Animal Health Archives - Page 3 of 12

African lions are working through a delicate transition in African Rift Valley. The lion keepers’ long-term goal is to provide healthy groupings and vital social interactions for the four related big cats, with Lomela, the mother, bridging the gap for her family.

Aging parents, Abuto (12) and Lomela (16), their daughter, Elsa (8), and their son, Aslan (8), make up the African lion pride at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. In April 2023, Aslan’s and Elsa’s brother, Boma, moved to San Diego Zoo Safari Park. When Boma and Aslan were about a year-and-a-half old, Abuto told them it was time to go on their own, so the boys formed a coalition and lived together. After Boma began showing signs that he was ready for his own pride last year, which is typical for male lions around that age, CMZoo worked with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) African Lion Species Survival Plan to find Boma a pride of female lions to live with.

After Boma’s departure from CMZoo, the African lion care team began ‘howdies’ between Elsa and Aslan, so Aslan could have another lion to spend social time with. After their interactions with a protective barrier between them didn’t produce the outcome keepers hoped for, the team started weighing other options.

“We didn’t see anything necessarily alarming between Elsa and Aslan during their howdies, but we didn’t see the calm and interested behaviors we wanted to see,” said Savannah Woods, animal keeper in African Rift Valley. “Re-introducing lions can be dangerous. When you’re deciding whether to give these massive animals access to each other, you want to have the right indications that they’re going to be safe.”

The keepers’ next option was to see if Lomela and Aslan could be re-introduced. It wasn’t their first option because of Lomela’s age and the reality that she might not be around for a lot longer. She has reached the median life expectancy for African lions in human care, according to the AZA.

Lomela and Aslan started howdies a few months ago, and in early February, after seeing several good interactions, the two started sharing space.

“Lomela is calm and assertive, which is what Aslan needs so he can re-learn what is acceptable behavior around female lions,” said Woods. “He is more interested in her than she is in him, so he’ll approach her to smell her, and she will let him get close until she decides she wants more space. Then, she’ll typically hiss or bark at him, and he will back off. He’s being respectful, and she’s communicating really well.”

As introductions continue, the mother and son have been comfortable sharing space. They’re often seen drinking water, engaging with enrichment individually and sleeping in separate areas of the same room, which are signs of comfort.

In a recent introduction, Aslan approached Lomela while she was lying down, and she hissed at him to give her more space. Because he’s getting more comfortable, he’s also testing new limits, and she is responding with new communication methods – in this case, a roar and a single swat to his face. He backed off right away, and they both laid back down. About 30 seconds later, Lomela moved closer to Aslan to get a drink of water, and he watched her calmly without moving. The two are continuing to learn how to interact in ways they’re both comfortable with.

“Their actions can seem a little intense sometimes, but that is just how they communicate,” said Woods. “We will have someone monitoring them during introductions, until we’re confident they’ve developed good social skills together. This new setup doesn’t come without risk, but we have to trust them to continue communicating because, long-term, having these social opportunities is best for the pride. We’re really proud of their progress, and glad we can provide new social opportunities.”

Because of Lomela’s age, keepers will continue to work on howdies between Elsa and Aslan. That plan will likely have Lomela sharing space with Elsa on one side of a protective barrier and Aslan on the other. Lomela’s presence is calming for Elsa, so keepers are leaning on Lomela to help her kids feel comfortable around each other. Unfortunately, aging Lomela won’t always be here to help her family get along, so they’re taking advantage of the time they have with her leadership.

“We’re grateful for Lomela’s leadership and we’re hopeful about the interactions we’ve seen so far,” said Woods. “We appreciate everyone sending the pride their best wishes as they move through these new chapters.”

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A charcuterie board fit for a king sits in the human side of a gorilla den. Peanuts, grapes, bananas, primate biscuits and handmade peanut butter-and-oatmeal roll-ups are lined up next to a souvenir CMZoo cup of juice, ready to reward an impressive set of skills. The goodies are for the king of Primate World – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s much-loved male Western lowland gorilla, Goma.

Just beyond the spread of sweet and savory snacks, on the gorilla side of the den, a blue plastic stool sits in a room covered in comfy hay with two open doors on either side. One brightly backlit door leads to the yard, where the sun is shining brightly on a warm February day. On the other side of the second door, CMZoo’s gorilla troop members, Asha, Kwisha, Roxie and Goma are lounging, foraging, building nests and interacting with guests through glass.

