March 16, 2007 – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will give an update on Tuesday morning concerning the ongoing construction of the Zoo’s newest exhibit space, Rocky Mountain Wild (RMW). Officials from the Zoo, along with many of Rocky Mountain Wild’s current donors and other special guests, will gather in the exhibit’s Moose Lake Lodge construction zone on Tuesday, March 20 at 10:00 a.m.

Along with a briefing of the construction phase of the Rocky Mountain Wild area, current exhibit donors will be asked to wood-burn their signatures into a wood plank that will be incorporated into the construction of Moose Lake Lodge, the first component of the exhibit to be completed .

Photo and interview opportunity:
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
10:00 a.m. at Moose Lake Lodge site
Please meet at the Zoo’s front gate by 9:40 a.m.
(it’s requested that media be in position before the start of the event)

Moose Lake Lodge, a centrally-located meeting and event space, seen from the outside as a giant pole barn, will be a full-service event facility nestled in the middle of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The Lodge, scheduled to open on July 1, 2007, will have set-ups that stress flexibility, with the interior capable of being split into three separate event areas or combined into one grand hall of over 4,200 sq. feet. The grand hall will seat 250-300 for dining and, with the imaginative design of front wall doors that can swing up and open, warm weather dining could increase to over 300 people. State-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities and a full on-site catering kitchen will give Moose Lake Lodge the advantage of versatility for events ranging from corporate and convention meetings to parties, receptions, family gatherings and black tie affairs.

Rocky Mountain Wild will connect Zoo visitors with the wild heritage of Colorado – the Rocky Mountains and its wildlife. With state-of-the-art exhibit

space for animals such as moose, grizzly bears, mountain lions, North American river otters, lynx and bald eagles, this signature complex will be accessible to all who visit. Engaging visitors in understanding, appreciating and learning to live in harmony with the wide array of wildlife in our own backyards, Rocky Mountain Wild will set a new standard for exhibiting these Colorado residents.

Founded in 1926 by Spencer Penrose, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is America’s only mountain zoo and is home to over 750 animals representing over 143 different species, 35 of which are endangered. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of a handful of AZA-accredited zoos in the nation that operates without local tax support. As a self-supporting facility, it depends entirely on admissions, membership dues, donations and grants for funding.

# # #