Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Author at CMZoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is inviting guests to help name Asha’s gorilla baby while fundraising for the new Primate World! Asha, a 32-year-old critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, gave birth to an adorable baby boy on Mon., July 21, 2025. It had been nearly 13 years since a gorilla was born at CMZoo.

A $5 minimum donation is required to participate in the vote, and every donation supports a brand-new home for gorillas, orangutans and more! In addition to helping make history by naming this little one, every dollar raised will fund historic improvements to great ape habitats at CMZoo.

“We’re so excited for this little guy to finally have a name,” says Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper. “It’s so great that our guests have fallen head over heels for him and now get to be part of his story while also supporting a great cause.”

Participants can donate any amount starting at $5 until Thurs., Oct. 9, 2025. The name that receives the most combined donations will win! Fans can make their donations and vote at cmzoo.org/babyname.

Primate World gorilla keepers have chosen three names for guests to pick from: Ryder, Sully and Abu.

Ryder — a nod to this baby’s particular skill at riding on his mom’s back from a younger-than-normal age

Sully — in honor of a bright-and-furry character with a heart of gold

Abu — because he’s skilled and loyal, just like a furry friend from the fictional city of Agrabah

A generous donor has agreed to match all donations up to $25,000, so every dollar can make twice the impact. CMZoo is a nonprofit. It is one of very few zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the country that does not receive tax support. Zoo improvements depend on admissions, programs and generous donations.

“We’re so excited for our community to get involved in naming this adorable baby and in helping provide a new home for his whole family, “ Kelley Parker, senior director of development and marketing at CMZoo, says. “Every dollar donated will not only be matched dollar-for-dollar, it will also go directly toward our fundraising efforts for a spectacular new primate habitat. We love that our entire community — here in Colorado Springs and around the world — can be part of creating something incredible.”

The winning name will be announced at cmzoo.org/babyname, via an email to Zoo members and subscribers and on the Zoo’s social channels on Wed., Oct. 15.

Happy voting — and thank you for supporting Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild, and their numbers continue to decline. Gorilla fans can help preserve wild gorilla habitats by recycling small electronic devices and cell phones at CMZoo.

In addition to disease and poaching, gorillas face habitat loss due to logging for agricultural use, human settlements and mining. Many of the West African lowland forests and swamps that these animals call home are also natural deposits of coltan, a mineral used in cell phones and other electronics. Due to the ever-increasing demand for cell phones across the world, the destruction of these gorillas’ habitats for mining purposes has unfortunately increased.

Coltan is recyclable, and by donating old cell phones, we can help supply valuable coltan for future phone production. Guests can bring electronics to CMZoo admissions or Primate World, where there’s a recycling collection bin near the gorillas’ indoor dens. CMZoo will send them to Eco-Cell, an organization that recycles the phones, as well as tablets, smart watches, Bluetooth devices, GPS devices, e-readers, digital cameras, handheld gaming systems and their accessories.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2025, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #2 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for to fund animal care, conservation, Zoo operations and improvements.

QUARTERS FOR CONSERVATION PROGRAM HELPS MEMBERS AND GUESTS CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO FRONTLINE CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and its members and guests are celebrating 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.

About Our Current Q4C Legacy Projects

Q4C beneficiary species truly run the gamut, from 18-foot-tall giraffe in Africa to tiny toads in Wyoming.

Q4C supports Giraffe Conservation Foundation and their efforts to study, protect and grow wild giraffe populations. While CMZoo staff help raise awareness of giraffes’ silent extinction by inspiring guests at the Zoo, Q4C funds on-the-ground giraffe conservation efforts. CMZoo and the Kratt Family Fund (KFF) support efforts such as giraffe translocations to safer habitats, population monitoring and surveying, removal of illegal snare wires and veterinary treatment for giraffe and other wildlife injured by snares. They also provide veterinary support with vehicles and supplies. In addition, CMZoo’s contributions fund critical medications to treat injured animals, giving them a second chance at life.

Q4C also funds CMZoo’s on-site breeding programs for black-footed ferrets and Wyoming toads. These endangered prairie species were declared extinct in the wild in the 1980s and early 1990s, and are only around today because of decades of recovery efforts from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, zoos and partner organizations.

Wyoming toads are like so many amphibian species in decline all over the world, including Panamanian frogs, which also receive support thanks to Q4C funds and CMZoo staff support in the field. CMZoo staff members assist the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project by sharing ideas and information from Wyoming toad breed-and-release efforts, and travel to Panama to help research strategies to reintroduce these endangered amphibians into their natural habitats.

