News Archive

In Partnership with Children’s Hospital Colorado Some cuddle, some snore, some sleep on all fours. No matter how we do it, getting quality sleep is an important part of every healthy routine, whether you’re a human or an animal! Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado recently shared advice for parents considering what kind . . .

Atka, our Alaska moose, isn’t fazed by single-digit temps. Moose have adaptations that help them survive the winter, including a thick winter coat and a long nose that warms air before it hits their lungs. Moose are active throughout the winter months, spending time foraging and roaming in their native habitats, including some parts of . . .

At the end of August 2022, African Rift Valley keepers arrived to work to find Lomela, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 15-year-old African lion matriarch, was not acting like herself.

“I know this all sounds very scientific, but this program exists because we love giraffe and we want to save as many calves as we can,” said Schilz. “If we all work together, we can do that. That’s why we’re really excited to welcome more contributors to the Giraffe Plasma Bank team.” In the past . . .

How Do the Grizzly Bears at CMZoo Spend the Winter? As our 17-year-old grizzly bears, Emmett and Digger, prepare for the winter, they will start living at a much slower pace. We often associate bears with hibernation, but science has shown that many animals, like raccoons, skunks, and bears, survive the winter using torpor instead, . . .

Pumpkin SMASH! It’s that time of year again! Not only are pumpkins a tasty treat, they also serve as exciting enrichment for a number of animals at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. As you can see, each animal has a different approach to ripping into a pumpkin. The hippos like to crunch the pumpkins with their powerful . . .

It’s time to check in on our mountain tapir, Cofan, as he lives out his golden years! In early 2021, Cofan underwent a life-saving surgery to remove his damaged left kidney. Since then, Cofan’s keepers have worked closely with him and given him extra love and scratches, which are his favorite rewards. Giving Cofan scratches . . .

Bailey, a 10-year-old reticulated giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, is expecting her second calf any day now. Anticipating the birth of a giraffe calf can be a roller coaster of emotions: excitement, wonder, impatience, nervousness and even worry. Since establishing its giraffe breeding program in 1954, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has welcomed 202 giraffe calves to . . .

School is in session for Plato, one of our pink-backed pelicans! Plato participates in training sessions that allow his keepers to care for him. Consistent training for Plato’s wings and feet is especially important as it helps his keepers check in on his health and well-being. Plato is very interested in watching his keepers and . . .

Our ring-tailed lemur twins, Elo and Anja, celebrated their first birthday on July 11, and their older half-brother, Maky, turned one on April 26. Step onto Lemur Island with us to see how the young prosimians’ personalities have developed in the lemur conspiracy (what a group of lemurs is called) and get up-close for a . . .