April 29, 2008 – You can feel the excitement in the air as Cheyenne Mountain Zoo nears the grand opening date of the much-anticipated Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit complex, set for this Friday, May 2 at 10 a.m. The opening ceremony will take place in the Zoo’s new events center in the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit, the Lodge at Moose Lake. The completion of this entire state-of-the-art zoological exhibition complex  is the culmination of years of planning coupled with an $8.2 million capital campaign.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN WILD
GRAND OPENING
Friday, May 2, 2008
10:00 a.m.
Please meet at Zoo’s front gate by 9:30 a.m.

(Media note: Opening ceremony will take place in the Lodge at Moose Lake. The actual “rawhide cutting” will be held outside at the entrance to Rocky Mountain Wild, immediately following the Lodge ceremony.)
 

Rocky Mountain Wild
Uniquely Colorado

As America’s only mountain zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is uniquely suited to showcase Rocky Mountain wildlife in its natural setting. The Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit complex, scheduled to open to the public on

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(2)  Rocky Mountain Wild Grand Opening
 

May 2, connects you with the wild heritage of the Rocky Mountain region – offering surprising, engaging and memorable encounters with moose, mountain lions, North American river otters, lynx, bald eagles and grizzly bears.

The ambitious $8.2 million endeavor covers approximately three acres in the southwest quadrant of the Zoo and sets a new standard for exhibiting these species.

Visitors to the exhibit complex first encounter the Lodge at Moose Lake and “the Loft.” The Loft is the gateway to the animals and stories of the Rocky Mountains, providing you with opportunities to get up close and personal with smaller animals, explore emerging alternative energy sources, and investigate how human behaviors can save animals and their habitats from destruction.

Your journey into Rocky Mountain Wild begins with an unforgettable encounter with the largest and perhaps most unusual looking species of wildlife in Colorado, the moose. A mountainside wetland area at the base of the exhibit complex enables you to nearly get nose-to-nose with this enormous animal while standing on an elevated walkway.

Up-close encounters with Colorado’s top predator, the mountain lion (also known as the cougar or puma) are sure to provide surprises. Nowhere else can one experience such a unique perspective of this animal than from “Cougar Canyon.” A natural rock canyon covered by a glass canopy separates human from lion, and affords stunning views of these animals and beautiful Cheyenne Mountain. Winding along the surprisingly accessible mountain path, you’ll encounter the endangered Canada lynx, also known as the “grey ghost of the north.” Recently reintroduced in Colorado, this elusive cat is striking with its tufted ears and snowshoe-like feet.

Journeying further into the “wilderness,” you’ll be delighted by the spirited North American river otters playing in a waterfall and wowed by the underwater viewing opportunities.

From the otters, the Rocky Mountain Wild adventure takes you on an ascent up the mountainside via a fire tower. Whether choosing the elevator or the stairs, the views are breathtaking. A rustic boardwalk weaves through the treetops, culminating with an experience for a lifetime: seeing magnificent grizzlies roaming the rugged mountainside. This signature exhibit also brings you up close and personal to the grizzlies as they forage for food in a hollowed out tree and fish for greenback cutthroat trout in their pool. Guests are rewarded for their journey with a chance to see animal keepers interacting with the powerful bears. And just beyond the grizzlies, the majestic bald eagle can be seen perched high atop the trees presiding over Rocky Mountain Wild.

Rocky Mountain Wild will inspire you to appreciate and learn to live in harmony with the wide array of wildlife in your backyard – and to view the Rocky Mountain environment as not what you inherit from your ancestors, but rather what you protect for future generations.
 

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