Animal Health Archives

Mother’s Day is extra special in Primate World, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, this year. Asha, a 32-year-old critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, is pregnant. She is due between mid-May and the end of July.

“It has been nearly 13 years since a gorilla was born here, so many visitors will get to experience this for the first time, along with our silverback, Goma, who will become a first-time dad with this little one,” Jon Wild, lead animal keeper in Primate World, says. “It’s not Asha’s first time, and she has been a great mom in the past.”

Asha is mom to two gorillas who have moved on to other troops now: 12-year-old male, Dembe, who lives at North Carolina Zoo, and 18-year-old female, Tumani, who lives at Audubon Zoo, in New Orleans.

Asha was born at CMZoo on Oct. 5, 1992. Thirty-four-year-old Goma moved to CMZoo, in 2016, on a breeding recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, supported by Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited organizations, including CMZoo.

Before he came to CMZoo, Goma lived with a bachelor troop, so he had to learn how to lead a troop of females. As an experienced mom, Asha helped Goma learn how to breed.

“Since Goma moved here, nine years ago, the gorilla care team has been working to integrate him into the troop, and the troop has been helping him learn to lead as a silverback, with this pregnancy as a goal,” Wild says. “It’s incredibly exciting to see the gorillas achieve a healthy cohesive troop dynamic, and knowing there’s a baby on the way makes it even more meaningful to see this family grow.”

Asha’s previous experiences have helped Goma learn, and they have helped her care team provide prenatal check-ups throughout her pregnancy. Asha participates in cooperative care, like ultrasounds that have revealed a healthily growing baby. The Zoo first confirmed her pregnancy in December 2024 with a positive urine pregnancy test.

“Asha is super smart, and she approaches a training panel and presents her stomach so we can touch it with the ultrasound wand,” Wild says. “She’ll stand and get training rewards for participating, and her methods of presenting her stomach to us are adorable.”

During ultrasounds, Asha stands next to the mesh training panel and leans her stomach sideways against the mesh, with her arms outstretched above her. Keepers, from the other side of the protective barrier, slip an ultrasound wand through the mesh and press it against her abdomen. Animal keepers say the ultrasound gel is often off-putting for animals – even if they warm it up. Animals typically don’t like the texture, but Asha doesn’t mind. She participates in the ultrasound sessions for around 30 minutes, and is free to leave the sessions any time she pleases. She offers her belly to keepers in a more ‘theatrical’ way, too.

“She has an especially graceful stomach presentation, where she lifts one leg straight up against the mesh, like a ballerina, so we can position the wand on the underside of her round tummy,” Wild says. “Guests get a real kick out of seeing that, and it gives us great wand placement options to see the baby moving around.”

Gorilla gestation typically lasts eight-and-a-half months. As long as Asha and her baby continue to do well, guests can visit her in Primate World. When she gives birth, the Zoo will share updates.

Gorilla babies are typically on their mothers for the first year, taking time to crawl, explore and play periodically. In the first 15 days, the gorilla care team will be looking for the baby to hit milestones that indicate good development, including grasping onto its mother, nursing, holding its head up independently, making eye contact and following movement with its eyes.

In its first month, they’ll look for the baby to smile, laugh quietly, roll over from its stomach to its back, initiate soft play and start teething.

Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild, and their numbers continue to decrease in the wild. Gorilla fans can help preserve wild gorilla habitats by recycling small electronic devices and cell phones at CMZoo.

In addition to disease and poaching, gorillas face habitat loss due to logging for agricultural use, human settlements and mining. Many of the West African lowland forests and swamps that these animals call home are also natural deposits of coltan, a mineral used in cell phones and other electronics. Due to the ever-increasing demand for cell phones across the world, the destruction of these gorillas’ habitats for mining purposes has unfortunately increased.

Coltan is recyclable, and by donating old cell phones, we can help supply valuable coltan for future phone production. Guests can bring electronics to CMZoo admissions or Primate World, where there’s a recycling collection bin near the gorillas’ indoor dens. CMZoo will send them to Eco-Cell, an organization that recycles the phones, as well as tablets, smart watches, Bluetooth devices, GPS devices, e-readers, digital cameras, handheld gaming systems and their accessories.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2025, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #2 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised more than $5 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, staff at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are reflecting on one mother-daughter relationship that stands out: Bornean orangutans, Hadiah [huh-DEE-uh] and Ember.

