November 2025
Dear Friend,
I won’t bury the headline: we have the world’s cutest baby gorilla. Born in late July and named Sully through donations from our community, this little guy stole our hearts from the minute he was born. His mother, Asha, knew exactly what to do; she’s an experienced mom. His birth was a new experience for his father, Goma. But, in the past few months Goma has learned to be a great dad. Watching their family grow has been an extraordinary experience. Seeing Sully hit milestones early (he started riding on Asha’s back far sooner than expected) and watching him thrive as he grows bigger and stronger is a fitting symbol of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as we approach our Centennial Anniversary in 2026.
If you’ve been here this year, you’ll know that the Zoo looks a little…disheveled. Our guests are entering through a temporary front entry, our giraffe feeding area has moved, and Zoo visits are a little more difficult to navigate. But, once our spectacular new Giraffe Center and gift shop are completed in time for summer 2026, all the dust and noise will have been worth it. The new Giraffe Center will be a truly unique experience for our guests – and our giraffe herd! With a clear roof, lots of new space to explore, and exciting new ways for our guests to interact with our herd, the Giraffe Center will not only be a fun place to visit. It will give our giraffe more choice, which is a goal for all of our animals at CMZoo.
In addition to the huge construction project happening at the front of the Zoo, we’ve also got two additional projects in the works, both slated to be completed alongside the Giraffe Center. Our kid-favorite playhills near the Grizzly Grill are undergoing a major overhaul to add more amenities to this people-centric space. The grass hill will be re-constructed to provide better drainage and more cushion, we’re adding a new picnic and concession space, and two new slides will be installed for all of our adventurous guests. We’re also adding a new pedestrian pathway to continue to reduce the instances of pedestrians and vehicles sharing the same space.
Another exciting project is a new way to navigate the Zoo. A new pathway will be constructed near the domestic goat yard that will allow guests to access a direct path to Primate World. This trail will include a bridge that will take guests over the culvert between Rocky Mountain Wild and Water’s Edge, providing a more direct, circular route through the Zoo. Without having to go “out and back” to get to Primate World, the Zoo wayfinding experience will become much more efficient.
Like Sully, our conservation programs are continuing to grow bigger and stronger. As you probably remember, this summer we hit the $6 million mark for funds raised through our Quarters for Conservation program – funds that go directly to some incredible organizations doing critical conservation work to help save species here in Colorado and around the world such as African elephants, orangutans, black-footed ferrets, and giraffe.
As we gear up to celebrate our Centennial next year, it’s striking how much has changed in the past 100 years. You can obviously see it in the way that we build new exhibits like the Giraffe Center. But it’s also apparent in more subtle ways- the way we provide cutting edge care and husbandry for our animals, our relentless pursuit of conserving endangered species, and our focus on giving every guest memories for a lifetime with every visit. Because of your support, we’ve been here for 100 years and we can’t wait for the next 100. We’re the best we’ve ever been and it’s all because of you.
I hope you’ll consider continuing your generous support of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with a gift to this year’s annual fund. As we celebrate our anniversary throughout the next year, we’re more committed than ever to conservation, education, and animal care. Your gift will help us to continue to be the best we’ve ever been.
Thank you for your support. We can’t wait to celebrate with you in 2026!
Warmly,
Kelley Parker
Senior Director of Development and Marketing
For more information
Please contact Kelley Parker, Senior Director of Development & Marketing at [email protected] or 719-424-7810.