11 a.m. – keeper talk at the Matschie’s tree kangaroo exhibit in Australia Walkabout.
- 1 p.m. – puppet show in Safari Cabin (near the entrance to the Sky Ride).
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.
Amur leopard brothers, Basha and Mango, are quickly growing in size and skill. The 9-month-old brothers are about the same size as their parents, Anya and Anadyr, and eagerly participate in fun enrichment and important training sessions.
While there aren’t any current plans for Basha and Mango to leave CMZoo, their care team is working alongside other zoos and partners to develop a program designed to successfully prepare big cats for transportation to a new accredited facility, if and when the need arises. Basha and Mango are helping spearhead that program, which Asian Highlands keepers will share with other zoos for the welfare of all big cats on the move. Basha and Mango currently still spend most of their time with their mother, Anya. As part of this program, they are also starting to explore spaces without her and participating in voluntarily crate training.
Amur leopards are widely known as the rarest big cats on the planet. Only around 100 individuals remain in the wilds of Eastern Russia and China. CMZoo’s four Amur leopards represent four percent of the wild population. Helping Basha and Mango master the skills needed to successfully adapt to a new home in the future will hopefully give them the opportunity to breed and have families of their own, increasing the number of Amur leopards in the world.
Slender-tailed meerkat mom, Hullabaloo, and dad, Sage, have their paws full with two tiny, fluffy and squeaky bundles of joy. On March 2, the first-time parents welcomed their babies to their cozy behind-the-scenes den in Encounter Africa. Hullabaloo and Sage are adapting to parenting like pros and their brand-new family is bonding well.
The little ones are hitting all the meerkat milestones, like nursing, opening their eyes, and exploring with mom and dad. As long as the pups and new parents continue to do well – and weather is warm enough – they could start exploring outside in the next few weeks. Guests can keep an eye out for the young family in the west meerkat habitat in Encounter Africa.
Not one, but TWO wallaby joeys are starting to steal the hearts of every explorer in Australia Walkabout! Gidgee and her sister, Katt, are both carrying 5-month-old joeys who are starting to poke their heads out of the pouch, taking in the world around them. This is Gidgee’s third joey and Katt’s first. Both moms are doing well, adjusting to life with their little pink pouch occupants. The joeys are developing quickly, with their limbs, eyelashes, whiskers, and facial features becoming more distinct. Both joeys are likely to start exploring the yard on their own two feet around mid-April.
Roger, 4-year-old North American porcupine, has some impressive “quill-ities.” His gentle, curious and friendly nature directly contributes to Roger’s important training behaviors, adorable enrichment and strong relationship with his keepers. Mastering behaviors like target training, stationing and injection training plays a big role in how keepers can best care for Roger now and in the future. Visit Roger in Rocky Mountain Wild during your next visit to CMZoo!
February is International Hoof Care Month, so come behind the scenes for an up-close look at giraffe hoof care training! Hoof care is important for the overall health of all hoofstock animals. Brushing, picking, and trimming contribute to maintaining healthy hooves, directly influencing the health of a giraffe’s entire body. At CMZoo, keepers have built trust with the giraffe herd through positive reinforcement, offering them the choice to train with their favorite crackers or walk away.