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GUESTS WILL ENJOY FOOD, DRINKS, LIVE MUSIC, A HOLIDAY SAFARI DRONE LIGHT SHOW, AND VISITS WITH THEIR FAVORITE ANIMALS AND SANTA – Make plans for an adults-only mistle-toast to the season at Electric Moonlight from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 5, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. There’s nowhere else you can sip cocktails, sample food, enjoy live local music, feed a giraffe and visit Santa in an adults-only atmosphere on the side of a mountain!

Electric Moonlight incorporates all of the magic of Electric Safari, like 50 acres of twinkling lights displays, 90+ hand-made light sculptures, enormous animal inflatables, and a drone light show, plus the additions of live music and all-inclusive food and drink samplings (while supplies last). Guests can also take in the lights from new heights on the Mountaineer Sky Ride ($3 per rider). Even Santa will be here to listen to grown-ups’ holiday wishes! Inflatables and drone show are weather dependent.

In between sampling delicious food and drinks, donated by local restaurants, breweries, distilleries and more, guests can enjoy scheduled animal keeper talks and demonstrations. Select animal habitats will be open for guests to visit, including the giraffe barn, where guests can hand-feed the 16-member giraffe herd for $3 per lettuce bundle or $5 for two bundles. See lists of open animal areas, musicians and attending vendors at cmzoo.org/em.

This event is popular and is subject to selling out. Don’t wait to secure your spot at the last 21-and-up special event of the year at cmzoo.org/em.

Attendees can get into the holiday spirit and feel good about purchasing a ticket to this important fundraiser for the Zoo. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of the only AZA-accredited nonprofit zoos in the country that does not receive tax support, so every ticket helps fund animal care, Zoo operations, improvements and conservation.

Quick Facts
• 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 5, 2023
• Advance tickets are required and must be purchased at cmzoo.org/em. This event is likely to sell out.
• Electric Moonlight features:
— live music throughout the Zoo
— food and drink samples from Front Range restaurants, breweries, distilleries and more (while supplies last)
— more than 50 acres of twinkling lights
— more than 90 hand-made light sculptures
— giant illuminated animal inflatables (weather permitting)
— a holiday-safari themed drone show (weather permitting)
— access to the Mountaineer Sky Ride (weather permitting; $3)
— access to the historic carousel (weather permitting; $2 per person)
— access to most of the Zoo’s animal exhibits, including paid giraffe and budgie feedings
— scheduled animal keeper talks and demonstrations
• This event is for adults, ages 21 and older, only. No children or infants will be allowed in.
• Each ticket includes a souvenir sampling cup and spork so guests can sample food and drinks located throughout the Zoo. Local breweries, distilleries and restaurants will have samples available for guests while supplies last.

This waste-wise event is supported by Toyota.

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 more than $5 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.

26 NIGHTS OF ELECTRIC SAFARI START ON FRI., DEC. 6 – AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE TODAY! – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is preparing the mountainside with millions of lights for the 34th year of Electric Safari. Twenty-six nights of mountainside lights starts on Friday, Dec. 6, and tickets are available starting today at cmzoo.org/electric.

Plus, Electric Safari is nominated for ‘Best Zoo Lights in North America’ – and Zoo fans can vote daily through Dec. 2 at cmzoo.org/lights. Electric Safari was named Third Best Zoo Lights in North American for the last five years by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Fans of the Zoo can vote once daily at cmzoo.org/lights until the contest ends, at 10 a.m. MT on Mon., Dec. 2. Top-ten national rankings should be announced that week!
VOTE FOR BEST ZOO LIGHTS

This year, attendees can expect more than 50 acres of twinkling lights, 90+ hand-made light sculptures, giant illuminated animal inflatables, a holiday-safari drone show, plus breathtaking nighttime city views from the side of the mountain.

Electric Safari opens on Fri., Dec. 6 and runs through Wed., Jan.1, 2025 – except Christmas Eve. Zoo members can get early entry, from 4 to 5 p.m. General admission is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Electric Safari ends at 8:30 p.m.