February is Heart Month and today is another heart health monitoring day, so a veterinary cardiologist is on site. Heart health is important regardless of age or species. CMZoo partner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, cares for some of the world’s smallest cardiac patients, while CMZoo cares for one of the biggest.

Goma will be 33 years old on March 31, and the median life expectancy for male Western lowland gorillas in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is 32.7 years. Unfortunately, heart disease is prevalent in older male great apes. Goma has heart disease and takes oral medication to prevent its progression. His disease is under control and his care team monitors his health with regular cardiac ultrasound readings provided by the local experts at North Springs Veterinary Referral Center.

As the cardiologist follows Primate World Lead Keeper Jon Wild into the room, a commanding but tentative presence joins them from the other side of the mesh. It’s Goma, and he knows those tasty treats are for him.

“Hi there,” Wild says softly to the 435-pound silverback, who is taking his time scanning the room, his big brown eyes intently studying the faces beaming back at him. “We have some extra people in here today, don’t we? You’re okay. Do you want to come over here and do some ultrasound training with us? Just sit here on your stool, and we’ll get started.”

Goma isn’t hesitant about Wild, the cardiologist, the equipment or the observing keeper in the room. He’s familiar with this setup; he just did this a few days ago. It’s the two people here to learn about his training and take photos that he’s not so sure about. Wild reassures Goma, and Goma quickly settles onto his light blue spool seat, scooching up to the mesh for a refreshing gulp of juice.

Goma is comfortable, even with the new visitors, because his care team has earned his trust through years of relationship building. Goma established this ultrasound behavior previously, so once Goma got to know Wild, who has 22 years of experience working with great apes and has worked at CMZoo for over a year, they started building upon it. The most important part of Goma’s participation in the ultrasounds is sitting still – either on his stool or on the ground – with his chest close enough that Wild can slip the probe through the mesh onto Goma’s chest.

The sessions’ length is up to Goma. Sometimes they’re five minutes and sometimes they last over an hour. Wild communicates to Goma to reposition or to bring his chest closer to the mesh, and Goma sits still. Wild and the cardiologist communicate about the image on the ultrasound screen and where to move the probe to get the best views. All the while, Goma sits patiently and gets treats from Wild. But, there’s one element that sensitive Goma, who is a great student, isn’t shy about protesting.

“He doesn’t care for the ultrasound gel,” said Wild. “Some animals enjoy it and they rub it all over themselves, some don’t seem to notice, and Goma tolerates it, but not right away. We can’t figure out why. It doesn’t have a smell, and it isn’t menthol or textured. We warm up the gel so it isn’t cold. When he sees the gel bottle, he’ll lean slightly back and side-eye it until I present the best reward – his peanut-butter and oatmeal roll-ups or juice.”

Once Goma agrees to let the gel touch his skin for the first time, he’s fine with it, but he is welcome to have a moment to communicate he’d rather not endure it at the beginning of each session. He’s a smart gorilla, and he negotiates throughout sessions. Sometimes he offers a more simple behavior compared to presenting his chest, like offering his shoulder or opening his mouth, to see if that will elicit a reward. If he wants to stop, he can always walk away, but that doesn’t happen often.

“We’re asking him to choose this over whatever he’s engaged in,” said Wild. “That’s why the high-value snacks are so important. The experience has to be his most rewarding option, which means having his favorite foods and knowing he’s in control. He also needs to be comfortable with the team. When we started working with this cardiologist, we introduced them while she gave him snacks and juice and talked to him so he could get used to her voice. We got lucky because Goma really likes her.”

His care team is excited about the images Goma has allowed them to collect on ultrasound. They say the equipment and expertise they have access to now is providing some of the best images they have been able to collect.

Making sure Goma’s medication is working is the top priority, but the images serve another purpose. CMZoo shares Goma’s heart health updates, images and medication regimen with the Great Ape Heart Project – a collection of great ape keepers and veterinarians who use this data to learn more about gorillas’ and orangutans’ hearts and share that with people who care for apes. That shared greater depth of knowledge can provide caregivers more treatment options and proven solutions for the great apes in their stewardship.

