Conservation Archives - Page 8 of 12

Cofan, our 17-year-old male mountain tapir, is recovering from having a kidney removed in mid-February. In December 2020, his keepers noticed he was starting to act unusually and that his symptoms were progressing quickly. He was uncoordinated, was not shifting to his outdoor yard, and was eating less and losing weight.

“Cofan is normally eager to participate in training and has a healthy appetite,” said Michelle Salido, lead tapir keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “When we noticed he wasn’t himself, we started working to find out why, and ultimately discovered our guy was dealing with kidney stones that had damaged his kidney to a point that he’d be better off long-term without it.”

There are only seven mountain tapir in human care in the United States, two of which live at CMZoo. Because mountain tapir are so rare, keepers rely on their experience with Cofan and Carlotta, our 26-year-old female mountain tapir who lives with Cofan, to diagnose any issues. Tapir’s closest relatives are horses and rhinos, so sometimes knowledge of these other species can help the team care for them.

“On the inside, tapir are basically miniature horses,” said Salido. “Because their anatomy is so similar, we knew we could work with equine specialists to help him.”

Cofan’s relationship with his keepers and previous husbandry training helped the team diagnose and treat his condition. Cofan voluntarily participated in diagnostics, including x-rays, blood work and ultrasounds. With his keepers’ love and endless chin scratches as rewards, Cofan didn’t need to be sedated for any of the tests that helped diagnose his kidney disease.

“Our ultrasounds showed that he had some kind of kidney abnormality that we needed to further investigate,” said Dr. Jon Romano, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “We reached out to Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and put together a team of specialists that ultimately helped save Cofan’s life. This is the first time this surgery has ever been done for this species, and that was only possible for Cofan because of the collaborative relationship we’ve built with CSU over the years.”

Dr. Matt Johnston, CSU veterinarian and Associate Professor of Avian, Exotic, and Zoological Medicine, was part of an 11-person CSU team of equine specialists, radiologists, anesthesiologists and surgeons that quickly made the trip to help Cofan.

CMZoo and CSU teams identified the kidney stones that were causing the enlargement and damage to Cofan’s left kidney, and went right into surgery.

“We tend to think of tapirs as being similar to horses, and our equine team was able to contribute important expertise to Cofan’s case,” Dr. Johnston. “The pulling together of this type of team happened because of the long-standing working relationship with CSU, which has been mutually beneficial for both CSU and CMZoo.“

As an ambassador for his critically endangered species, Cofan’s charming nature helps people fall in love with tapir, and learn how to help protect his wild counterparts, of which fewer than 2,500 remain in their native habitat. This veterinary case will also help future tapir in human care and possibly in the wild.

“Aside from being so easy to fall in love with, Cofan is continuing to help his species by helping us learn more about how to care for mountain tapir,” said Salido. “What we learn from this case will be shared with other tapir keepers and organizations that monitor wild tapir, with the hope that other tapir can avoid or overcome similar issues.”

Cofan isn’t out of the woods yet. But, his care team is right by his side as they have been all along, and they’re cautiously optimistic. Cofan has been urinating regularly and eating better than he was before surgery – both good signs he’s on the mend.

Cofan’s care team is adjusting his diet to help him hopefully avoid developing stones in his remaining kidney, which should be able to sustain him well by itself, as long as it stays healthy. For the time being, he’s receiving subcutaneous fluids voluntarily as needed, so he’s nice and hydrated as he heals. Again, chin scratches and love are the rewards Cofan needs to receive these treatments voluntarily without sedation.

“He’s doing so great, considering he’s been through major surgery and is still recovering from feeling unwell before the surgery,” said Salido. “We’re taking turns sitting with him while he gets treatments, which take about two hours. Not only does he get the fluids and medications he needs, but it means we get to sit with him and give him lots of love and scratches for hours on end, which I think all of us, including Cofan, are really grateful for.”

Mountain tapir, from the Andes Mountains in Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru, are one of four species of tapir. Due to habitat loss, mountain tapirs are critically endangered. CMZoo staff, thanks to support from Zoo members in our annual Member Conservation Grant Vote, work diligently to save mountain tapir and their habitats south of the equator. In previous years, those grants have funded field research that is led by the Andean Bear Foundation, with support from Smithsonian, LA Zoo, and other partners. As part of these grants, Salido and other CMZoo staff members have traveled to Ecuador to track and attach GPS collars to wild mountain tapirs, and assist with health monitoring and mountain tapir education programs in the region.

The tracking research is critical, given the limited number of tapirs left in the wild and the lack of available data about them. The team’s goal is to present complete data to organizations that can place land protections in the areas where tapirs most frequently roam.

Keepers and CMZoo vet staff are keeping close eyes on Cofan and monitoring his progress as he heals.

Back to The Waterhole

Found in the heart of one of the most biologically diverse areas in all of Africa, okapi have only been widely documented in science since 1901. Threatened by habitat destruction, mining, poaching and civil unrest, there may be as few as 10,000 left in the wild. Okapi are only found in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are a national and cultural symbol and have been protected since 1933.