Electric Safari is free for CMZoo members, and members can attend as often as they’d like! To manage on-site parking throughout the popular event, advance timed tickets are required for members and the general public. Capacity is limited and some nights will sell out. Get tickets and more details at cmzoo.org/electric. Guests can save $5 per ticket by visiting on a non-peak day, detailed on the Pricing Calendar at cmzoo.org/electric.

Attendees will enjoy lit trees, structures and sculptures, installed by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s grounds and events team. Larger-than-life illuminated animal inflatables and a nightly holiday-safari themed drone light show (both are weather dependent) will decorate the Zoo, making the perfect setting for extra-special holiday memories. If all of those beautiful lights don’t un-Scrooge even the Grinchiest of holiday grumps, a cup of hot cocoa and a visit with Santa ought to do the trick.

Kris Kringle will be in Safari Lodge through Dec. 23 to hear holiday wishes, collect lists and pose for free photos. Take a spin on the historic carousel for $2 per ride, or hop on the Mountaineer Sky Ride for incredible once-a-year views of the holiday nighttime glow of Colorado Springs from the mountainside (both are weather permitting).

Electric Safari wouldn’t be complete without scheduled animal demonstrations and keeper talks! Guests can also visit select animal exhibits. Electric Safari offers paid feeding opportunities with CMZoo’s famous giraffe herd and budgie flock. See an animal schedule, feeding prices and open animal exhibits at cmzoo.org/electric.

Grizzly Grill, Cozy Goat, Pizza with a View and Elson’s Café will be open to serve food and beverages. The Thundergod Gift Shop is open every night for Zoo-themed gifts and hot cocoa.

Electric Safari is supported by our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, U.S. Bank and Toyota. For more information, visit: cmzoo.org/electric.

Electric Safari Fast Facts
• Electric Safari is from 5 to 8:30 p.m. nightly from Fri., Dec. 6 through Wed., Jan. 1, 2025 – except on Christmas Eve. Early entry for members and their paying guests starts at 4 p.m.
• Advance timed tickets are required for members and the general public.
• Tickets are limited and some nights will sell out in advance.
• Electric Safari is free for Zoo members. Members must reserve timed tickets, and can attend as often as they please.
• Santa will greet Electric Safari guests nightly through Mon., Dec. 23. Bring letters and take photos!
• Electric Safari features:
— more than 50 acres of twinkling lights
— more than 90 hand-made light sculptures
— giant illuminated animal inflatables (weather permitting)
— a nightly holiday-safari themed drone show (weather permitting)
— access to the Mountaineer Sky Ride (weather permitting; $4 for members; $5 for general public)
— access to the historic carousel (weather permitting; $2 per person)
— access to most of the Zoo’s animal exhibits, including paid giraffe and budgie feedings
— nightly scheduled animal keeper talks and demonstrations
— get more information and tickets in advance at cmzoo.org/electric
• Vote for Electric Safari, nominated in USA TODAY’s Best Zoo Lights in North America, daily at cmzoo.org/lights through Mon., Dec. 2.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

On Thurs., Oct. 24, the Colorado Supreme Court will hear oral arguments from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s legal counsel and the NonHuman Rights Project (NhRP) on the frivolous elephant lawsuit filed against CMZoo last summer.

As our community already knows, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we take excellent care of our beloved elephants. The NhRP’s case is not about our elephant care. Their goal is to establish a court precedent granting habeas corpus to any animal. Our elephants are just the next target on their list of failed attempts at setting this precedent.

NhRP is an out-of-state extreme animal rights organization known in the Zoo profession for wasting credible organizations’ time and money with misguided lawsuits. This manipulative fundraising act aims to upset and mislead people who care about animals.

