Amur leopard brothers, Basha and Mango, are quickly growing in size and skill. The 9-month-old brothers are about the same size as their parents, Anya and Anadyr, and eagerly participate in fun enrichment and important training sessions.

While there aren’t any current plans for Basha and Mango to leave CMZoo, their care team is working alongside other zoos and partners to develop a program designed to successfully prepare big cats for transportation to a new accredited facility, if and when the need arises. Basha and Mango are helping spearhead that program, which Asian Highlands keepers will share with other zoos for the welfare of all big cats on the move. Basha and Mango currently still spend most of their time with their mother, Anya. As part of this program, they are also starting to explore spaces without her and participating in voluntarily crate training.

Amur leopards are widely known as the rarest big cats on the planet. Only around 100 individuals remain in the wilds of Eastern Russia and China. CMZoo’s four Amur leopards represent four percent of the wild population. Helping Basha and Mango master the skills needed to successfully adapt to a new home in the future will hopefully give them the opportunity to breed and have families of their own, increasing the number of Amur leopards in the world.

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Slender-tailed meerkat mom, Hullabaloo, and dad, Sage, have their paws full with two tiny, fluffy and squeaky bundles of joy. On March 2, the first-time parents welcomed their babies to their cozy behind-the-scenes den in Encounter Africa. Hullabaloo and Sage are adapting to parenting like pros and their brand-new family is bonding well.

The little ones are hitting all the meerkat milestones, like nursing, opening their eyes, and exploring with mom and dad. As long as the pups and new parents continue to do well – and weather is warm enough – they could start exploring outside in the next few weeks. Guests can keep an eye out for the young family in the west meerkat habitat in Encounter Africa.

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Not one, but TWO wallaby joeys are starting to steal the hearts of every explorer in Australia Walkabout! Gidgee and her sister, Katt, are both carrying 5-month-old joeys who are starting to poke their heads out of the pouch, taking in the world around them. This is Gidgee’s third joey and Katt’s first. Both moms are doing well, adjusting to life with their little pink pouch occupants. The joeys are developing quickly, with their limbs, eyelashes, whiskers, and facial features becoming more distinct. Both joeys are likely to start exploring the yard on their own two feet around mid-April.

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Roger, 4-year-old North American porcupine, has some impressive “quill-ities.” His gentle, curious and friendly nature directly contributes to Roger’s important training behaviors, adorable enrichment and strong relationship with his keepers. Mastering behaviors like target training, stationing and injection training plays a big role in how keepers can best care for Roger now and in the future. Visit Roger in Rocky Mountain Wild during your next visit to CMZoo!

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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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A sleek, high-energy, 2-year-old domestic ferret named Blizzard recently joined ferrets, Cyclone and Alfred, in The Loft. She quickly made friends with the other ferrets, especially Cyclone, and is already comfortable with her new keepers and training. Visit Blizzard in her new home during your next visit to CMZoo!

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Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, Aysan, has spent the last few months adjusting to her new life, and her new roommate, in Scutes Family Gallery. Aysan came to CMZoo to join 31-year-old male sloth, Bosco, on a breeding recommendation. As an older sloth, Bosco is very familiar with keepers and guests, and he has helped Aysan come out of her shell.

Aysan is interested in training, especially when her favorite snacks are involved, and is currently working on voluntary injection training. Because keepers have built a trusting relationship with Aysan, she allows them to touch her back and stomach and has already voluntarily participated in x-rays. This training is especially important should Aysan become pregnant in the future.

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Exciting news! One of the red-necked wallabies in our mob, Gidgee, is carrying her third wallaby joey. Gidgee was first time mom to Clifford in 2020 and had her second joey, TimTam, in 2021.

It’s hard to know the exact birth date but we think that Gidgee’s wiggly joey is about two months old. Wallaby joeys are born after approximately 29 days of gestation and are about the size of a jellybean. After the joey is born, it crawls into their mother’s pouch and latches onto a nipple for about 3 months. Joeys typically pop their heads out of the pouch around 5 or 6 months and start regularly exploring outside the pouch at around 7 months.

Keep an eye out for a little pink wallaby head popping out of Gidgee’s pouch in March and a bouncy joey exploring the yard in June.

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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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