Okapi are often known as ‘unicorns of the forest,’ because of their unique markings and shy behaviors. If you’ve ever met 8-year-old male CMZoo okapi, Bahati, chances are you have fallen in love with him and his incredible species. Okapi are most closely related to giraffe, and – contrary to what their appearance might lead you to believe – are not a mix between a zebra and a donkey.

In 2020, CMZoo members voted, in the annual Member Conservation Vote, to support the Okapi Conservation Project’s (OCP) community outreach program to promote local education and to encourage co-existence between okapis, their habitat and local villages, with OCP’s agroforestry program.

“The agroforestry program helps residents near rainforests establish sustainable farming practices and reduce dependence on forest resources,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, CMZoo vice president of mission and programs. “By protecting the rainforests from slash-and-burn agriculture, OCP is protecting the okapi who need the rainforest to survive.”

OCP also introduced alternative crops and shared more efficient farming methods and technologies with local farmers. Over the last year, OCP has distributed over 65,000 kg of seedlings and over 62,000 kg of food seeds to more than 900 farmers in the region. As the program continues to grow, they are also taking the initiative to empower local women by supplying seedlings and support to over 400 female farmers.

“I love learning about the ways our frontline conservation partners, like OCP, find mutually beneficial projects for the success of the species they advocate for, and for the people who live near them,” said Dr. Dadone. “They’re so creative, and the positive ripple effect is amazing. Not only is there a safer habitat for okapi, thanks to OCP’s agroforestry program, but local families have more food security.”

In addition to the success of local farmers, one farmer has reported he has a new well-received regular visitor – a wild male okapi. Thanks to the farmer, OCP has been able to track the okapi by getting regular updates and with nearby camera traps.

OCP says they are reimbursing the farmer for any loss of crops he is experiencing from the okapi, who enjoys nibbling on the farmer’s bean stalks. But, the farmer seems to be more focused on the excitement of providing a home for the country’s national animal. The wild okapi, who has been named Nembongo after the area where he is frequently seen, could become an ambassador for his species with local communities.

Since 2015, the Member Conservation Vote has provided $450,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide. Each year, a total of $100,000 of membership revenue is contributed to conservation in two ways:

$25,000 to the Quarters for Conservation program, which in total contributes half a million dollars annually to CMZoo’s legacy conservation partners. Since 2008, Q4C has allowed us to send more than $3 million to the frontlines of conservation.
$75,000 to projects voted for by CMZoo members through this annual vote.

The 2021 Member Conservation Vote will open on Friday, March 19. Members will receive a members-only email with a link to cast their votes for the conservation projects that they want CMZoo to support the most. Votes must be cast by Monday, March 29. Look out for descriptions of the conservation projects members will choose among, in next month’s Waterhole and in the March 19 email to members.

Back to The Waterhole

Next month, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will move forward with revised plans to contribute to the Amur tiger Species Survival Plan. Since 9-year-old female Amur tiger, Savelii, arrived at CMZoo in November 2019 on a breeding recommendation, she has been settling in, getting to know her keepers, training for important husbandry behaviors, and participating in ‘howdies’ with Chewy, our 5-year-old male Amur tiger.

Howdies are opportunities for animals to see, smell and hear each other with a protective barrier in between them. If animals consistently show positive signs of interest in each other, the next step is to introduce them without a barrier for incrementally increasing periods of time. But, just because they’re genetically compatible doesn’t always mean they are compatible as individuals.

“We haven’t seen behaviors between Chewy and Savelii that encourage us to introduce them without barriers,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Asian Highlands animal care manager. “Big cat breeding can be risky, in the wild and in human care – even when animals have spent positive time together without barriers. We’ve decided to take advantage of the technology available to us so we can hopefully contribute to the tiger SSP without putting Chewy and Savelii into a potentially dangerous scenario together.”

In the coming weeks, CMZoo will welcome a team of reproductive specialists to help with collecting semen from Chewy and artificially inseminating Savelii. Historically, artificial insemination in tigers has been unsuccessful a majority of the time, but with new methods in place, the team has high hopes.

The team will inseminate Savelii in two different ways: traditionally, through transcervical insemination, and with a newer method by which the sperm is placed directly into Savelii’s oviducts. The hopefully fertilized eggs would then move into Savelii’s uterus, where cubs would develop over a three-and-a-half-month gestation period.

“The best chance for this to be successful is by using recently collected sperm, which is why we’re collecting from Chewy that same day,” said Dr. Jon Romano, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “We want to do everything we can to help bring Savelii’s valuable genetics into the population, so we’re potentially using a combination of three different samples: a frozen sample previously collected from Chewy, the sperm we collect from Chewy that day, and an additional frozen sample from other tigers genetically compatible with Savelii.”

Female tigers are induced ovulators, which means the act of mating has previously been the only way for the female to release an egg for fertilization. But, breakthroughs in reproductive science have shown that with the assistance of hormone therapy, artificial insemination has a higher margin of success than it used to.

Savelii has been taking hormones to modify her cycling. In the days before her procedure, she’ll participate in her own health care to get a series of voluntary injections that will stimulate her to ovulate.

The newer oviduct procedure is laparoscopic, meaning it involves small incisions which reduce recovery time and chances of infection, as opposed to more invasive surgeries. Still, any time an animal goes under anesthesia and has incisions, there are risks involved, so Savelii will stay inside her den for at least a week after her procedure. This time in her modified dens will allow keepers to closely monitor Savelii’s incision sites while she heals.