Our community of animal advocates sees through their attempts, and our community has continued to show up for elephants. By visiting Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, every guest makes a direct impact on wildlife conservation. Since 2008, our guests and members have raised more than $5 million for conservation around the world, just by visiting the Zoo. We recently surpassed a huge milestone for elephant conservation: $1 million raised to help our conservation partner, Tsavo Trust, protect African elephants in Tsavo National Park, in Kenya.

NhRP is claiming that the five female African elephants who have been in our care for decades should ‘go free,’ but also claims they should go to a sanctuary, where they would remain in human care. Transport to another facility, whether it’s called a sanctuary or a zoo, would not remove them from human care. It would force them to endure a potentially stressful move and resettling, possibly with other elephants, in a new setting with a new care team. At their ages, and with their various age-related ailments, a move like this would be cruel. But, again, NhRP, is not concerned about our individual elephants’ care.

Our elephant care team knows the needs of our elephants, and tailors specific health and exercise programs based on each elephant’s needs and preferences. Suggesting they’d be better off at a sanctuary is simply incorrect. Popular opinions about what’s considered best for elephants in general or in the wild are not what’s best for Jambo, Missy, LouLou, Kimba or Lucky.

For example, wild elephants are social animals, but our elephants didn’t grow up in large herds, and they don’t want to be in them. Unrelated females, like our five African elephants, typically do not socialize in the wild. Our elephants have lived their entire lives in smaller herds, and they do not have the skills or desire to be in a larger herd. We know, because we have tried. We have offered them a variety of group settings, and we do not force them to share direct space with other elephants when they have shown us they don’t want that.

Unfortunately, NhRP doesn’t care about their unique circumstances and needs. We do, so we continue to fight on our elephants’ behalf. The legal arguments our attorneys plan to share on Oct. 24 will prove the District Court was right when they dismissed this case at the district level. Because the case is not about our elephants’ care, as NhRP would lead you to believe in their promotional materials, our legal position is simple.

Habeas corpus is a legal protection for humans to claim for themselves. When a human isn’t capable of asserting their own writ of habeas corpus, a court-recognized “next friend” can file a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of another human.

In the unlikely event that a court ever decided that animals could be protected from “unlawful imprisonment” by habeas corpus, a “next friend” that knows them very well would be allowed to do it for them. When this case was dismissed in El Paso County District Court, the judge reasoned that between the Zoo and NhRP, it was clear NhRP was not a “next friend” of our elephants, and if anyone had earned that right, it was Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Another requirement of habeas corpus is that the benefitting party will ‘go free.’ Our elephants cannot ‘go free,’ because they cannot survive without human care and medical attention.

Each of these arguments separately should be enough for our elephants to remain with us, but the underlying truth is that they are not unlawfully detained, under Colorado law. Our elephants are incredible creatures, and they deserve the full protection of our federal, state and local animal welfare laws. As an Associations of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited Zoo, we provide that protection and care. When Colorado legislature recently banned elephants in traveling circuses, they expressly allowed elephants to continue to be sheltered in AZA-accredited zoos. By definition, this means our elephants are not unlawfully detained, which is the basis of NhRP’s frivolous lawsuit — and a direct disregard of the important protections our state legislators have put in place.

NhRP has attempted this same lawsuit with several other reputable zoos. NhRP lost their case in New York. They lost in California. They were dismissed in Colorado Springs and Hawaii. We hope Colorado isn’t the place that sets the slippery slope in motion of whether your beloved and well-cared-for dog or cat should have habeas corpus and would be required to ‘go free,’ at the whim of someone else’s opinion of them.

Our community has been surprised that NhRP chose to attack Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, of all places. We have consistently ranked as a top-five zoo in the nation by popular vote. We just celebrated raising $5 million for frontline conservation efforts, including over a million dollars for African elephants. Our national recognition as a leader in animal care and conservation is likely what drew their attention to us. Our latest accreditation was historic. In nearly 50 years of AZA accreditations, CMZoo was only the fourth organization to earn a ‘clean’ report, which means there wasn’t a single major or minor concern reported – including in the strenuous review of our elephant care program.