About 20 minutes into Goma’s session, another curious face appears in the room. This time, it’s not a person, it’s 31-year-old Asha, who is Goma’s number-one in the troop.

“She wants a turn,” said Wild, gesturing toward Asha. “Most of our great apes participate in some kind of heart monitoring, whether that’s EKG readings or blood pressure monitoring through their fingertips, or ultrasounds. Asha is also working on an ultrasound behavior on her belly.”

Asha, who has a breeding recommendation with Goma, is eager to train with Wild. But, Goma is the dominant animal in the group, so Asha doesn’t interfere beyond glancing toward Wild and Goma to make sure they have noticed her playing with a few little pieces of hay in the doorway to the den. Once Goma is finished training, Asha comes into the den and Wild places the probe on her abdomen, but doesn’t see anything exciting. Asha and Goma have been seen breeding, but there’s no evidence it has been successful.

CMZoo will continue to share updates as the group continues to train, bond and grow as a cohesive group.

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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.

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Rambunctious ‘Baby’ Omo has discovered little joys like the feeling of the hose on his gums and the excitement of exploring on his own while still living under the protective eye of his mom, Zambezi. At two and a half years old, Omo is learning and refining foundational training behaviors while also regularly getting the zoomies.

Omo and Zambezi still live together full time but are working on training in different spaces with the doors open between them. With a 1,300 pound ‘hippo tween’ always at the ready to play, Zambezi continues to nurture and teach her wiggly son while recently discovering the little joys of solo time. This time allows Zambezi and Omo some one-on-one time with their care teams and the opportunity to learn, grow, and rest in different ways.

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This fall’s warmer temperatures have been welcomed by a lot of Coloradans, but there are four chirpy rascals in Rocky Mountain Wild that would choose a snow day over any other kind of day. For North American river otters, Pivane (pah-VAWN-ay), Enapay (eh-NAW-pay), Darwin and Newton, it’s past due time to bring on more white fluffy stuff.

“They’re always curious and energetic, but they’re extra enthusiastic in the snow,” said Kristen Cox, senior animal keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “They’re some of my favorite animals to watch in the winter months – especially after a fresh snow. It seems like they have ‘zoomies’ for the entire day.”

A group of otters on land is called a romp. A group of otters in the water is called a raft. There’s no official term for a group of otters in the snow, but it would probably be some synonym for joy. At least, that’s what people feel when watching them in the snow. It’s impossible not to smile, watching them slipping, sliding, wrestling, chattering and scampering up hills and down otter-made toboggan runs that span their habitat.

“When we get at least a couple of inches of snow, the otters usually make a snow slide,” said Cox. “They run to the top of the hill and jump onto their bellies with their front legs tucked back and just bomb down the hill. They’ll take the same path, so it gets pretty slick after a while, and I think they really like how fast they can get going.”

In between sledding sessions, they can be found swimming, sleeping, snacking, training for important voluntary husbandry behaviors and engaging in novel enrichment. Their climate-controlled pool is open year-round and their extremely thick fur coats over healthy layers of fat keep them warm. They’re comfortable in the water even on the chilliest of winter days. North American river otters are believed to have more individual hairs per square inch of their bodies than most humans have on their whole heads. Their outer coat is coarse and their inner coat is soft and fluffy, creating a barrier so thick that water hardly touches their skin.

All of that otter gusto requires rest and fuel, so naps and snacks are another big part of their days. The four otters typically prefer to pile up together for mid-day rests, usually inside one of their hollow logs or in a hay bed in their yard. Enapay sometimes prefers his own space, so if an otter is sleeping solo, that’s probably him.

The otters are meat-eaters, primarily, with fish being their preferred dish. Smelt, trout and capelin top the list. They also get ground meat, shrimp, small rodents and crab. Hard-boiled eggs are a coveted treat that’s scarfed down, shell and all, with no regard for table manners.

Since 2-year-old brothers, Darwin and Newton, moved to CMZoo in May 2022, their care team has been focused on creating an environment that they and 13-year-old brothers, Enapay and Pivane, could all feel confident sharing. Now that they’ve achieved a cohesive bachelor group and the brother pairs are together full-time, animal keepers are prioritizing refreshing or starting voluntary husbandry behavior training. The otters are extremely eager to train, which is communicated through a series of chattering squeaks, chuffy huffs and intense stares of focus.