Savelii’s care team has been collecting baseline fecal samples that will help confirm whether or not Savelii is pregnant in the weeks following the procedure. In addition to comparing her baseline hormone levels in fecal samples to new fecal samples collected over the next several weeks, they’ll monitor behaviors, like nesting or mammary changes, which are common in tigers in the days leading up to birth.

“We don’t want to anesthetize Savelii if we don’t absolutely have to, so we’re relying on her rockstar training status to help us monitor in other ways, like voluntary x-rays, blood draws and checking for weight gain,” said Zwicker.

Ultrasounds on tigers are dangerous because of the contact staff would have to make with the tiger to get quality imaging, so there are no plans to attempt that.

There’s no exact timeline, but the team estimates if Savelii is pregnant, they would know by about two months into the three-and-a-half-month gestation. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Amur tigers have three cubs, on average. They have been known to have up to seven cubs, but sadly, not all of the cubs usually survive from larger litters. The mortality rate of tiger cubs is high, with only about half of them surviving to maturity.

Male tigers don’t typically play a role in the birth or in raising cubs, so Chewy and Savelii will continue to rotate access to their multiple indoor and outdoor spaces. If Savelii does have cubs, she and the youngsters will likely be in a space that doesn’t present the clumsy little ones with complicated obstacles, like the waterfall and pool in the main yard, until they get their bearings. Cubs are born with their eyes closed, so they are completely dependent on their mothers. They typically open their eyes between six and twelve days after birth.

Amur tigers, previously known as Siberian tigers, are endangered, with fewer than 500 individuals in the wild. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Amur tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) contributes to the success of an assurance population of animal ambassadors in human care that advocate for their wild relatives, and inspire people to support important conservation efforts. Some SSPs also contribute to wild populations, or could in the future.

“We’re excited about the opportunity we have to contribute to the survival of this incredible species,” said Zwicker. “These two are amazing animal ambassadors for their wild counterparts, with such outgoing personalities. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well in March, and we’ll be able to share little Saveliis and Chewys with the world soon.”

Back to The Waterhole

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s conservation partners are still hard at work on the front lines, despite the pandemic that has slowed much of the world. The Zoo and our supporters continue to send funding to important efforts around the world, including Operation Twiga, a giraffe conservation project in Uganda, and Tsavo Trust, an elephant and rhino conservation organization in Kenya.

Operation Twiga began in 2016 to establish new populations of giraffe in safe habitats by translocating healthy, breeding giraffe from existing populations to form new herds in safer habitats.

“It takes a village to save giraffe,” said Stephanie Fennessy, Giraffe Conservation Foundation director. “Operation Twiga V is another conservation success realized by the Uganda Wildlife Authority in partnership with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and financially supported by CMZoo, the Kratt family and many other donors.”

Thanks to CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, whereby 75¢ from every admission to the Zoo is contributed to conservation, our guests are once again making an impact for wildlife and wild places. Although COVID-19 prevented CMZoo staff from attending the Operation Twiga V translocation, as they have in previous years, teams on the ground in Uganda continued this important work, with Operation Twiga V – the sixth giraffe conservation translocation.

Operation Twiga V (2020) was a continuation of Operation Twiga IV (2019). Both translocations contributed to populations in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, an historic habitat in Uganda where giraffe hadn’t existed for more than 20 years.

“We’re so grateful for our guests’ continued support of the Zoo, which allows us to continue supporting these important conservation efforts,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs at CMZoo. “Last year, CMZoo assisted on-site with Operation Twiga IV, in Uganda, but because of COVID-19, we couldn’t attend this time. That’s another reason why it’s so valuable to continue partnering with front line organizations. They can keep the work going, and we can keep supporting them while we can’t be there with them.”

For more information about Operation Twiga V, please read this article from Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program also allowed us to send more support to Tsavo Trust – a field-based non-profit organization in Africa that uses aerial surveillance and on-the-ground field efforts to protect wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in Kenya.

The organization was founded to help protect the last of the “big tuskers,” which are likely the last viable genetic pool of African elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds each. The park is also home to a number of black rhino sanctuaries established by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KSW) and supported by the Zoological Society of London. The black rhino is critically endangered, due primarily to illegal poaching for their horns.

In partnership with the Kratt Family Foundation, CMZoo and its guests funded two clean water stations, known as boreholes, in communities near Tsavo National Park. The effort is a project under Tsavo Trust’s Community Conservancy Program. The program aims to improve local wildlife relations with local community members, by creating secure buffers bordering protected areas of Tsavo National Park. Tsave Trust also reaches out to nearby communities who have, “faced serious hardships, such as lack of water, food insecurity, and constant human-wildlife conflicts, resulting in a negative perception towards wildlife,” according to Tsavo Trust’s most recent conservation update to CMZoo.

The availability of clean drinking water improves the quality of life for members of these important nearby communities, and helps foster goodwill between Tsavo Trust and their neighbors, who can help save wildlife. Tsavo Trust representatives say the community members have been made aware that “the water has come from the elephants.”

Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has helped guests send more than $3 million to conservation efforts around the world, and right here in Colorado. Every visit to CMZoo is conservation is action.

Back to The Waterhole

An important conservation effort to save crowned cranes in East Africa is making progress, thanks to the support of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members. The East African crowned crane has seen a dramatic decrease in population, losing 4,500 individuals over the last four years. If the decline continues at this pace, East African crowned cranes could be extinct in the next decade. The International Crane Foundation (ICF), Endangered Wildlife Trust and Leiden Conservation Foundation, with the support of CMZoo, are collaborating to learn more about this species.

Earlier this year, CMZoo members voted to send $11,000 to fund the banding of young cranes. The project is championed at the Zoo by Philip Waugh, lead keeper in Water’s Edge: Africa and longtime keeper in African Rift Valley, where he worked closely with CMZoo’s two East African crowned cranes, Inzi and Tagi.

Waugh went to ICF in Wisconsin to research this project and to learn how we could best support cranes. He was so inspired by their work that he built a proposal and submitted it for the 2020 Member Conservation Vote.

“They’ve been wanting to start this fieldwork for more than a decade, so when they learned our members could potentially support it, they were excited and so were we,” said Waugh. “It’s inspiring to see how they have prioritized this project. It goes to show that just by being a member at CMZoo, you can make big impacts for conservation around the world. Our members have allowed an organization with a presence on multiple continents to focus a lot of energy on this one project.”

East African crowned cranes, sometimes called grey crowned cranes, are found in many countries in Africa. In each native country, there can be varying causes for their decline, including unhealthy waterways, injuries from power lines, habitat loss from agricultural expansion, harvesting of chicks and eggs, and more.

One obstacle in the way of helping cranes is how little is known about the species. Through this banding project, we will learn a lot about which waterways the cranes depend on, how many offspring each crane typically contributes to a population, which trees they prefer to roost in, what types of diet and nesting material they require and their migration patterns.

“We don’t know if it’s a diminishing resource issue, human conflict, pollution, or a combination of those,” said Waugh. “This study will help us discover how we can help them before it’s too late.”

During field work, conservationists place colored bands on the chicks’ legs while they’re still in the nest. The color-coded bands allow monitors to identify the chicks’ individual identities, their country of origin and where they were banded. Since beginning field work in June 2020, ICF and Endangered Wildlife Trust have banded 48 chicks. The team is also monitoring 16 nests, most of which have incubating eggs.

In their recent report, ICF, in partnership with Endangered Wildlife Trust, said they have been encouraged by local community support of the banding project. Community members have been helping conservationists by reporting sightings of the birds. They attribute this positive community response to increased community engagement.

“Through the generous support of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we have, for the first time in our more than twenty-year project, been able to color-band grey crowned cranes in East Africa, the species’ stronghold,” said Dr. Joseph Mwangi, Kenya country coordinator of the African Crane Conservation Program. “This is a critical step to better understanding movement and dispersal of grey crowned cranes for effective conservation of the species and its habitat.”

Since 2015, the Member Conservation Vote has provided $450,000 of the Zoo’s membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide. Each year, a total of $100,000 of membership revenue is contributed to conservation in two ways:

$25,000 to the Quarters for Conservation program, which contributes $500,000 annually to CMZoo’s legacy conservation partners.
$75,000 to projects voted for by CMZoo members through the annual vote.

We will keep you updated as this exciting project continues.

Back to The Waterhole

Winter is a season of opportunity for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Pallas’ cats, 3-year-old female, Nancy, and 3-year-old male, Bo. The two Asian Highlands residents are often referred to as the original grumpy cats because of their intense stares, furrowed brows and downturned mouths. Their unique ears sit on the sides of their fluffy round faces, which could also give the impression they’re holding their ears back – a behavior sometimes associated with irritation with other cats. But, their appearances don’t actually mean they are grumpy!

Nancy weighs just seven pounds and Bo tips the scales at 10 pounds. Don’t let their small size and adorable fluffiness fool you. The petite Pallas’ cat commands respect. They’re mesopredators, which means they prey on smaller mammals and are preyed upon by larger predators. That middle-of-the-food-chain status requires them to be skilled hunters and defenders.

Pallas’ cats are native to central Asia’s cooler climates at elevations up to about 15,000 feet above sea level. They share these habitats with snow leopards, the swift and powerful apex predator of the Himalayas. Pallas’ cats are classified as ‘near threatened’ and snow leopards are classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. Because they share habitat with snow leopards, which are threatened in part due to habitat loss, Pallas’ cats are also at risk for declining populations.

“Part of the Pallas’ cats’ defense is how elusive they are,” said Basia Dann, Asian Highlands keeper. “Their innate wariness makes them difficult to study in the wild, which can hinder conservation opportunities.”

Pallas’ cats in human care could one day contribute to a dwindling species in the wild. CMZoo supports Species Survival Plans (SSPs) managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which focus on species whose populations are either decreasing in the wild or whose assurance populations in human care need genetic diversity and growth, like Pallas’ cats. Based on SSP breeding recommendations for matching the most genetically diverse animals, and based on the animals’ interactions with each other, animal care teams work to provide environments that give CMZoo animal ambassadors the choice to breed and contribute to the future of their species.

