News Archive

BOB CHASTAIN SET TO RETIRE IN THE ZOO’S CENTENNIAL YEAR: 2026 – After nearly 30 years at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and 20 years in the position of president & CEO, Bob Chastain has announced his plan to retire in 2026. Over the next two years, the CMZoo board of directors, who have been intimately involved . . .

The youngest ape in Primate World, 6-year-old Kera, puts the “I” in “independence,” according to Animal Keeper Izzy Dones, who works with Kera in Primate World. Kera is one of six orangutans in Primate World, and one of three Sumatran orangutans, along with her mom, Sumagu, and her dad, Baka-Keri. “I think her independence comes . . .

Last month, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members cast their votes to help the Zoo decide how to spend $75,000 of member conservation funds among six conservation projects vying for members’ support. The three projects with the most votes received the full funding they requested. The number of votes received for the remaining three projects helped CMZoo . . .

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO –Summer is around the corner, and many parents are planning activities to keep the kids active, healthy and inspired. Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado offer expert tips for making outdoor activity and exercise fun for the whole family. How about a summer project that doesn’t require a road . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

UPDATE August 13, 2024 – Our grizzly bears are back in Rocky Mountain Wild, and you can visit them right away! Save the date for a weekend-long community event to celebrate the boys’ return on Sat., Aug. 31 through Mon., Sept. 2. (See details at Emmett & Digger’s Housewarming Party. Advance admission tickets are required.) . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

Within Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s vast Teen Program lies the Youth Leadership Action Board (YLAB), a small group of ambitious teens that goes above and beyond to uphold the Zoo’s mission of connecting people to wildlife and wild places. YLAB members work side by side with EdVenture staff to advance the Teen Program and find new . . .