We likely will not know the Court’s decision on this case for several weeks or months, so don’t be surprised if we don’t update you for a while. In the meantime, we’re focused on animal welfare, conservation and our historic update to African Rift Valley. If you’re looking for a way to support the Zoo, support us by visiting any day of the year (we’re open year-round), or consider attending a special event, like Electric Safari, in December.

We’re grateful for our community’s unwavering support throughout the past 16 months of this, and we are hopeful that we can soon put this waste of resources to rest.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

ADVANCE, TIMED-TICKETS REQUIRED FOR ALL SEVEN NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN FUN – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will feel the Halloween spirit when little ghouls and goblins attend Boo at the Zoo, starting Fri., Oct. 18, 2024. This decades-long Colorado Springs Halloween tradition is a fun way for families to trick-or-treat, enjoy Halloween festivities in a unique environment and support a great cause.

Boo at the Zoo is Oct. 18-20 and 25-27, plus Halloween night, Thurs., Oct. 31 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Advance timed e-tickets are required and available at cmzoo.org/boo. Capacity is limited and some nights are close to selling out.

In addition to visiting select animal exhibits and trick-or-treating, frightfully fun attractions include a lighted pumpkin patch, a kid-friendly spooky haunted house, Ghoulish Graveyard and Pirates Cove. Attendees can also enjoy rides on the Mountaineer Sky Ride and carousel, weather permitting.

An elephant-sized amount of candy (4.5 tons) will be handed out at 25+ trick-or-treat stations throughout the Zoo. Candy is purchased from companies that are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and have committed to using sustainable palm oil for the protection of orangutan habitats in the wild.

Orangutan fans can support companies that have committed to using responsibly sourced palm oil by downloading the free globally available mobile app, PalmOil Scan. The mobile app allows shoppers to scan product barcodes and see immediately how that company ranks in prioritizing sustainable palm oil. Learn more at cmzoo.org/palmoil.

The Zoo will close for daytime admission on Boo dates at 3 p.m. Boo at the Zoo will go on, rain, snow or shine. Be sure to bundle up on cold nights and enjoy a Colorado evening on the mountain!

HALLOWEEN-THEMED ANIMAL ENRICHMENT AND DEMONSTRATIONS:
• Fri., Oct. 18 and Fri., Oct. 25:
5 p.m. – African Lion Enrichment (Lion Relaxation Room, African Rift Valley)
6:30 p.m. – Wallaby Pumpkin Enrichment (inside wallaby building, Australia Walkabout)

• Sat., Oct. 19 and Sat., Oct. 26:
5 p.m. – Meerkat Enrichment (meerkat yard between giraffe and African lions, African Rift Valley)
6:30 p.m. – Hippo Keeper Talk and Feeding (inside hippo building, Water’s Edge: Africa)

• Sun., Oct. 20 and Sun., Oct. 27:
5 p.m. – African Lion Enrichment (Lion Relaxation Room, African Rift Valley)
6:30 p.m. – Wallaby Pumpkin Enrichment (inside wallaby building, Australia Walkabout)

• Thurs., Oct. 31 – HALLOWEEN:
5 p.m. – Meerkat Enrichment (meerkat yard between giraffe and African lions, African Rift Valley)
6:30 p.m. – Hippo Keeper Talk and Feeding (inside hippo building, Water’s Edge: Africa)

SELECT ANIMAL EXHIBITS ARE OPEN, INCLUDING:
• Giraffe building
• African lions
• Budgie Buddies
• Wallaby building
• Encounter Africa elephant/rhino barn
• Domestic Goat Experience
• My Big Backyard
• The Loft
• Scutes Family Gallery
• Water’s Edge: Africa

RESTAURANTS OPEN DURING BOO AT THE ZOO
• Grizzly Grill
• Pizza with a View
• Elson’s Place
• Cozy Goat (beverages only)
• Thundergod Gift Shop

COSTUME REQUIREMENTS
For the safety of all guests, full-face costume masks and costume weapons may not be worn by guests 12 years of age or older. Masks worn by guests 11 years of age and younger must have openings that allow the eyes to be seen and that do not obstruct peripheral vision. Balloons are not allowed inside the Zoo (even as part of a costume) for the safety of our animals and wild animals.