Sumatran orangutan, Ember — Bornean orangutan, Ember

“They’re incredibly close,” Ashton Asbury, animal keeper in Primate World, says. “Great apes are intelligent and complex beings, and we see different parenting types in each of them. Hadiah, as a mom to her only child, Ember, is a supportive, patient and rose-colored-glasses kind of mom.”

Ember is known for her in-your-face playfulness and high-energy approach to life. Her mom sometimes inadvertently finds herself in the path of her rambunctious nature, but she doesn’t seem to mind. After being the recipient of a rogue toy to the head, Hadiah has been seen handing the toy back to Ember patiently, and returning to her own activity without skipping a beat.

Often that activity is people watching.

“Hadiah has connections with so many visitors and staff because she’s truly curious and recognizes people who return to see her,” Ashton says. “She’s got great facial recognition, and she’ll play with people through the glass. If she’s ever rolled over onto her back or folded her arms over her head to one side and looked at you upside down, she’s playing with you. She does that with her favorite humans and new guests who catch her eye.”

Orangutans are mostly solitary as adults, unless they are interacting for breeding or they have young with them, and many orangutan mothers are ready for their offspring to ‘spring off’ by around age seven or eight. Thirty-seven-year-old Hadiah is content with her daughter-turned-bestie, who is ten years old.

“These two still nest together every night,” Ashton says. “They eat together and play. It’s rare to see that kind of relationship in orangutans, when offspring are as old as Ember, and it really speaks to the respect and affection they have for each other.”

On the rare occasion that confident Ember feels unsure about something new, she runs to Hadiah, grabs her arms and wraps them around her. Despite their similar size, Hadiah occasionally still carries Ember.

“Their dynamic can be playful and outgoing, but also so patient and calm,” Izzy Dones, animal keeper in Primate World, says. “They’re usually together, but Ember and Hadiah also enjoy doing things separately sometimes. They’re both confident training and exploring separately, but, any time Hadiah is training with us, we’re ready with an activity for Ember nearby, because she’s going to want to do whatever Mom is doing.”

Hadiah grew up at the Zoo and was close with her own mother, Sabtu, until she passed away, in 2006. That strong family foundation seems to have shaped Hadiah’s parenting style.

“At least partly because of Hadiah’s unwavering support, Ember is one of the most confident and intelligent orangutans we’ve seen,” Izzy says. “She’s outgoing and curious about staff and guests, just like Hadiah, and she picks up training fast. She’s always pushing boundaries in a way that helps her grow, but still stays very close to Hadiah.”

Ember’s favorite enrichment activities include wearing fabric on her head, mimicking a behavior observed in wild orangutans who use leaves for shelter, like a hat or umbrella. She’s also a skilled problem-solver who enjoys dismantling enrichment items and ‘trading them’ through the mesh for snacks from keepers. She has learned that she gets one snack for every item she passes through the mesh, so instead of passing an assembled puzzle feeder, she takes it apart into several pieces – earning several snacks.

“Ember is really sharp,” Izzy says.

The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Hadiah participates in cooperative care, like brushing and water-flossing her teeth, nail trims, target training, voluntary injection, abdominal ultrasound, scale training, ear and eye presentations, and more. Of course, through modeling behaviors learned by watching Mom, Ember is also a whiz at most of these, too.

Not to be outdone by her vivacious daughter, Hadiah is learning new climbing behaviors, and her fascination with guests is building her confidence and strength to climb high in the orangutan yard.

“She likes to climb down like a sloth, and because she’s so outgoing, she seems to enjoy the guests’ reactions,” Izzy says. “She’ll hear guests ‘oohing’ at her while she climbs, and will stop and look over at them with excitement.”

When guests aren’t ‘oohing’ at her, she calls them over by knocking on the glass to get their attention. Visitors usually get the hint, and Hadiah presents opportunities to play, or brings a blanket over to the glass to make a nest to rest near them.

Bornean orangutan, Hadiah portrait — Bornean orangutan, Hadiah

Their “perfect day” includes novel training sessions, new spaces to explore and enrichment items like ice treats, bubbles, coconuts and even painting sessions. Hadiah is especially thoughtful with her artwork, while Ember seems to embrace the Jackson Pollock painting style.

As members of a critically endangered species, Hadiah and Ember play an important role in orangutan conservation.

“Most people won’t get the chance to see an orangutan in the wild,” Izzy says. “But when they meet Hadiah and Ember, they connect. They stop, they watch, and they feel seen by an animal. That connection makes all the difference.”