Enapay and Pivane, who Cox has been training with since they arrived at CMZoo in April 2011, are the best students in the romp. In addition to presenting their paws, receiving voluntary injections, stationing in various locations, coming when called and opening their mouths for dental checks, they are also trained for voluntary blood draws. During blood draws, keepers ask them to take turns placing themselves in the training tube – a half-pipe fastened to a fence – and to present a webbed paw through the fence. They get lots of fish throughout the sessions, while the CMZoo veterinary team delicately draws blood from a vein in their arm.

“When they see us approaching, they dart to the training panel and jump all over each other, trying to get in the prime location in the training tube,” said Cox. “It’s usually Enapay who plants himself in the training tube first. Sometimes he falls asleep in there. He knows good things happen when he goes into the tube, and I think he wants to be there – awake or asleep – just in case we’re going to train.”

The team doesn’t need to draw blood regularly, but it’s an important behavior for the aging otters to have in their wheelhouse. The median life expectancy for North American river otters in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is 12 years.

When the time comes and the boys start slowing down, their care team will be able to run blood tests that can help them diagnose and address any issues. Learning this behavior before they need it means the otters could participate in their health care in a lower stress scenario, without anesthesia.

“They still act like they’re five years old,” said Cox. “They don’t need any medications at this point, but we’re prepared if the day comes when they need our help. For now, we’re grateful they seem to be in good health, and we work hard to ensure every day is jam-packed with fun for them.”

Following in their honorary big brothers’ paw prints, Darwin and Newton are learning important voluntary behaviors, too. Newton recently mastered voluntary injection training. Darwin, the most vocal and confident of the four, is working on it, too. Next up will be presenting their paws for blood draws and checks, stationing – when keepers ask them to move to a specific location and stay there – and opening their mouths for dental checks.

Even their keepers who work with them daily admit it is difficult to tell the four apart, but there are some subtle differences that otter fans can note, and try their best to identify. Pivane and Enapay are lighter brown when they’re dry. Enapay has two darker fur dots above his nose. Pivane has a whiter snout and he’s bigger than Enapay. In the spring, they shed their winter coats and they all look lighter in color, compared to their darker brown winter coats. Darwin has a thinner snout. Those tips might help, if the otters slow down long enough for guests to notice the differences.

“Otters are just the best,” said Cox. “I think we can all learn from them. Every day is the best day of their lives. They’re carefree. They communicate well. They’re honest with each other and they don’t hold grudges. If you like to be happy, otters give you a lot of reasons to be happy.”

Next time Mother Nature graces Colorado with snow, channel your playful inner otter and enjoy a day at the Zoo. CMZoo is open every day of the year and Value Days reduced admission begins December 1. Grab an e-ticket (advance tickets are required) at cmzoo.org and a hot cocoa from Grizzly Grill, and spend a moment letting Enapay, Pivane, Darwin and Newton put a smile on your face in Rocky Mountain Wild.

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Juju, a 43-year-old female Western lowland gorilla, is adjusting to a new care plan after a health scare at the end of October 2023. She has experienced phases of discomfort that her team supported her through in the past. But, this time, she seemed to have less specifically-located pains and more general discomfort.

After a few days of what appeared to be headaches, lethargy, reduced appetite and behavioral changes, like choosing to spend time alone in her den rather than with the group, Juju’s care team decided they could best help her with an immobilization.

“Gorillas are incredibly intelligent,” said Joanna Husby, animal care manager in Primate World. “Juju knows that when we have immobilized her to address health concerns in the past, we have first asked her to go into her den and take a voluntary injection to begin anesthesia. This time, without us asking, she chose to go into her den and started presenting her voluntary injection behavior, putting her shoulder up against the mesh toward us. I think she understands that the injection would be the first step towards us helping her feel better, so it’s like she was communicating that she wanted our help.”

During the immobilization, Juju received IV fluids while the team did an ultrasound, took x-rays, drew blood and collected urine for diagnostics. Sadly, those results revealed that Juju is in late stage kidney disease. It appears to have progressed rapidly, as it was not evident in her previous tests only two years earlier. The disease is unfortunately not reversible, so the team is now focused on preventing it from getting worse while keeping her comfortable.