TRICK-OR-TREAT BAGS
Support the Zoo’s efforts to reduce waste by bringing your own trick-or-treat bags! Reusable bags will be available for purchase for $2 at admissions.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Volunteers are crucial to the success and safety of Boo at the Zoo. Positions include handing out or delivering candy, directing traffic and staffing the haunted house. All volunteers must be at least 13 years old. Volunteers ages 13-17 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or school advisor at all times. We will not assign specific positions until the evening of the event. Curious about volunteering for Boo at the Zoo? Visit cmzoo.org/boo.

FAST FACTS
Boo at the Zoo at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Dates: Oct. 18-20, 25-27 and 31
4 to 8:30 p.m.
Advance timed e-tickets are required.
www.cmzoo.org/boo

Boo at the Zoo is possible thanks to our generous partners, Black Bear Diner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Les Schwab Tire Centers, and Toyota.

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 2023, 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 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 more than $5 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 238 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.

Finn, an 8-year-old Red River hog at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, became a first-time mom last week. Keepers were greeted by a brand-new baby Red River hog in the early hours of Thurs., Aug. 29. Although first-time dad, Gus, and Finn had been seen breeding, keepers were not certain a baby was on the way.

“It may seem strange to some, but Red River hog babies are some of the cutest in the whole animal kingdom with their striped markings, tiny statures and energetic behaviors,” Amy Tuchman, senior keeper in African Rift Valley says. “Little one and mom seem to be doing great. We’re seeing a lot of nursing, napping and activity from the baby. It likes to climb over Finn’s face, and we’ve seen it jumping and running when it gets little bursts of energy. Finn is really sweet and patient with it.”

The little hoglet is a bit smaller than its mom’s snout. Red River hoglets are often described as having a watermelon pattern when they’re born. Just like adult Red River hogs, hoglets have the signature bright orange coats, but the babies also have brown and white stripes that run the length of their bodies, along with little brown and white spots all over. Those stripes and spots usually fade at around six months of age, but act as important camouflage in the meantime.

Finn’s keepers say she has embraced her hoglet with all of the key behaviors they want to see from a first-time mom. The baby is nursing regularly, Finn nuzzles and cleans the baby, and the baby gets ‘zoomies’ in the comfort of their indoor den.

Because Finn and the hoglet have been bonding well, animal care staff are unlikely to handle the baby unless there’s a medical need. The baby’s sex has not been identified and likely won’t be for another several weeks. In keeping with CMZoo tradition, the baby likely won’t be named for at least 30 days.

Finn came to CMZoo earlier this year on a breeding recommendation with Gus, CMZoo’s 2-year-old male Red River hog. Red River hog fathers, unlike many species, are active in raising their young. For now, Finn and baby will get time to bond alone, and Gus will join the family once Finn shows she’s comfortable.

Follow CMZoo’s social media channels for updates on when Finn and the hoglet will make their debut in public spaces.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

ATTENDEES CAN ENJOY SIX LOCAL MUSICIANS, UNLIMITED SMALL PLATES, ANIMALS AND INCREDIBLE MOUNTAINSIDE VIEWS – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will kick off its three-date 21-and-up summer event series, Tails, Tunes & Tastes, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., July 25. Up on the mountain, the evenings are cool, and this event lineup is even cooler.

There’s nowhere else you can hand-feed a giraffe, have a drink, try a unique food menu, enjoy live music and watch the sunset from the mountainside. This truly unique event is perfect for a girls’ night out, summer work get-together, unique birthday celebration or date night.