CMZoo’s Asian Highlands team hopes to contribute to Pallas’ cats’ assurance population by supporting Bo and Nancy’s breeding recommendation. Bo came to CMZoo with his brother, Tate, in December 2017. Nancy joined Bo on a breeding recommendation in March 2018, when Tate moved to another AZA-accredited organization. Bo and Nancy were introduced about a month after she arrived. They were immediately comfortable together and have been seen breeding in the past. But, successful Pallas’ cat breeding requires a lot more than congeniality.

Changing seasons impact us all. For Pallas’ cats, they set in motion a whirlwind of important annual hormonal changes.

“Their opportunity to breed successfully typically takes place from December to March,” said Dann. “Female Pallas’ cats are usually only fertile for a maximum of 46 hours per year, which is really short compared to other cats and animals. We work with them all year long to give them the best chances at breeding when the very limited time is right.”

Leading up to winter solstice, when days slowly begin to get longer, Asian Highlands keepers work to make Bo and Nancy’s environment as natural and undisturbed as possible. Estrus, the short period of time that the female is receptive to male breeding, is typically triggered by lengthening days. If breeding occurs but isn’t successful, female Pallas’ cats have been known to go into estrus once more in the same season. But it would be a month later, only if still within the December-to-March timeline.

Voluntary husbandry training is a year-round focus for the keepers and cats. Keepers are continually thinking about what’s next. Part of the reason for building a trusting relationship with Nancy is in preparation for kittens. If the pair is successful, kittens could be here as soon as March. With that short timeline in mind, keepers need Nancy to trust them before she’s pregnant, in case she or any kittens need medical intervention. Pallas’ cat gestation is only 66 to 76 days, so potential kittens would likely be born before Nancy even shows signs she’s pregnant.

Pallas’ cats typically have two to five kittens per litter. This would be Nancy’s and Bo’s first adventure with parenting. Other than breeding, Pallas’ cats are typically solitary in the wild, and fathers don’t usually play a role in raising kittens.

Be sure to stop by Asian Highlands next time you’re at the Zoo to visit Bo and Nancy!

Back to The Waterhole

Today is #WorldOkapiDay! We’re in African Rift Valley with #CMZoo keepers, Diana and Rachael, to raise awareness for these unique rainforest inhabitants, affectionately known as the unicorns of the forest. Our 7-year-old male okapi, Bahati, joins us for some hoof care training as his keepers tell us all about him, his wild relatives, and their important role in their delicate rainforest habitat.

During our annual member conservation vote, CMZoo members help us decide how to share $75,000 of membership revenue with important wildlife conservation efforts around the world. In 2020, our members sent $11,000 to fund an agroforestry project to protect okapi habitat. In a continued partnership with the Okapi Conservation Project, this grant provides farmers with tools, seeds, natural fertilizers, and education in sustainable agriculture practices. In addition, funds support reforestation in the region.

Every visit to #CMZoo helps protect okapi in the wild, because 75¢ of every admission goes to conservation. Thanks to our visitors, we’ve raised $3 million to support conservation since our Quarters for Conservation program started in 2008. #SavingSpecies

Bailey, an 8-year-old reticulated giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, welcomed her very first calf to the herd at 11:37 a.m. today. Bailey and the female giraffe calf are doing well. Following Cheyenne Mountain Zoo tradition, the calf will be named after she is 30 days old.

“You couldn’t ask anything more of a first-time mom,” said Jason Bredahl, giraffe animal care manager at CMZoo. “Bailey is nonstop grooming her baby, paying attention and making sure the baby is in a good position to nurse. Mom is doing a great job.”

The little calf is doing well, too. She’s already winning the hearts of CMZoo staff and online fans.

“This is probably the smallest giraffe calf I’ve ever seen,” said Bredahl. “Bailey is small for a giraffe, too, so that’s not surprising. She’s super adorable. She’s strong and is nursing well, so we’re really excited to share her with everyone as soon as we can.”

At first, the calf had a hard time standing because she had positioned herself in a corner of the stall and she kept bumping into the walls before she could get her footing. After waiting to see if she could get up on her own, keepers and vet staff asked Bailey to move into another area so they could give the calf a hand. The team picked her up and moved her into the middle of the stall around 1:27 p.m. She took her first steps on her own after a quick medical assessment, then a nudge from mom, at 1:38 p.m. As long as keepers observe that baby and mom are doing well, they will continue to let Bailey take the lead on providing her care.

The weight and height of the calf are not known yet, although keepers and vet staff say she is one of the smallest giraffe calves they’ve ever seen. Newborn giraffe calves are typically five to six feet tall and weigh 150 to 200 pounds. Exact measurements haven’t been taken, but this calf appears to weigh about 100 pounds and is around five-and-a-half feet tall.

The calf is the seventeenth member of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s reticulated giraffe herd. The calf is the first offspring for mom, Bailey, and the sixth to be sired by dad, Khalid (pronounced cull-EED). Bailey moved to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on a breeding recommendation in Sept. 2016. CMZoo’s breeding program began in 1954 and has welcomed more than 200 calves since its inception.