Every visit to CMZoo helps fund international efforts to save wild orangutan habitats, through the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program. “Orangu-fans” can save the rainforests from the comfort of their smartphone with a free global mobile app called PalmOil Scan.

Palm oil is an edible oil sourced in about half of consumer products. Unsustainable palm oil production results in deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia – the only places where critically endangered orangutans live in the wild. Although the majority of palm oil production is in Southeast Asia, it has also expanded to other tropical areas, which means more animal species could lose the habitats they need to survive.

When produced sustainably, palm oil is four to ten times more productive than any other edible oil. Using PalmOil Scan, conscientious consumers can scan the barcodes on tens of thousands of products in the app’s extensive database (which is being updated and expanded continually) to see if they are produced by a company that has committed to sourcing sustainable palm oil. By choosing products made by companies that have committed to sustainable palm oil, consumers can show companies that they’re armed with the information they need to demand action for wildlife conservation.

Developed under the direction of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and regionally managed by CMZoo, in the U.S. and Canada. The PalmOil Scan is a global app that can also be downloaded in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, which are all managed by other partner zoos. The free app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. Orangutan enthusiasts can learn more about palm oil, and download the free app before their next shopping trip, at cmzoo.org/palmoil.

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Visitors to Primate World, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, may soon notice two crates in the orangutan yard. These crates are part of the Zoo’s careful preparations to help two iconic Sumatran orangutans, 6-year-old Kera and her mother, 37-year-old Sumagu, get ready for their next chapter.

The mother-daughter duo is scheduled to move to another AZA-accredited zoo, likely later this summer, as part of a breeding recommendation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Sumatran orangutans.

Sumagu has a breeding recommendation with a male at another zoo, and keepers are working diligently to ensure the move is as smooth and low-stress as possible.

“Crate training is one of the more advanced behaviors we work on with our orangutans,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, says. “We’re teaching Kera and Sumagu to voluntarily enter the crates and to be comfortable spending time in them.”

Using positive reinforcement training, keepers are helping both orangutans associate the crates with rewards and calm experiences. In addition to watching for subtle behaviors, the team teaches the orangutans to signal when they’re ready to end a training session. This method allows Kera and Sumagu to feel empowered throughout the training process.

“Our goal is for them to enthusiastically enter the crates and allow the doors to close behind them,” Ashton says. “That way, when it’s time for the big move, it’s a familiar and positive experience.”

Thanks to this voluntary approach, neither orangutan will require sedation during their trip. Experienced animal transport professionals will make stops along the way to check on the great ape travelers, offering food and water, and making visual health checks. The teams also collaborate with AZA-accredited zoos along the way, in case the orangutans need care mid-trip.

Sumagu, who was born at CMZoo, will be stepping into a new world as she heads to her new home.

“We’re excited for Sumagu to have this new life experience,” Ashton says. “She’s such a wise and savvy orangutan. She’s very confident, and we’re encouraging her choice and control as she trains. She’s a great communicator. If she needs us to make adjustments, she’ll let us know.”

Sumagu’s daughter, Kera, is also preparing for this next stage in life. At her age, orangutans naturally begin to seek more independence, and Sumagu encourages that independence in Kera. To support this, Kera and Sumagu will travel in separate crates, and then settle into their new home together.

“It’s important for young female orangutans, like Kera, to observe their mothers raising another baby,” Ashton says. “She doesn’t have a breeding recommendation, but she could later. Young female great apes who get to be older siblings become more successful mothers later. Great apes’ offspring typically stay with their moms longer than any animal species, and learning how to be a mom from their own mom is the best-case scenario.”

Keepers at CMZoo will be working closely with the orangutans’ future animal care team, sharing training histories and behavioral nuances, which is essential for complex and intelligent animals like orangutans.

“Kera is such a fun kid,” Ashton says. “She’s serious about orangutan things, like nest-building, but she’s also super engaging and outgoing with people. We will definitely miss both of them, but we’re proud to support this breeding recommendation that supports the population in human care, and continues to inspire conservation for wild orangutans.”

Fans of Kera and Sumagu, and all orangutans, can save the rainforests from the comfort of their smartphones with a free global mobile app called PalmOil Scan, available for free on the App Store and Google Play. It is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, with further expansion planned in the future. Orangutan enthusiasts can learn more about palm oil, and download the free app before their next shopping trip, at cmzoo.org/palmoil.