To achieve that, her team needs to manage her blood pressure and reduce or eliminate medications that can cause kidney damage. The medications that need to be adjusted are also the medications that have kept her physical pain at bay. So, in addition to finding a blood pressure medication that she can tolerate, the team needs to find new ways to manage any discomfort.

Juju’s team has changed her pain medications or their dosages started an oral blood pressure medication, and she seems to be improving. Over time, the team hopes that she will be willing to train for voluntary blood pressure checks and voluntary blood draws, so they can monitor her kidney blood values without the need to immobilize to get that information.

“We’re seeing subtle improvements in Juju,” said Husby. “She’s spending time with the troop, eating and drinking normally and appears to be more stable when moving around. We recognize we can’t put a gorilla on dialysis, which is what a human with this stage of kidney disease would likely be encouraged to do, so our treatment options are somewhat limited, but they seem to be helping.”

The median life expectancy of a female Western lowland gorilla in human care is 39 years, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. With that in mind, Juju’s care team is working to give her as many good days as possible, while balancing the risks and benefits of future immobilizations. Putting an animal under anesthesia is always risky, but if the team sees Juju decline in a way they believe they can help under anesthesia, another immobilization is not out of the question.

Juju’s team tracks quality-of-life markers that help them identify if and when they need to escalate her care, including her appetite, activity level, social interactions with other gorillas, mobility and interest in training and enrichment.

“She’s interacting well with the troop and participating in voluntary behaviors, like EKG readings that help us monitor her heart, which can also be impacted by high blood pressure,” said Husby. “We’re cautiously optimistic about the progress she has made over the past couple of weeks, and she has an excellent team of humans and gorillas surrounding her with care and camaraderie.”

Roxie – a 47-year-old female gorilla who Juju has the closest relationship with – has been staying close by, and was especially attentive before Juju’s immobilization.

“We’re going to make the best decisions for her and the social dynamic of the troop as a whole,” said Husby. “We know them all so well that we can make changes quickly to address Juju’s health and the troop’s well-being. She could decline rapidly or we could be lucky and have her with us for many more years. We’re holding onto hope for the latter.”

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They may be tall but Viv, Kay, and Wednesday are the littles of the giraffe herd. Their zoomies, curiosity and bold personalities breathe energy into the herd. Viv, Kay and Wednesday are besties and munch, nap, play and even train together. Each giraffe is at a slightly different level of hoof care training and blood draw training but they are all learning how to voluntarily participate in their own healthcare.

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The harvest season looks a little different at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. In 2021, CMZoo acquired its first shipping container farm, followed by a second in 2022. Currently, only a handful of zoos are working with hydroponic farming systems, like these. Being on the cutting-edge of this technology allows the CMZoo horticulture team to gather valuable data and conduct tests that contribute to the ongoing improvement of hydroponic systems and the production of top-quality produce.

While we will continue to run tests and collect data with our two current farms, the goal is to add more shipping container farms sourcing 50 percent of the lettuce for the giraffe feeding experience. An even longer-term goal is to grow 80 percent of lettuce for Zoo animals in farms like this one.

Visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo shipping containers across from Grizzly Grill during your next visit to CMZoo!

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO –
Just like people, animals’ diets play a huge role in their overall health. In addition to enrichment activities, training sessions and environmental elements that support animals’ mental and physical wellness, planning their daily meals is a major focus for animal care teams.

As the holidays roll around each year, many people are looking forward to gatherings centered around helpings of sweet and savory treats. Food traditionally connects people at the holidays, and celebrations can present opportunities to try new foods and stray from the diet and exercise routines that keep our bodies operating at their best.

Our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado offer advice for helping kids stay healthy during the holidays while enjoying seasonal or traditional treats and activities. CMZoo’s commissary, veterinary and animal care teams work together to follow similar practices to keep the animal residents at the Zoo healthy year-round.

Throughout the year, animal care teams lean on seasonally available items, like pumpkins in the fall or watermelons in the summer, to introduce novel foods to certain animals’ diets.

“The key is moderation, just like people practice around yummy holiday treats,” said Dr. Lizzy Arnett, CMZoo veterinarian. “It’s stimulating for our animals to receive novel foods, but we offer them sparingly and prioritize nutritious meals first.”