Thousands of worldwide viewers witnessed the calf’s birth on Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s live camera feed, which will continue to stream live from the sand stall, where Bailey and the calf will continue to bond for the coming weeks. The live stream of the birth stall, and both outdoor giraffe yard camera feeds, are available at cmzoo.org/giraffecam. The Zoo will continue to provide updates on their social media channels.

The barn will remain closed to guests for at least another day, to give the new calf time to bond with mom. Other members of the CMZoo herd will be available for viewing and feeding in the outside yard from elevated platforms, where guests can get eye-to-eye with and feed lettuce to the herd, weather permitting.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is not only a leader in the training and health of giraffe in human care, but they are also making a huge difference in conservation of giraffe in the wild. Reticulated giraffe, the subspecies to which CMZoo’s herd belongs, are endangered. There are just over 11,000 mature reticulated giraffe individuals in the wild, and that population is decreasing. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the reticulated giraffe population has declined by 56% in the last thirty years.

In October and November 2019, CMZoo helped establish a new population of a critically endangered giraffe in Uganda. The Operation Twiga IV team successfully reintroduced 15 Nubian giraffe to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, where they haven’t existed in nearly 25 years. CMZoo VP of Mission and Programs, Dr. Liza Dadone, assisted with research and anesthesia, and provided care for the giraffe during the translocation. Our contribution to this effort is possible thanks to ongoing support from CMZoo members, guests and donors. Operation Twiga IV is led by Uganda Wildlife Authority with support from Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and other partners from around the world. See a video about the Zoo’s latest field conservation effort, Operation Twiga IV, here.

Through Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, by which 75 cents of every Zoo admission is allocated to conservation, guests have helped CMZoo send more than $3 million to support important conservation efforts since 2008.

Last year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo joined the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund (RMWAF) and other partners to collect signatures for a petition that successfully landed a proposition on this year’s general election ballot. Proposition #114 asks Colorado voters to decide if gray wolves, once native to the state, should be carefully reintroduced to the Western Slope. The plan, if approved, would be led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife with the support of other wolf and ecology experts.

“There are a lot of issues competing for voters’ attention this November,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs at CMZoo, who led the Zoo’s efforts to support RMWAF’s campaign to bring this issue to voters in 2020. “We have seen significant support from the public throughout this project, but voters should know this isn’t a done deal. We still need people to look out for Prop #114 on the ballot and give the experts involved a chance to restore this amazing species that is vital to our local ecosystem.”

Other than noting that Prop #114 is an issue worth voting on, there are important dates to keep in mind for this year’s election. Ballots will be mailed to Colorado voters October 9 and must be returned by November 3, 2020 – when polls open for in-person voting.

While Prop #114 is a complex and controversial question, for CMZoo it’s a simple question: do we want to live in a state with wolves in the ecosystem or not? For us, the answer is yes, no matter how hard we need to work to collaborate with all involved parties to address the valid concerns on every side of the question.

“This vote is the best chance we have had at restoring wolves to the wilds of Colorado in a very long time,” said Dr. Dadone. “For the Zoo and the 15,298 registered voters whose signatures we collected last fall, we feel obligated to see this through. The initiative outlines the reintroduction of gray wolves to include ongoing collaboration from all stakeholders, and a solid plan from Colorado Parks and Wildlife incorporating research-based findings.”

CMZoo is home to a pack of seven Mexican wolves and has a long history of working to restore and relocate species in the wild, including black-footed ferrets, Wyoming toads, Mexican wolves, giraffe in Uganda, amphibians in Panama, and more. As an organization that contributes to the survival of species around the world, we see this is an exciting opportunity for Colorado residents to help restore a species that once roamed free, right here at home.

CMZoo’s role in this issue is as trusted wolf experts and animal advocates. One way we want to help is by addressing common misconceptions about wolves, based on our extensive experiences with them.

While many are excited about the chance to see wolves in the wild, popular culture has positioned wolves as dangerous and aggressive villains that could lead others to feel unsafe around them. Unlike mountain lions and other predators found in wild and populated areas throughout Colorado, a wolf’s natural reaction to human presence is to retreat.

“When Rocky Mountain Wild keepers go into the expansive enclosure with CMZoo’s pack of Mexican wolves to clean and replenish food, water and enrichment items, the wolves typically get as far away from them as possible,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal care manager. “We see it all the time. Their natural instinct is to be wary of humans. Even with our wolves in human care, we like to see that instinctual behavior intact, because the hope for our wolves is that they or their offspring are one day restored to the wild to support their dwindling wild population.”

The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project reports that since 1900, there have been only two possible cases of a wolf-related human fatality in North America, and no cases in the lower 48 states.

This is a complex issue, and we recognize this restoration could create hardships for some people who live in the region where they would be reintroduced, especially for farmers and ranchers in the regions proposed for reintroduction. As caretakers of animals, CMZoo understands that farmers and ranchers care for their animals and have invested generations of energy into them. We also know that both compensation for their livestock and mitigation strategies are essential if wolves are restored to Colorado. The health of public and private lands is critical for a healthy statewide ecosystem and its wildlife. We support a bill that helps us live in balance, uses management systems that support both of those standpoints, and puts experts in charge of the reintroduction who will hear all concerns and adequately address them as they meticulously implement the plan.

