News Archive

We are excited to announce the rankings of our annual Member Conservation Vote! When you become a member at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, you get to vote on which conservation projects we support. $75,000 of membership revenue is sent to support employee-championed field conservation partners around the world. Thanks to CMZoo members, five conservation efforts will . . .

After seven years of settling in, the Western lowland gorillas at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are officially a cohesive troop! 32-year-old Goma – the troop’s silverback – is living with the four females full-time, which means they’re ready to take the next step as a family. Goma came to CMZoo on a breeding recommendation in 2016. . . .

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has reached a huge conservation goal: reducing its overall annual water usage by nearly half. To offset its water usage, CMZoo also continued a commitment to Trout Unlimited’s water conservation efforts right here in Colorado. You can’t make homes for hippos and penguins without a whole lot of water, but CMZoo’s previous . . .

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s conservation team recently returned from Panama. The trip highlighted CMZoo’s commitment to support ongoing research, education and breeding efforts for amphibians facing threats in the wild. As part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation (PARC) project, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is actively involved in saving 12 top-priority species of Panamanian amphibians threatened . . .

Looking at Jumbe [JOOM-bay], Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 2,800-pound Eastern black rhinoceros, visitors might assume that his demeanor matches his stature. On the contrary, according to Annie Dinwiddie, senior keeper in Encounter Africa who has worked with Jumbe for nine years. “He’s actually really gentle,” said Dinwiddie. “I have worked with three black rhinos and two . . .

Five Rocky Mountain goats call CMZoo home. Twinkie (17), Yazhi (12), Albert (8), Lena (3) and Blanca (9 months) make up the herd seen high up in their customized habitat made up of cascading rock formations. This steep habitat mimics the terrain Rocky Mountain goats experience in the wild. Their unique hooves have two toes . . .

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is preparing for the arrival of a female Amur tiger, Mila [MEE-luh], in early March and the departure of a male African lion, Boma [BOH-muh], in late March. The two moves support their respective Species Survival Plans, but aren’t necessarily immediate breeding recommendations. Organizations accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums . . .

Apart from being adorable and full of sassy antics, the African penguins at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have a big job: to help visitors fall in love with and advocate for wild penguins. Napoleon, Biggs, Ivy and the rest of the flock inspire us to save wildlife and wild places, and their wild counterparts can use . . .

Zoos often talk about the importance of Species Survival Plans (SSP). While it’s hard not to fall in love with baby animals, it’s important to remember why zoos work so hard to bring them into the world. As matchmakers for the zoo animal kingdom, SSP coordinators study genetics of animals in human care and make . . .

There’s a new addition near the play hills at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: a brand-new shipping container farm, equipped with the latest hydroponic vertical growing technology, including blue and red LED grow lights with specialized wavelengths for leafy green production. The newly installed high-tech horticulture house is the next step in CMZoo’s goal toward a more . . .