Just like humans, animals have individual preferences. That’s one of the things that makes keepers’ relationships with their animals so vital to each animal’s health and well-being. CMZoo’s African penguin flock is a great example of how species knowledge is supported by their care team’s connection with each individual.

Everyone knows penguins eat fish. Some might think that all penguins of the same subspecies would like the same kind of fish, but they would be wrong. The unique tastes of each CMZoo African penguin are on full display during daily penguin feedings in Water’s Edge: Africa. Guests can watch keepers offer four kinds of fish – herring, smelt, capelin and sprat – to accommodate CMZoo’s 16 picky penguins’ penchants.

“We usually know which type of fish to offer to each penguin, but changes in the seasons seem to inspire changes in their choices,” said Erin Henninger, Water’s Edge: Africa animal keeper. “For example, right now, Gary and Ichaboe like smelt, but they won’t eat herring. Safara and Rufaro are currently into herring, but won’t go near smelt. Most of the flock is choosing capelin right now and some will eat sprat occasionally. They have a hilarious way of telling you that you’re offering them the wrong fish. They shake their heads from side to side quickly or turn their faces away from it and wait – with intense side-eye stares – until you get it right.”

When a new animal arrives at CMZoo from another organization, its former care team is asked to provide an overview of its existing diet – main staples, favorite treats, high-value training rewards and things they don’t enjoy or haven’t responded well to in the past.

“To help a new arrival settle in, the veterinary team works with keepers and our commissary team to review their diet, order items we might not have and make any adjustments based on our experience with their species,” said Dr. Arnett. “Offering food to an animal is often a first opportunity to build a relationship, so we want to make sure they have their favorite treats and healthy meals.”

Again, it’s more important to support the animal as an individual, and not necessarily lean on what’s known about their species. Som, a female tree kangaroo who arrived at CMZoo last month, is a big fan of kale, so her keepers offer that leafy favorite as a way to calmly build trust with her during this foundational time. Tristan, CMZoo’s former male tree ‘roo who moved to Denver Zoo on a breeding recommendation from the Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan, despised kale. To each ‘roo, their own!

Atka, CMZoo’s 3-year-old male moose, arrived at Rocky Mountain Wild in July 2020 after being orphaned in the wild. He was only 8 weeks old when he came to CMZoo, so he was bottle fed by his keeper team. Although CMZoo had cared for moose before, he was CMZoo’s first nursing moose calf. Teams relied on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums network of expert knowledge and ever-evolving animal care science to create a formula and feeding schedule for the little guy.

“Currently, Atka’s diet consists of grain, some rye crackers for training, occasional algae from his pond, and a whole lot of browse, otherwise known as tree branches,” said Erika Furnes, animal keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “We’re one of the few zoos that is set up to care for moose, because we have a cooler climate, space to roam and swim, and a lot of native roughage.”

Atka’s team monitors his weight and body condition regularly, especially as he continues to grow. In the wild, moose snack on tree branches, bark, shrubs and aquatic vegetation. In human care, animal care teams provide items that species would eat in the wild and supplement with more readily available items, like grain. Moose are one of the few animals that eat pine needles, so guests will also see Atka snacking on the several pine trees in his habitat during the winter months.

CMZoo has a dedicated team of people who supply hundreds of pounds of browse daily for the various animals who need it. Browse, which includes tree logs, branches and leaves, is nutritious for many species. It’s also enriching for them to ‘work’ for their meals, by moving branches, stripping bark and chewing leaves.

Whether you’re gathering around a big bowl of leafy greens or snuggling up with a cup of hot cocoa, we encourage you to enjoy the holiday festivities in moderation – just like the animals at CMZoo!

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A snow leopard’s tail is an incredibly useful tool. About as long as their bodies, their tails act as a counterbalance, so they can make hairpin turns at lightning speed in the wild. When they’re pursuing prey in their native Himalayan Mountains, their tails act like an automatic rudder on a speed boat, instinctively correcting their course as they maneuver left, right, high and low with unbelievable speed and precision.

In between hunting excursions, their tails are super-fluffy heat sources that they wrap around their bodies – notably their noses and paws – to help keep them warm in their harsh native high alpine habitats.

Although Bhutan [boo-TAWN], 15-year-old male snow leopard at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, isn’t traversing snowy mountains in search of dwindling food sources, or battling blizzards for a good night’s rest, his tail is still vital to his well-being.