There is evidence of wolves’ positive impact on restoring balance in struggling ecosystems, too. Some may be familiar with the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, in 1995. The National Park’s elk population had grown to levels not healthy for the ecosystem, due to the absence of predators, like the wolf. The elk drastically reduced the number of trees and shrubs that prevent erosion and serve the rest of the ecosystem.

Birds lost their habitats, as a result of the fauna’s inability to grow to maturity. The water temperature in streams rose, due to a lack of shade from trees and shrubs, which made them uninhabitable for fish and other aquatic species. Without competition from wolves, coyote populations increased, which reduced the number of small mammals in the area that served as a food source for many smaller predators, like foxes.

Since reintroducing the wolf, Yellowstone National Park’s elk population has decreased and become healthier. The wolves single out the weak, old, sick and young elk, leaving the strongest elk to reproduce and carry on healthy genetic lines. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project also says the wolves’ presence near waterways reduced the negative impact elk had on streams, trees and shrubs and the animals that live there, simply by redirecting the elk. Coyote numbers have decreased, creating a better balance and more available food sources for dwindling numbers of foxes,
badgers, weasels and raptors, which share their prey.

Until the 1940s, when wolves were eradicated from Colorado’s wild places, wolves thrived in the Rocky Mountain State. The last wolf was shot in 1945, as a result of an extermination campaign that didn’t consider the wolves’ important role in our delicate mountain ecosystem. Today, wolves roam the Rocky Mountains from Mexico to Canada and Alaska, but not in Colorado.

“Our state is one of the last gaps in connecting these wolf packs, which is detrimental to the long-term health of the species,” said Zwicker. “Colorado’s wild places can provide additional habitat for wolves and contribute to the safe and natural ‘wildway’ (like a highway) between subspecies of gray wolf.”

A wolf pack recently confirmed in Colorado may lead some people to believe that the species doesn’t need our support to thrive again naturally.

“Although one small pack of wolves has been located in northern Colorado, there’s no way those few remaining individuals could create a healthy, genetically diverse, sustainable population of wolves in Colorado,” said Zwicker. “Thinking about the greater goal of providing positive ecological benefits of a healthy and established ecosystem, these few wolves couldn’t have an adequate impact.”

As an apex predator, their presence at the top of the food chain in Colorado is vital, as it is in Yellowstone National Park. Western Colorado, where the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project seeks to reintroduce wolves, has more than 15 million acres of public land with an abundance of wild prey for hunters and wolves.

Returning wolves to our state in adequate numbers will surely impact Colorado’s big game species, such as elk, and there are concerns that this will negatively impact our hunting economy.

“When wolves have been removed from the ecosystem, populations of elk and deer can reach unhealthy numbers which can lead to disease spread, starvation and a devastating impact on plant life and waterways,” said Dr. Dadone. “To some, wolves will make hunts more challenging. For others, their presence will create memories that make the hunt live forever in their minds. When you think of how amazing it would be to see a wild wolf pack, we lean towards the latter.”

As with all election propositions, it’s important to think critically about how the return of wolves to Colorado could impact our state in positive ways and the potential obstacles we’ll need to creatively overcome as a statewide community.

Back to The Waterhole

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo family is getting excited for International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) on Saturday, September 5, 2020 – almost as excited as Godric, Hedwig and Nesher, CMZoo’s three vultures, get for training time.

When 6-year-old male African cape vulture, Godric, and 14-year-old female African cape vulture, Hedwig, see their keepers approaching, they come running. With their enormous white wings held back in the charging position and their impressive beaks aimed low and straight forward, the raptors move at an intimidating pace with little regard for any obstacles – or guineafowl – in their way. Nesher, a 29-year-old Eurasian griffon vulture, has a more reserved approach, waiting receptively by the perching for her keepers. It hasn’t always been this way for the instinctively cautious birds, but their keepers have been working hard to earn the vultures’ trust – and it’s benefitting the vultures, the keepers, our guests and vultures in the wild.

“We’ve always interacted with them, but until recently, they wouldn’t have been comfortable with us sitting this close,” said African Rift Valley keeper Philip Waugh, as he perched on a rock about two feet from Godric. “We’ve been making opportunities to spend more time with them and to reward them for being calm with us while we calmly sit with them. We all have our stations, both keepers and birds. We just hang out together on their turf by the vulture perches, and that’s helping build our relationship of trust.”

At first, the keepers would go and find the vultures for their three-times-weekly feedings. Because they eat so infrequently, training and building relationships requires a lot more patience than it normally might with animals that eat multiple times daily. But the patience is paying off.

“Before, we could tell they weren’t huge fans of sharing their space with us, but now they get excited for training, “said Waugh. “They have incredible eyesight, so they can recognize us all the way from the giraffe boardwalk, and they start sprinting down the Safari Trail to our meeting point. They beat us there nearly every time.”

Making sure these interactions are positive for the vultures is important because keepers can provide frequent visual health checks and expand their training. It also helps keepers foster special connections between guests and the vultures, which ultimately benefits their wild counterparts.

