Written by Park Quality and Special Events Technician, Rachael Selk
Electric Safari is an event that brings together not just our local community, but even travelers from out of state who visit Cheyenne Mountain Zoo during December to experience that extra touch of holiday magic alongside the many creatures who call this place home. The Zoo has hosted Electric Safari for 35 years now, and I have been working to add to the magic for the last four years.
My name is Rachael Selk. I’m the Park Quality and Special Events Technician. You might have seen me stringing lights on trees and bushes as early as September, yet the true start of setup for Electric Safari is on August 1, when all the power and ground lights are placed. When people hear we spend four months decorating for Electric Safari, I remind them that’s just the installation. I usually have the color scheme and placement of archways and sculptures planned as early as January each year. I spend March through July creating and repairing sculptures to be ready for the next year’s event. So, for us, the holidays are a yearlong process.
I use my artistic background to design new animal light sculptures that guests see all through the Zoo during Electric Safari. After proper training, I learned to bend the metal for the frame, weld the pieces together, seal the metal to prevent rust, then adorn the figure with plenty of zip ties and rope light. I try to keep my designs akin to creatures that live at the Zoo. People find magic in our animals, knowing their names and learning their coat patterns, so it’s only fitting to create that magic in the lights! A great example is last year, when our red panda, Cora, found a new home with us. I quickly created a red panda light figure to commemorate our new resident. This year, I created a sleepy red panda friend to accompany the first light sculpture, and people will be able to see them both in Asian Highlands.
I am also excited for something new this year. There will be several sets of wings, made out of rope light that will be mounted in various spots throughout the Zoo – perfect for a photo opportunity! People love to take pictures and videos of our animal lights already, and we purposefully created these wings so guests can stand in front of them, strike a pose and capture a special moment with wings spread behind you! The wings were inspired by a visit to Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s holiday lights last year. We loved the idea so much that we just had to make our own version for our community!
The first light figure I got to create from design to physical life was the wolf pack in 2023. Wolves are my favorite animal, so you can imagine my utter joy when that was the very creature I was tasked to create! To this day, they are still my favorite figures that I’ve made myself. When you see them nestled in the trees, surrounded by snow that catches the radiant light as it howls to the sky, I know you’ll love them too!
The fact that Electric Safari has been around as long as I have been alive speaks to not just the team that creates the event every year, but to you, the people who choose to make it a part of your year! I’ve heard many people say how it’s a tradition to see the Zoo lights. I even had someone tell me that their son proposed to his girlfriend, now wife, at the Zoo during Electric Safari. It was unplanned, but the night was so magical that the timing was perfect.
Visiting the Zoo any time of year is such an amazing experience. Combine the magic of the lights with the chance to feed giraffe, hear keeper talks about skunks and hippos and more, and it’s a perfect blend of holiday cheer and Zoo animals at the same time! And with our Zoo ranking high on USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Zoo Lights in the nation, it only inspires me even further to do my best for the Zoo and to push that standard all the higher!
[Editor’s note: Electric Safari is nominated for Best Zoo Lights in the U.S. again! Fans can vote daily for Electric Safari until 10 a.m. on Mon., Dec. 1 at cmzoo.org/lights.]
Knowing that Electric Safari is such a shared part of our community’s traditions, the enjoyment of the holiday spirit, the love of animals and the willingness to brave the cold, it fills me with joy knowing that I get to be a part of that magic. It doesn’t bother me if those who visit never see me and never know that I chose the colors, and that I bent and welded and forced that light sculpture into life. I love standing off to the side and seeing people’s faces glowing with happiness, taking pictures together, listening to the holiday music and howling with the drone show’s wolf pack in the sky.
I truly hope you enjoy this year’s Electric Safari, and know that I have many plans and ideas for more magic in the future!
[Editor’s note: Electric Safari is every night from Fri., Dec. 5 through Thurs., Jan. 1, 2026 – except Christmas Eve. Advance tickets are required. Tickets and details are available now at cmzoo.org/electric.]