Palm oil is an edible oil that can be found in about half of consumer products. Unsustainable palm oil production results in deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, the only places where critically endangered orangutans live in the wild. Although the majority of palm oil production is in Southeast Asia, it has also expanded to other tropical areas, which means more animal species could lose the habitats they need to survive.

When produced sustainably, palm oil is 4 to 10 times more productive than any other edible oil. Using PalmOil Scan, conscientious consumers can scan the barcodes on tens of thousands of products in the app’s extensive database (which is being updated and expanded continually) to see if they are produced by a company that has committed to sourcing sustainable palm oil.

“Orangutans are incredibly intelligent and complex animals,” Ashton says. “Our animal care team knows these great apes really well, and we’re planning for the best opportunities for all of the orangutans in our care as these changes take place.”

Primate World is currently home to six orangutans: three Sumatran orangutans, including Kera and Sumagu, and three Bornean orangutans. When Kera and Sumagu move, male Sumatran orangutan, Baka, will continue his current lifestyle, with access to interactions through a safety barrier with Ember and Hadiah, mom-and-daughter Bornean orangutans. Tujoh, a male Bornean orangutan, will continue to have the same access.

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Baldwin, Benton and Baker, the raccoon brothers who call Rocky Mountain Wild home, recently took up a new hobby, thanks to their keepers’ creativity and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s commitment to environmental enrichment. Their habitat now features an exciting new addition: an elevated stream where they can fish, forage and explore on their own schedules.

“Raccoons love to solve problems, splash in water and, of course, eat,” Kelsey Walker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal keeper, says. “This stream is a dream come true for them, and our guests seem to love watching their adorable methods.”

Inspired by the old-fashioned gold panning stations of the American West, the new wooden enrichment feature consists of three connected elevated ‘streambeds,’ each about eight feet long and two feet wide. The beds are full of about five inches of dirt, sand, rocks and shells, and flooded with water. Keepers bury shrimp, mussels and crab legs in the substrate, encouraging the raccoons to rely on their natural foraging skills.

The enrichment was introduced in February, and from the very beginning, the raccoons took to it immediately.

“These raccoons were born in human care, but they instinctively knew how to fish right away,” Kelsey says. “They perch on the rocks or wade into the streams, patting the surface with their paws until they detect food. They dig it out, roll it in their paws to find the weakest spot to crack into it, and then settle somewhere dry to eat.”

Raccoons are incredibly tactile animals. Seventy-five percent of the part of their brain that manages the sense of touch is dedicated to their forepaws. Their paws often tell them more about their environment than their noses or eyes. That makes ‘blind fishing’ in muddy streams a cinch. They can solve the ‘mud problem’ and locate prey underwater – or under rocks – just by feeling around the surface.

The brothers typically spend 15 to 30 minutes fishing before moving on to other activities, but they return to the streams multiple times each day and night. It’s safe to say that fishing is their new favorite hobby. In addition to fishing, they have a variety of enrichment opportunities throughout their space, including a dry foraging bin filled with hay, shavings, peas and corn, and fruit hanging from trees to encourage climbing. Keepers also scatter treats in mulch and hay across the habitat floor.

“Our three raccoons are really living the good life,” Kelsey says. “It’s like they have retired on waterfront property. They sleep in every day, then they go fishing, hang out with their brothers, take a nap and fish some more. That’s their routine.”

The Zoo’s enrichment philosophy focuses on creating engaging and stimulating environments that encourage animals to do wild-type behaviors at their own pace, without depending on keepers’ schedules. Keepers still train with animals, because husbandry behaviors are important for their care. The new streambeds are a great example of environmental enrichment.

“This has been a really successful way to provide enriching and interesting activity for them for an entire day,” Kelsey says. “They don’t need us, beyond stocking the stream each morning. It’s incredibly rewarding to set up an environment and to know they’re having a great day, getting good physical and mental exercise, and using their natural instincts.”

Guests visiting Rocky Mountain Wild will also benefit from the new feature. Since the stream beds are elevated, visitors get an even better view of the raccoons’ fishing techniques and playful behavior.

“When they’re in the troughs, they’re right up by the mesh, so it gives guests a great angle of what they’re doing,” Walker added. “If they happen to be sleeping when you stop by, be sure to come back later. They’ll probably be up to something fun, whether it’s fishing, climbing or foraging.”