“Especially for an older cat, he’s an agile climber and leaper,” said Jessi DiCola, Asian Highlands keeper. “His tail weighs about 10 pounds, so it’s fluffy, but it’s also really muscular. I think his tail has a lot to do with how well he can balance and interact with enrichment.”

It might be hard to tell from the fierce-and-bouncy disposition of 75-pound Bhutan, known as “Boots” by his keepers, but he has reached a distinguished age for a big cat. The median life expectancy of snow leopards in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is 15.

As if Bhutan’s tail wasn’t already impressive enough, it recently helped his care team discover an age-related issue: kidney disease. Unfortunately, it’s quite common in older big cats (and domestic cats, too).

Because Bhutan was previously trained to participate in annual voluntary blood draws from his tail, his keepers and CMZoo’s veterinary team are hopeful they caught his kidney disease early in its progression.

How do you draw blood from a fully awake snow leopard? By asking him to let you hold his tail, of course.

To safely access his tail and to ensure Bhutan knows he is in control of his choices, Bhutan’s care team asks him to come into a special mesh training tunnel for blood draw sessions. The tunnel remains open, so Bhutan can walk away if he decides he’s finished with that training session.

One keeper sits at the very end of the tunnel, where Bhutan knows to position his rear end near the mesh between him and his keeper. As he’s facing forwards, another keeper sits on the other side of the mesh to his left, so she can communicate to Bhutan and reward Bhutan as the training progresses. The two keepers focus intently on Bhutan’s behavior, which is how he communicates his level of comfort throughout training.

Once Bhutan’s giant fluffy tail is in the right spot in the tunnel, his keeper opens a sliding port at the bottom of the mesh that allows him to safely swing his tail out to his keeper’s hands. (You can see Abuto doing a similar training in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddEcGMCZFDA).

“Boots is a total pro at blood draws,” said DiCola. “We’re watching for subtle signs, like a lip curl or tail flick, that tell us he’s close to getting uncomfortable. If we see that, we’ll pause immediately – before he gets uncomfortable – and wait until he shows us he’s ready again, or we’ll stop and try again later. The more we practice, the more comfortable all of us are.”

Bhutan’s kidney levels are elevated, but they’re not extreme at this point. There’s no cure for this kidney disease, unfortunately, so Bhutan’s team must focus on stopping it from getting worse for as long as they can. What they’ve learned from caring for Lomela and Abuto, African lions, is that managing blood pressure is key to slowing the progression of kidney disease.

“We know kidney disease is common in aging cats, and we have successfully monitored and addressed the same issues in our aging African lions for many years now,” said Dr. Eric Klaphake, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “We have been able to give Abuto and Lomela a good quality of life for longer than we might have thought. We hope that what we’ve learned from caring for them will also benefit Bhutan.”

Kidneys are the body’s filtration system. Blood moves through kidneys to be cleaned, and if blood pressure is high, it damages the kidneys as it moves through. Imagine how a trickle of water feels against your skin versus water coming from a high-pressure hose.

Because Bhutan was already well-versed in blood draw training with his tail, blood pressure training – also using the vein in his tail – was a breeze for the spotted scholar. Keepers followed a lot of the same steps to get him in the right position in the training tunnel, with his tail at the port, but Bhutan had to get used to a new sensation: a tail squeeze.

To do that, keepers placed a piece of cloth on the ground and positions Bhutan’s tail on top of it. Once he shows them he’s comfortable, they wrap the piece of cloth around his tail and pause to monitor his level of comfort. If he’s ready to continue, they pull the material more tightly around his tail to resemble the sensation of the blood pressure cuff.

“He has only been working on the blood pressure cuff training for a couple of weeks and he’s already ready for the real thing,” said DiCola. “We’re excited to start getting the real readings, so we have an even better idea of his overall health and what we can do to support him in his golden years.”

For now, Bhutan isn’t on any medications. His care team will increase the frequency of his blood draws to track how his kidney levels might be changing. If his blood pressure is high, his team will address potential changes to his diet or medications to help address it.

CMZoo will provide updates on Bhutan on the Zoo’s social media channels. Next time you’re in Asian Highlands, stop by and wish “Boots” well!

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