CMZoo’s work to save habitats for orangutans through advocacy for sustainable palm oil production is also largely supported by Q4C. Thanks to that financial support, CMZoo’s sustainable palm oil team consults staff at other conservation organizations on starting their own palm oil programs. The CMZoo sustainable palm oil team continues to focus on international work through the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). The team was instrumental in the creation of WAZA’s PalmOil Scan – a global free sustainable palm oil shopping smartphone app, which allows shoppers to scan the barcodes of items to learn whether producers have committed to using sustainable palm oil – and to choose to support companies that have committed to sourcing sustainable palm oil.

Through Q4C, CMZoo also supports Tsavo Trust – a conservation organization in Kenya that works to protect the last of the big tuskers, which are African elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds, and Eastern black rhinos. CMZoo’s funds helped Tsavo Trust build out their headquarters and provide a clean water source for the local community, who are partners in conservation efforts. It also paid for vital infrastructure for aerial and ground vehicles that rangers use for surveillance that protects rhinos and elephants from illegal hunting, in addition to collecting data on how these endangered giants utilize the habitat.

The seventh Q4C legacy partner is Wildlife Conservation Society, whose dedicated staff work to protect and define secure habitats for wild Amur tigers in Eastern Russia. Amur tigers, previously known as Siberian tigers, are critically endangered. Their numbers in the wild continue to be treacherously low at around 500. CMZoo supports efforts to prevent human-wildlife conflicts as well as anti-poaching efforts and funding for field conservationists to study this species in the wild.

For more information about these projects and Quarters for Conservation, visit cmzoo.org/conservation.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2025, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #2 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for to fund animal care, conservation, Zoo operations and improvements.

MON., SEPT. 8 THROUGH SUN., SEPT. 14, MILITARY FAMILIES CAN ENJOY 50% OFF DAYTIME ADMISSION; SEPT. 11, COMMUNITY INVITED TO SILENT NIGHT AT THE ZOO – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s annual Military Appreciation Week is in full swing, and continues through Sun., Sept. 14, 2025. All active-duty, veteran and retired military members and their dependents who live in the same household can receive 50% off the base Zoo admission cost for the day and time they choose to attend. Timed-entry e-tickets are required and available at cmzoo.org/military.

At Silent Night, on Thurs., Sept. 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Zoo hosts an evening of peaceful mindfulness in nature. Because this event is during Military Appreciation Week, all active-duty, veteran and retired military personnel and their dependents living in the same household will get 50% off admission to this evening event, too.

Silent Night is just what the name implies: a silent experience at the Zoo, with only the natural sounds of the mountain. Attendees will be asked to silence phones and other noisy devices, and to keep all communication to a whisper. The goal is to create a peaceful environment in natural surroundings, with as little background noise as possible.

Animals will be visible, just like other after-hours events, but there will be no loud speaker announcements, keeper talks, carousel rides, or conversations above a whisper. The Zoo has designated ‘noise-friendly’ buildings available for anyone who needs to take an important phone call, or regroup. The rest of the Zoo will be quiet, and the Zoo will provide small notepads and pens for written communication during the event.

FAST FACTS

Silent Night at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Thursday, Sept. 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Advance tickets are required for members and non-members.

Zoo members receive a $3 discount

Active-duty, retired and veteran military personnel receive a 50% discount

• 5:30 p.m. – Event opens

• 5:30-7:30 p.m. – Animal exhibits open (Primate World will be closed.)

• 5:30-7:30 p.m. – Grizzly Grill open with a limited menu

• 6-7:15 p.m. – Mindful yoga and meditation in Lodge at Moose Lake

• 7:30 p.m. – Event ends

More information and tickets at www.cmzoo.org/silentnight.

FAST FACTS

Military Appreciation Week at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Monday, Sept.8 through Sunday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Discount of 50% off base daytime Zoo admission.

Advance tickets are required for members and non-members.

Discount is available to active-duty, veteran or retired military and their immediate family in the same household.

For more information and to purchase required advance e-tickets, visit www.cmzoo.org/military

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Military Appreciation Week is possible because of the generous support of our partners, Black Bear Diner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Ent Credit Union, Les Schwab Tire Center, Renewal by Andersen and your Colorado Springs Toyota dealers.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2024, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #5 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised nearly $6 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO – CMZoo’s year-round partner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, has created a guide to first-year doctor visits for human babies. Similarly, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s primate keepers are tracking milestones for Asha’s baby gorilla’s first year of life.

Asha, a 32-year-old critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, welcomed a baby boy on July 21, 2025. Both seem to be doing well! The baby is hitting lots of gorilla baby milestones, including clinging tightly to mom, nursing regularly, mouthing Asha’s solid food, practicing head and limb control and making focused eye contact.