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At 9 years old, our golden dairy girls – Cotija, Asiago, Queso, Mozzarella, Colby, Muenster, Ricotta and Brie – are enjoying their golden years to the fullest! These goats spend their days sunbathing, training, climbing, playing, going on walkabouts and meeting guests. Visitors can feed the goats for $1 per feeding, depending on weather, or interact with them through goat encounters, where they can pet and brush the goats.

If you’ve tasted goat cheese, it was probably made from milk from a goat like one of ours! Nubian and Nubian-Saanen goats are among the most common dairy goat breeds found on farms worldwide. Our goats originally came from a local cheese farm, inspiring their cheesy names.

Stop by and share some moments with these gouda girls!

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A group of ferrets is called a business! Our business is made up of Alfred, Tsunami, Cyclone, Avalanche and Blizzard! These playful, social animals thrive in small groups. A mix of ages helps the group maintain strong bonds as it evolves. Alfred, at 6, and Tsunami, almost 5, are the oldest, while Cyclone, Blizzard, and Avalanche are 3-year-old females. Though there’s no real hierarchy, Cyclone and Avalanche often lead playtime. Unlike their solitary black-footed ferret cousins, domestic ferrets have been bred for social traits, making them more interactive with humans and each other. Stop by The Loft at CMZoo to see them playing, snuggling and training together!

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At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, one extra-fluffy black bear quietly captures the hearts of guests and staff from her peaceful home above the play hills near Grizzly Grill. Beezler, an Asiatic black bear with sassy tendencies and a heart-meltingly gentle demeanor, has touched countless hearts as an ambassador for her species.

At 32 years old, she is the oldest living Asiatic black bear in human care in the U.S. The median life expectancy for Asiatic black bears in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is 29 years. At an age that would put her in her 90s in human years, Beezler is a testament to the compassionate care she receives, an enriching environment, and undoubtedly, her own determined spirit. Described as “sassy” by her keepers, Beezler knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to communicate it, especially when it comes to snacks.

“She is very sweet,” says Erika Furnes, Asian Highlands keeper. “But if we’re moving too slowly with her treats, she lets us know by being surprisingly quick to grab them off the tongs. Even when she’s telling us to hurry up, she’s still gentle. She takes food delicately with just her lips. It’s really cute.”

Her diet consists of peanuts, apples, lettuce, carrots, yams, bananas and an omnivore chow. Occasionally, she enjoys meat or fish, but her true high-value rewards are whipped cream and yogurt. One of her favorite snacks is courtesy of the Zoo’s horticulture team. When crabapple season rolls around, Beezler knows just what to do.

“Above her outdoor space, there’s a crabapple tree that drops fruit every fall,” Erika says. “She knows it. She’ll look up towards the tree, waiting for it to deliver a snack, and then trots over to the apples as they bounce and roll around. It’s so fun to watch her enjoying that natural enrichment, and it’s good for her to stretch and move, since she’s an older bear.”

Beezler is an example of aging with grace in her golden years. She’s fully encouraged to move at her own pace. She has 24/7 access to her climate-controlled dens, where she naps often. However, it’s worth the walk up the short hill to her home, because although she has slowed down and spends a lot of time resting, guests might still see Beezler embracing her inner cub.

“She can be moving at her normal slow pace, but then she sees us setting up something fun, and she’s ready to go,” says Erika. “She really likes it when the weather warms up and we set up her pool. Sometimes she acts almost like a cub again, splashing and floating around. Other times, we set something up that we think she’s going to love, and she ignores it. It’s her world, and she can do whatever she wants!”

When she’s not relaxing her in tub, Beezler enjoys making her hay beds extra cozy, shredding cardboard boxes and occasionally showcasing her signature bursts of youthful energy. Keepers recently gave Beezler a log that Waffles, CMZoo’s African cape porcupine, had been interacting with, so it smelled really good.

“Beezler tore it up,” Erika says. “We hadn’t seen her do that in years! We’re definitely going to keep bringing those logs for her.”

As Beezler has aged, her care has evolved to prioritize her mobility and comfort. She has arthritis, particularly in her back left hip, so the Zoo’s veterinary team has developed a comprehensive pain management plan. She receives supplements and oral medications for pain and inflammation. She participates in laser therapy on her left hip, earning whipped cream as a reward for her cooperation. Beezler is also learning to receive acupuncture therapy by choice.

