News Archive

Our Strategy for Life At the Zoo Two years ago, we announced that our 20-year President & CEO, Bob Chastain, is retiring after 30 years of service to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. In February, we announced that our incoming President & CEO, Dave Ruhl – the Zoo’s current executive vice president – will move into the . . .

Last month, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members cast their votes to help the Zoo decide how to spend $75,000 of member conservation funds among staff-championed conservation projects vying for members’ support. The three projects with the most votes received the full funding they requested. Every membership and every visit to the Zoo is conservation in action. . . .

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s beloved 21-year-old grizzly bear, Emmett, is making good progress in his cancer journey. In February, his care team, in collaboration with CSU Veterinary Health System and Focused Ultrasound Resources, removed a cancerous mass from his tail. Emmett fans from all over the world shared messages of support for the bear and his . . .

Tujoh recently received a comprehensive veterinary exam during a scheduled immobilization. The CMZoo veterinary team worked alongside professionals from CSU Veterinary Health System, North Springs Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center, and the Great Ape Heart Project to complete the procedure. During this routine procedure, Tujoh’s care team completed a thorough dental exam, heart imaging, bloodwork, . . .

Enjoy Episode 1 of our centennial docuseries, A Mountain of Memories, celebrating Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s past, present, and future, highlighting community, conservation, construction, and animal care. In this episode, we showcase some of the many people who make up the CMZoo community. We look back at how CMZoo has been shaped by donors, members, guests, . . .

FOUR MILE WALK/RUN FUNDRAISER OFFERS ONCE-A-YEAR EXPERIENCE ON FOOT TO WILL ROGERS SHRINE OF THE SUN – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo hosts its 18th annual Run to the Shrine, featuring a reticulated giraffe as this year’s event mascot, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sat., May 9 and Sun., May 10, 2026. Where else can you . . .

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO – Preventive care is important for people and animals, alike. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo partners, Children’s Hospital Colorado, discuss the many benefits of well-child visits, and how pediatricians can support medical, behavioral and mental health at different stages of childhood development. For more than 13 years, the team at the . . .

WRITTEN BY JACK GOODMAN, ELEPHANT KEEPER I met Missy for the first time in May of 2019. I had just started the summer as a Junior Zookeeper in the Wilgruen Elephant Center. Missy was 49 years old at the time. Now, Missy is 56 years old, and I have been working with her as a . . .

Catch up with Jumbe, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 23-year-old Eastern black rhinoceros, who is working on a new kind of health training: dental care. As an aging rhino, Jumbe sometimes needs a little extra help with his teeth. His care team gently files his molars to smooth sharp edges that could cause sores. Take a look . . .

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was ranked #2 Best Zoo in the country, in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2026! Dedicated CMZoo supporters voted daily for a month, and their commitment earned the Zoo a tie for its highest ranking ever – second place – for the second year in a row. According to popular vote . . .