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Thirty-four-year-old Goma moved to CMZoo, in 2016, on a breeding recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, supported by Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited organizations, including CMZoo.

Goma joined a tightly bonded group of females after coming from a bachelor group, and with time, introductions, and strong social bonds, the troop became a cohesive group. Though inexperienced, Asha helped Goma learn how to breed and he became a first-time dad on July 21, 2025. It’s exciting to see how far Goma has come and the important contributions he continues to make to his species.

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Written by Primate World Lead Keeper, Jon Wild –

In Primate World, there is an abundance of excitement from members, guests and Zoo staff, as everyone hopes to catch a glimpse of 32-year-old Western lowland gorilla mom, Asha, and her one-month-old baby. You can see just how special it is for someone to see a gorilla infant for the first, second or third time. I get it. I feel that excitement, too. The birth of a gorilla baby has always been a highlight of my career as an animal keeper, and I have been lucky to work with six gorilla babies over my career. Still, I think daily how amazing it is that my talented teammates and I get to experience this every day.

Working with Asha throughout her pregnancy and seeing her be a wonderful caring mother is incredible. But, that is not the whole story playing out directly in front of everyone. The animal care team is also watching Goma, the group’s silverback.

Goma makes this particular gorilla birth extra exciting for me because he is a first-time dad! I have worked with many silverbacks, but Goma is the first one I have cared for that has integrated into a family group after spending the majority of his life in a bachelor group.

Bachelor groups are normal social groupings found in wild gorillas. Bachelor groups can also be found in some zoos. Goma, along with his brother, joined a bachelor group at a young age. When he arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2016 to be the silverback of the family group, following a recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, he lacked experience with adult females. It was a challenge for him as he learned to interact with the females of the group.

It took some time, but with the help of the animal care team and the female gorillas, Goma assumed his role as a silverback. He leads the group as their protector, and knows where they are at all times. One of the ways he has recently exhibited his protectiveness is by patrolling the outdoor habitat and barking at construction cranes he can see across the Zoo. The female gorillas also show their respect for him by moving out if his way as he approaches.

Another gap in Goma’s knowledge was his lack of experience with infants. Now, at 34 years old, he is experiencing one for the first time as a new dad, and that makes me smile. We are observing a bachelor silverback join a family group, learning the skills necessary to lead that group and now learning how to be a father. This is a huge accomplishment for Goma.

His behavior has been spot-on. He is quietly looking after Asha and the baby, respecting her position, but always closely in case they need him. On the baby’s second day, Asha and baby rested near the window while guests focused on the baby. What I observed was Goma sitting close by watching over them, keeping his eye on the guests. Prior to the birth, Goma would have been resting as well. But on this day, he sat vigilant for hours while she slept.

Asha is helping Goma learn appropriate skills. She is strong and confident and allows him brief moments to be close to the baby and her. At first, when he reached out to touch the baby she was quick to let him know one brief touch was enough. More recently, she has let him touch and smell the baby’s head. His approaches towards them are kind of sweet, as he appears gentle and careful near them.

For me, it has been a joy to see Goma’s growth as a father run parallel to the baby’s development. I’m very much looking forward to the day Goma and his son start playing together. I think that will probably be one of the most special days of my career. Until then, I will enjoy watching Asha bond with her newborn as Goma continues to learn his new role as a father.

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Wednesday, Sept. 26 is World Gorilla Day, and gorilla fans can make a difference for gorillas in the wild by taking small electronics to be recycled in Primate World at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

“Many of the lowland forests and swamps that Western lowland gorillas call home are also sources of deposits of coltan, a mineral used in manufacturing cell phones and other electronics,” Nicole Chaney, CMZoo conservation manager, says. “Due to the ever-increasing demand for cell phones across the world, the destruction of this critically endangered species’ habitat for mining purposes has unfortunately increased.”

The good news is that coltan is recyclable. To reduce the need to mine for coltan in these vital gorilla habitats, CMZoo can collect and send old cell phones to be recycled at a specialty recycler.

Every single day, members and guests can place used devices in the recycling box near the indoor gorilla viewing area. CMZoo sends those devices to ECO-CELL, an organization that recycles phones, tablets, smart watches, Bluetooth devices, GPS devices, e-readers, digital cameras, handheld gaming systems and their accessories.

If guests are unable to visit, they can drop electronics off at the Zoo’s admissions plaza, and the Guest Experience team will bring them to be recycled.