“We started training her for acupuncture treatments with a blunted needle, then transitioned to a sharper one,” Erika says. “She doesn’t seem to notice at all, and enjoys the whipped cream and yogurt rewards. The acupuncture needles are incredibly fine, just like in human acupuncture, and we hold onto them safely in case she decides to walk away, which she’s always free to do.”

Positive reinforcement training, like this, allows Beezler to be an active participant in her own care, reinforcing the Zoo’s commitment to training that prioritizes the animals’ comfort, confidence and choices in their homes.

Her training extends to other medical procedures as well. She voluntarily participates in blood draws, which allow her team to monitor different levels that could indicate she needs intervention, by placing her front leg into a specially designed metal sleeve.

In addition to her impressive training repertoire, Beezler’s environment is intentionally set up to enrich her and to encourage mobility. Keepers position activities and puzzle feeders in ways that encourage Beezler to move up and down her habitat’s steps, and to climb, stretch and dig.

“She likes to dig in the dirt and the snow,” Erika says. “Digging is a really good movement for her to continue because it involves so many muscles and keeps her dexterity strong. It’s also mentally stimulating and rewarding for her to dig to discover a treat we’ve hidden for her. That sense of confidence and accomplishment is important.”

Asiatic black bears are not commonly found in zoos, making Beezler a rare and special resident. Despite her small stature, standing only about two-and-a-half feet tall at the shoulder, Beezler maintains a giant presence at the Zoo and around the world through the Zoo’s social media channels. Whether she’s digging in the dirt, stretching for a treat, or playfully ignoring her keepers when she doesn’t feel like listening, Beezler continues to be an icon of resilience, intelligence and charm.

“It’s a privilege to work with her and to give people the chance to see and appreciate Asiatic black bears up close,” Erika says.

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It’s the howl-iday season at CMZoo, and our pack is thriving! CMZoo is home to five Mexican wolves: Navarro and his offspring — Hope, Shadow, Phoenix, and Uno. Sisters Hope and Shadow have stepped up as confident leaders, often being the first to investigate food, while Uno, Phoenix, and Navarro take a more laid-back approach.

To help keep the pack wild, keepers place food near the front of their yard and then leave, maintaining the wolves’ natural wariness of humans. This is especially important since our wolves or their future offspring could potentially be released into the wild to help bolster the endangered Mexican wolf population. Thanks to conservation efforts, wild Mexican wolf numbers are increasing, with an estimated 257 currently living in the wild in the U.S., according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

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Since mid-November, CMZoo’s typically social and outgoing 48-year-old Western lowland gorilla, Roxie, has had several ‘off’ days. She’s spending more time in bed and looking lethargic.

“Roxie has been a big part of the CMZoo family since she was born here in 1976,” Joanna Husby, Primate World animal care manager says. “She’s lived at the Zoo longer than any other animal here, and we’ve been through health scares with her before, but this time it looks a bit different.”

Roxie is eating, drinking, and participating in training, but she is not walking or climbing as well as usual. She’s spending a lot of time in her den, resting, which means she’s choosing rest over socializations that are vital to gorillas’ wellbeing. Roxie chose to go outside and enjoy the sunshine this past weekend, but the longer she isn’t improving, the more concerned the team is growing.

Keepers and veterinarians have not identified anything that could be causing her discomfort from what they can see during up-close training sessions with Roxie. While her team works to diagnose and help her, Roxie is voluntarily taking oral antibiotics and increased pain and anti-inflammatory medications. Oral medications have helped her overcome bouts of illness quickly in the past, but she’s not bouncing back as fast this time.

If oral medications do not help Roxie soon, the next option could be to immobilize her for additional diagnostics. Her last immobilization and treatment extended her life for the past five years, but it was risky.

In 2019, Roxie became lethargic and refused to eat or drink entirely. While she was under anesthesia for an exam, Roxie went into cardiac arrest. Her team brought her back to life with CPR and emergency drugs. The examination, although hard on Roxie and the team, revealed several issues that the team was able to treat. Since recovering five years ago, Roxie has had one of the longest stretches of consistently good health – up until this recent series of off days.

“In 2019, in the middle of Roxie’s health scare, her care team talked about where we would draw the line, treatment-wise, for Roxie,” Joanna says. “We work to find the balance for her and all of our animals. How much are these treatments asking of Roxie, and how long is Roxie going to benefit from them, given her advanced age? We still agree that her quality of life is more important than attempting to extend her life by taking extreme measures. She’s old, and we want her to live with dignity and comfort in this final chapter.”