The Zoo’s in-house catering team, Taste, provides the small plates. Executive Chef John Kuespert has created a mouthwatering menu for July. Small plates will include chicken & waffles, shrimp rangoon, vegetarian pesto flatbread, beef sliders, vegan buffalo cauliflower, pork posole croquette, tuna poke, peach cobbler fritter, black forest tart and more.

Tickets are $64.75 per person. (Tickets increase $10 on July 25.) Each ticket includes unlimited small plates, so attendees will enjoy delicious bites throughout the night, in addition to two included drinks plus access to cash bars, six local musical acts, and visits to most animal areas. Capacity is limited, so attendees can feel like they have the Zoo to themselves in some locations, while enjoying a livelier atmosphere near live music. Advance tickets are required and available now at cmzoo.org/tails. This event is for adults only, 21-and-up.

Attendees will have a wild night on the mountain for a worthy cause. 75¢ from every Tails, Tunes & Tastes ticket goes to CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, which has raised more than $5 million for frontline conservation efforts around the world since 2008.

What can you do at Tails, Tunes & Tastes?
– Observe scheduled animal demonstrations and keeper talks.
– Your ticket includes two drink tickets for use at any bar throughout the event. Cash bars are also available.
– Enjoy unlimited chef-created small plates from our custom Tails, Tunes & Tastes menu at our eateries.
– Enjoy local musicians performing throughout the Zoo.
– Visit your favorite animals.
– Watch the sunset from the mountainside.
– Feed the giraffe herd ($3 per lettuce bundle or $5 for two).
– Ride the Sky Ride (weather dependent; $4 for Zoo members, $5 for non-members).

July’s Tails, Tunes & Tastes musical lineup:
– Ava Grace
– Chad Traxler
– George Whitesell
– Grapefruit Moon
– John Spengler & Frenemies
– Shandra Moore

Summer 2024 Tails, Tunes & Tastes dates:

6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., July 25
6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., Aug. 29
6 to 9:30 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 26

Tails, Tunes & Tastes is presented with support from NETSCOUT and your Colorado Springs Toyota dealers. Thank you, event sponsors!

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

THE CAROUSEL, ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1926, HAS BEEN A FIXTURE AT CMZOO SINCE 1937 –

Event Information

WHO: CMZoo members, guests, staff and carousel enthusiasts (plus some special animal guests!)

WHAT: An official reopening of the Zoo’s historic carousel
Brief comments from CMZoo President & CEO, Bob Chastain
Free carousel rides 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (advance Zoo admission required)

WHEN: 10:30 a.m. (media please arrive by 10:15 a.m.)
Thurs., June 13

WHY: To celebrate the return of the carousel and the milestone in the Zoo’s progress towards major Zoo improvements

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will celebrate the reopening of its historic 1926 Allan Herschel carousel at 10:30 a.m. on Thurs., June 13. The beloved carousel has been a fixture at CMZoo since 1937.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting the carousel’s return since it was safely stored away in July 2023. The carousel moved to make way for a new road just west of the current main road through the Zoo. Once the historic road is gone, the Zoo can expand its giraffe habitat and make way for the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe building, and a new South America exhibit.

The Zoo’s carousel is a portable county-fair-style unit designed to be taken apart and moved. Despite weighing seven tons, the carousel can be broken down in eight hours using basic hand tools.

“It’s not like carousels you see at traveling fairs these days, which just fold up and go,” says Dave Ruhl, executive vice president at CMZoo. “It is designed to be taken apart, piece by piece, by hand. We are dedicated to maintaining this carousel, because it has been with our community for so long, so we’re very careful when we do it.”

This portable design allowed the carousel to travel between county fairs in the 1920s and different locations at CMZoo, since it arrived on the mountain in 1937. Many longtime members and guests will remember hiking up to the top of the Zoo to ride the carousel in its original location before it moved to its second spot, near Rocky Mountain goats. Now settled in its third CMZoo location, it is ready to spin riders around again.