“If you’ve ever been up-close to a bird with an eight-foot wingspan, you know how impressive it is,” said Waugh. “Just seeing them eye-to-eye makes an impact. Our goal is to find more ways for our guests to connect with them. We know that once people meet them, our vultures will inspire our guests to learn more about this amazing species and its struggles, then take action to protect their wild relatives.”

When COVID-19 isn’t an issue, the Zoo hosts IVAD activities at the Zoo throughout the day to help guests learn more about vultures. This year, to prevent large crowds from gathering during the pandemic, the team will post fun and educational materials on the Zoo’s social media pages.

Even though the Zoo can’t offer in-person IVAD activities on September 5, just by visiting the Zoo, guests are helping CMZoo protect and advocate for wild vultures. 75¢ from every Zoo admission goes to conservation through the Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program, which has raised more than $3 million since it started in 2008.

One of CMZoo’s Q4C beneficiaries is VulPro, a nonprofit organization in South Africa working to save endangered African vultures through breeding, rehabilitation, research and education. Vultures, positioned at the top of the food chain, are an indicator of the health of the environment below them – and dependent for their survival on a healthy environment. Every visit to the Zoo supports this organization on the frontlines of vulture conservation.

“Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew,” said Waugh. “They clean up carcasses that other animals can’t. They stop the spread of disease by consuming decaying meat and bones. Thanks to their strong stomach acids, they can consume deadly bacteria that could pose a threat to animals and humans. They do so much more, but the most basic explanation is that they make the world a lot prettier, safer and a lot less smelly.”

Vultures’ adaptations help them make quick work of the world’s messiest clean-ups. Their iconic bald heads prevent bacteria from sticking to their skin, an important trait for such a mobile animal. Preventing the spread of bacteria is key for their well-being, which is why some vulture species urinate on their own legs, killing carcass bacteria in the process. Their nares, or nostrils, drip a salty liquid that helps flush out their sinuses, removing any rogue pieces of meat that may have gone up their noses during ravenous eating. Just because they’re built for devouring dead animals doesn’t mean they’re unhygienic, though. They bathe regularly, both in the water and the sun. The UV rays from the sun kill any pathogens in their feathers after feeding.

“My favorite time to see them is in the mornings when they’re open-winged, sunning themselves in the early light,” said Waugh. “I love watching them interact with each other. They all have such unique personalities.”

Godric, Nesher and Hedwig interact with toys, keepers, food and each other in distinct ways.

“Godric and Hedwig are hilarious,” said Waugh. “They’re both African cape vultures, but they’re not related. Still, they act like siblings a lot of the time. They explore new enrichment items together and if one vulture is nervous or excited, the other usually rushes to join in, whether or not they know what’s going on. They will also bicker over food or a good sunny spot, but that’s normal for vultures. Godric seems to be the most eager to approach us, but Hedwig is gaining confidence.”

Nesher, whose keepers describe her as the ‘queen bee,’ is the most confident and the oldest, at 29 years old. She prefers to spend most of her time by the vulture perching, but also has a bit of an adventurous bone.

“She recently commandeered the Okapi yard,” said Brooke Powell, African Rift Valley keeper who works with Philip and the vultures. “She also frequently ventures into the giraffe yard. Nothing scares her. This species is naturally pretty avoidant of new things, but she’s the opposite of that. She’s really bold and brave. Not a lot phases her, and she has the coolest vocalizations when I feed her and she’s excited.”

Vultures communicate about food, territory and potential threats in the wild by vocalizing.

“When Nesher vocalizes, she usually runs toward us full speed,” said Powell. “It’s really impressive. People can hear her from the giraffe boardwalk all the way across the yard, which is cool because we see people getting curious about the vultures and then come to visit them.”

Next time you’re at CMZoo, look down from the African Rift Valley ramp up to Encounter Africa, where the vultures are often perched. Supporting CMZoo is an easy way to support vulture conservation through its longstanding partnership with VulPro. The Zoo has contributed more than $90,000 to VulPro over the years.

“After VulPro rescues and rehabs vultures, they’re released into the wild, which is super important because they’re so endangered,” said Waugh. “VulPro rangers rescue vultures that have been poisoned by poachers – one of wild vultures’ biggest threats.”

The carcasses of poached animals attract vultures. A large group of vultures is easier to spot than a deceased animal, so their presence helps rangers find poached animals. Poachers caught onto this pattern, and started poisoning the carcasses to kill the vultures that eat them, thus hiding their misdeeds. Supporting VulPro’s ongoing rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts means more wild vultures can breed and thrive in the wild.

There are several ways to protect vultures here in Colorado, too. Turkey vultures are native to our region, and are just as important to our local ecosystems as African vultures are in theirs.

Pick up trash to help vultures avoid ingesting dangerous materials. Avoid using poisons for pest control or weed killer. Report roadkill to local authorities, so vultures aren’t encouraged to dine in the middle of a busy road or highway. Slow down when you see roadkill, so vultures and other scavengers have time to get out of the way. Use lead-free fishing tackle and ammunition. Dispose of fishing line properly.

To learn more about vultures, and how you can help save this incredible species, mark your calendars for Saturday, September 5, when CMZoo will share a video of up-close interactions with the vulture trio on Facebook and YouTube.

Back to The Waterhole