The team has agreed to say no to extensive treatments that they might pursue for a much younger gorilla. Roxie is 9 years past the median life expectancy for female Western lowland gorillas in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

“We’re really hopeful she just needs a few more days on medication or medication adjustments, but if not, an immobilization could be the best thing for her,” Joanna says. “A thorough examination of Roxie under anesthesia could help us pinpoint something that’s easy to treat, or we could find something that we could manage comfortably for her long-term, or we could discover something that would require extensive treatment. Every decision we make will be with her best interest at heart.”

As Roxie and her care team work together to support what’s best for Roxie, CMZoo will provide updates.

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From the tallest giraffe to the smallest axolotl, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to a diverse variety of animals with a common thread: the Zoo’s dedication to their care. Arguably, one of the most charming species at the Zoo is the guinea pig. In Water’s Edge: Africa, a vibrant muddle (a group of guinea pigs) thrives in the cavy equivalent of a ‘Barbie Dream House.’

“Like all animals, guinea pigs need an enriching environment to flourish,” Grace Sullivan, lead keeper in Water’s Edge: Africa says. “In addition to monitoring our animals‘ needs, our job is observe how animals interact with their environments and maintain them to support our animals’ needs.”

The muddle’s care team provides activities that support their independence, choice and control with opportunities to explore, socialize, and exercise in ways they find rewarding. Guinea pigs are extremely social animals. They’re curious and energetic. With 17 guinea pigs ranging from young to geriatric at CMZoo, Sullivan and her team work to address the individual needs of each.

Yzma [YEEZ-muh] is among the standout residents of this muddle. The 6-year-old cinnamon-colored guinea pig, with charming full-body cowlicks, is one of the original members of the CMZoo guinea pig herd, having arrived at the Zoo in 2020. As the eldest, she has learned to participate in her own health care, taking oral medication to ease age-related issues like arthritis.

Yzma, an aging guinea pig, approaches a keeper to voluntarily receive her oral daily anti-inflammation medication.

Guinea pigs have a short lifespan, usually around five years. With habitat adjustments, medications and voluntary husbandry checks, like scale training, the team works to maximize their quality of life during that time. Recognizing the changing needs of older guinea pigs, the Water’s Edge: Africa team introduced the ‘Silver Whiskers Program.’

“When we first notice a health decline in a guinea pig that’s getting older, we start them on the Silver Whiskers Program with a thorough medical exam,” Grace says. “That data sets a baseline for them, and we can rely on it to support them as they age gracefully.”

Checking teeth, joints and blood values allows the team to monitor and address health changes with solid data to guide welfare decisions. The team also tracks quality-of-life measures, like weight, mobility, social activities and interactions with their environments.

Guinea pigs in their golden years get exclusive access to the ’Silver Whiskers Dining Room,’ where they need not compete with much younger, faster eaters, like 2-year-old Brenda.

Long-haired, black-and-white Brenda is known for her speed and dominance in the herd. She’s usually first to investigate new enrichment or nudge another guinea pig out of the way to get what she wants. Tiny and feisty, Brenda taught keepers that some guinea pigs don’t want to interact with humans, and she’ll give a healthy guinea pig ‘head toss’ at anyone who needs reminding.

Another key character in the herd is short-haired, brown-and-black, brown-and-black, short-haired Grandpa. The one-year-old guinea pig is known for his ability to start a ‘popcorning’ party in the herd. Popcorning is a display of excitement among guinea pigs, and it looks just like it sounds: a sudden, vertical leap – usually displayed a few times in a row. A popcorning muddle is a remarkable sight.

First-time visitors exploring Water’s Edge: Africa for hippos and penguins might be surprised to find themselves captivated by the antics guinea pigs. CMZoo frequenters know the cavies are worth their own visit to the Zoo.

“It is really fun to get to know our members and guests through our interactions about the guinea pigs,” Grace says. “When guests see us engaging with the guinea pigs, they realize that they’re given the same freedoms and care as larger animals like hippos or lemurs, and they share updates they’re making to their own guinea pigs’ habitats. That makes me happy to know our muddle is inspiring welfare improvements for pets, too.”

The guinea pigs will continue to explore their yards during the winter months, when it’s sunny and free of snow. If they’re staying cozy in their climate-controlled hut, guests can see them through their clear front door.

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