“We have been so impressed with our guests this year, especially,” Nicole says. “Last year, guests recycled 221 small electronic devices at CMZoo, and this year, we have already sent 250 to be recycled – and we have more to send.”

Every visit to CMZoo is conservation in action, because every visit and every membership contributes to the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, which has raised nearly $6 million for conservation efforts around the world. Visiting Asha, Goma, Kwisha and the baby gorilla in Primate World helps people form connections with gorillas, and by taking advantage of this free recycling service, guests can make a direct impact to help save wild gorilla habitats.

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Western lowland gorilla, Asha

Of the many gorilla aspects to observe and adore, it’s worth taking a minute to focus on their noses. Conservationists do the same for scientific purposes.

“All of our gorillas have very different noses, so in addition to their other distinguishing features, we can identify them that way,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, says. “Being able to identify them here at the Zoo helps us track their qualities of life, health, social interactions and more. In the wild, conservationists use this method to identify wild gorillas, too.”

Each gorilla has a unique nose, just like humans. While there are other ways to identify gorillas individually, noses were efficient identifiers for conservationists who were often observing from afar or via photos and videos.

Western lowland gorilla, Goma

Wild gorilla research has been documented since the 1950s. Using consistent identifiers, like noses, helps researchers learn more about each individual long-term, which reveals how gorillas socialize and move through wild places. With information about how gorillas use habitats, conservationists can present data that helps support policies that protect the habitats gorillas need to survive.

As gorillas mature and naturally move out of their initial family groups to join other groups, conservationists noted their noses to identify and continue observing them in new groups.

Western lowland gorilla, Kwisha

“Once they have fully developed, gorillas’ nose shapes typically stay the same,” Ashton says. “Their body shapes and sizes and hair colors may change with age. Because they move between social groups, it’s not as dependable to rely on comparisons with other gorillas to identify individuals.”

By identifying individual gorillas, conservationists can track family dynamics, group movements, diets, migrations and even life spans – all foundational information that still benefits gorilla conservation efforts and care for great apes in human settings.

At CMZoo, gorilla fans can easily tell the gorillas apart by comparing their sizes, hair colors and more. Identifying Asha is especially simple now, because she’s the gorilla carrying an adorable baby! But, their noses are worth appreciating, too.

Western lowland gorilla baby

• Asha’s nose is heart-shaped. In between her nostrils is a U-shaped indent. She’s also identifiable as the shortest adult gorilla in the group.

• Goma’s nose is also heart-shaped, but he has a strong line between his nostrils. Goma is the largest gorilla in the CMZoo troop, and he has grayish-silver hair on his back.

• Kwisha’s nose is longer and her nostrils are more upright than Asha’s and Goma’s. Kwisha has brownish-red hair on her head, and she’s the ‘middle sized’ gorilla at CMZoo.

• So far, the baby’s nose is heart-shaped, like his parents’, but his nose is still developing.

Next time you’re in Primate World at CMZoo, test your gorilla knowledge and see if you can identify the adults by their noses.

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Meet Keoki, an 8-year-old female lar gibbon! Keoki (pronounced key-OH-key) recently arrived from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium and is settling into her new home. Already visible to guests in Primate World, her captivating eyes, tiny nose and adorable hairdo are quickly melting hearts.

Keoki is starting to bond with her care team and has already shown interest in training — especially if cherries are on the menu! She will gently take pitted cherries from her care team and make soft cooing sounds while she eats them. One of her favorite spots in her new home is a hammock high up in her habitat, which her care team now calls her ‘throne.’ From there, she likes to watch guests down below.

Inside scoop: A male lar gibbon will soon be joining Keoki in Primate World! Stay tuned for updates.

The arrival of Keoki and the male gibbon 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.

Lar gibbons, also known as white-handed gibbons, are endangered primates native to the tropical forests of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. Similar to orangutans, lar gibbons are impacted by unsustainable palm oil production, which has led to deforestation and the loss of their natural habitat. When produced sustainably, palm oil is the most productive edible oil available. Oil palms – the trees that palm oil comes from – produce four to ten times more oil than alternatives like soy, olive, canola and coconut. Switching to these alternatives would cause even more deforestation in tropical areas.

Luckily, you can help save their rainforests from the comfort of your own smartphone. Download the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) free mobile smartphone app, PalmOil Scan, from the Apple App Store or Google Play today. Next time you go shopping, just open your app, scan a product’s barcode, and see how that company ranks. If they haven’t committed to sustainable palm oil, consider instead supporting a similar company that has. This app was developed under the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA) and is managed for North America by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. PalmOil Scan is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Download the app today and learn more at cmzoo.org/palmoil.

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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