CONSERVATION
Every visit and every membership to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is conservation in action. Between local projects supported by the annual Members-Only Conservation Vote, and ongoing global efforts supported by the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program. Conservation never stops at CMZoo, and here are a few highlights from 2025.
In September, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and its members and guests celebrated a huge milestone, having raised $6 million for wildlife and wild places since the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program launched in 2008.
Every visitor to the Zoo receives three ‘quarter’ tokens representing the 75¢ Q4C allocation from their admission fee. They can then show support for the legacy projects they love by placing their tokens in the corresponding slots in the Q4C kiosks near admissions.
Before launching Q4C in 2008, CMZoo was supporting conservation, but at a fraction of what is possible now. As more people visit the Zoo each year, the Zoo can contribute more money to conservation. In the past few years, CMZoo has collected approximately one million dollars every 20 months through Q4C.
The Zoo’s membership, special events, admissions and EdVenture programs also contribute to conservation. CMZoo’s current Q4C beneficiary species include giraffe, Panama frogs, orangutans, black-footed ferrets, African elephants and black rhinos, Wyoming toads and Amur tigers.
In May, Q4C funding hit another milestone: surpassing one million dollars raised for orangutan conservation.
In addition to Q4C-supported staff field work releasing black-footed ferrets and Wyoming toads this year, CMZoo staff participated in flammulated owl field research funded by the Members-Only Conservation Vote. Each spring, the elusive flammulated owl returns to the quiet forests of Pike National Forest, Colorado, to raise a new generation. Thanks to the support of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members, CMZoo staff joined Dr. Brian Linkhart — who has dedicated over 40 years to studying these owls — to continue this long-term research.
Funded by CMZoo’s annual Members-Only Conservation Vote, Motus tracking devices help researchers uncover owls’ incredible migration routes from Central America through the U.S. and Canada. This season, the team banded a fledgling after witnessing its very first flight and collected vital biological data to monitor health and population trends.
These owls face threats from habitat loss and human impacts, making member-funded conservation efforts essential to helping Colorado’s forests and flammulated owls thrive for generations to come.
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CUTENESS
Several new faces joined the CMZoo animal family in 2025.
Sully, the first Western lowland gorilla baby born at the Zoo in nearly 13 years, was born on July 21, 2025 to experienced mom, Asha. Sully’s birth was significant for several reasons, including making Goma, CMZoo’s silverback and a genetically valuable member of the species survival plan, a dad for the first time. CMZoo members and supporters helped name Sully, raising $39,451 for animal care, conservation and Zoo operations and improvements.
Holmes and Keoki, a pair of lar gibbons, joined the Zoo in September and August, respectively. The arrivals of Keoki and Holmes support the Gibbon Species Survival Plan, helping to manage a diverse and healthy population in human care while inspiring gibbon preservation for their wild counterparts. Lar gibbons usually live in small family groups made up of a bonded pair and their offspring — and these two have a breeding recommendation!
Kinda (rhymes with Linda) arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in May, becoming the third member of the herd under four years old! She’s easy to spot in the herd because she’s currently the smallest, and her coat is a darker brown than others.
Sparrow, the first penguin chick in Water’s Edge: Africa, hatched in early April. Now, he’s nearly full grown, and has a young playmate in the flock! A female African penguin hatched in October, growing the flock to 18 penguins.
Olive, a 1-year-old Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth made her debut as a New Year’s baby in Scutes Family Gallery, to first-time mom, Aysan, and dad, Bosco. The public voted between three names chosen by keepers, and Olive was the clear winner.
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CONSTRUCTION
Progress can be painful, but construction on the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe is entering its final phase! The roof was completed before the first big snow of the season – a major achievement for the teams working hard to create a world class giraffe center that is going to take giraffe care to the next level, AND give guests new and exciting ways to get closer (and hand-feed, of course) the giraffe herd. CMZoo President & CEO, Bob Chastain, has been keeping fans updated in a video series called “Bob’s Blueprints,” and fans can sign up to receive every update via email at cmzoo.org/bobsblueprints. Watch the YouTube playlist here.
As part of the Giraffe Center upgrades, Waffles, CMZoo’s beloved African cape porcupine got an exhibit upgrade – and moved in with Cape vultures, Hedwig and Godric.
The Giraffe Center is expected to open in summer 2026, and until then, guests can still feed the giraffe herd every day, and visit all of the animals living in African Rift Valley, including African lions, meerkats, vultures and Waffles.
Up the hill from the Giraffe Center, the Zoo’s playhill area is closed until around Spring Break for major upgrades including slides, cushier turf playhills, a guest-only sidewalk, more outdoor seating areas and a bigger-than-ever dirt hill.
The incredibly popular area was originally designed as a ‘test’ to see if guests enjoyed it, or if the Zoo should go another direction with the space. It’s clearly a hit, so this construction project will set up the space more permanently.
In addition to bigger and better play and seating areas, the playhills will get a drainage system upgrade. Because the current playhills were never meant to be permanent, there are infrastructure improvements to be made. The better drainage system should reduce puddles in the warmer months and ice patches in the colder months, improving the guest experience.
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2025 was a memorable year for all of these reasons and more – including the highest-ever ranking in the national USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Zoo. CMZoo supporters made time every day to vote for the Zoo for nearly a month in February 2025, and your support earned CMZoo #2 Best Zoo in the nation!
In November, supporters showed up again, and earned CMZoo’s Electric Safari #2 Best Zoo Lights in the nation! There’s still time to visit Electric Safari! The holiday lights celebration continues nightly through Jan. 1, 2026, except Christmas Eve.
As the Zoo prepares for a big year in 2026, with centennial celebrations, the Giraffe Center grand opening, Bob Chastain’s retirement and a new president & CEO, your continued support allows us to do big things and focus on improving animal welfare, guest experiences and conservation efforts.
Thank you for an amazing year. The best is yet to come.