Dave and the design team wanted to maintain the aesthetic, so guests will see familiar metal roof shingles and the same historic railings on the building. The new location provides natural shade and a dedicated space for guests to line up, away from the road. New sidewalks surrounded by a new native plant display will give families more ‘staging’ areas, where they can take a moment to gather themselves between activities at the Zoo. While the new location came together, the carousel got some TLC.

“We work with a carousel horse expert in Larkspur who repaired cracks and touched up paint on the horses and carriages,” Dave says. “Most of the horses have been restored, and they look great. We also got the carousel organ refurbished, so it works again for the first time in around five years. We can’t wait for everyone to see it!” Learn more.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

CMZOO’S MOST POPULAR 21-AND-UP EVENT IS THURSDAY, JUNE 27 – Where else can you listen to live music, feed a giraffe, and enjoy an adult beverage on a mountainside? (Nowhere!) Make plans for an unforgettable evening on Thurs., June 27, 6 to 10 p.m. at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Moonlight on the Mountain is the Zoo’s most popular after-hours event exclusively for adults 21-and-up. VIP tickets are sold out and general admission is going fast!

Attendees can enjoy the talents of local musicians, and generously donated food and drink samples from vendors across the Front Range (while supplies last). Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of the few zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that doesn’t receive any tax support, so events like this support continued excellent animal care, Zoo operations and improvements.

Moonlight on the Mountain general admission tickets are $79.75 per person. Advance tickets are required and available at cmzoo.org/moonlight.

General admission tickets include:

– Complimentary souvenir sampling cup and spork, which help us make this a waste-wise event.
– All-inclusive beverage sampling from regional breweries, wineries, distilleries, and non-alcoholic beverage purveyors, while supplies last.
– All-inclusive food sampling from regional restaurants, while supplies last.
– Live musical entertainment throughout the Zoo.

Other details:

– This evening event is just for adults 21-and-up. IDs must be presented on event night. No one under age 21 will be permitted, including children or infants.
– Advance tickets are required. No walk-up tickets will be available. This event is popular, and is likely to sell out.
– Dress for a night of dancing and walking up and down the hills of the Zoo!
– Designate a driver, or better yet, don’t drive at all! Take a taxi or use a ride-sharing service like, Lyft or Uber.
– Sky Ride tickets $5 per person at the Sky Ride cashier booth (Last ride up at 7:30 p.m.)

Sample beer, wine, liquor, coffee and more from these regional companies!

– 3Hundred Days Distilling
– Antelope Ridge Mead Inc.
– Atomic Cowboy
– Bristol Brewing Co
– Cheers Liquor Mart
– Deuces Wild Brewery
– Drip Queen Coffee
– Fossil Craft Beer
– Goat Patch Brewing Company
– Lebowski Taproom
– Kangaroo Coffee
– Lost Friend Brewing Company
– Manitou Brewing Company
– Manitou Winery
– Monster Brewing
– Raising Cane’s
– Rock Bottom Brewery
– Tractor Beverage Co
– Valor Bartending
– Complimentary fountain soda and cash bar at Grizzly Grill

Savor food from some of your local favorites!

– Chuy’s
– The Block Bar and Grill
– Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
– Edelweiss German Restaurant
– Four by Brother Luck
– Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub
– Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar
– La Casita Mexican Grill
– My Neighbor Felix
– Nothing Bundt Cakes
– P.F. Chang’s
– Viewhouse Eatery Bar & Rooftop
– The Paleta Bar
More to come!

Dance the night away to local musicians located throughout the Zoo until 10 p.m.!

– George Whitesell
– Guys On Boxes
– Joshua Janitell
– Katie Hale & the P-47s
– Peter Wooten
– Rafiel and the Roomshakers
– Reckless and Blue
– Ryan Flores
– Jason Lee Band

Moonlight on the Mountain is made possible thanks to your Colorado Springs Toyota dealers! Advance tickets are required. Reserve your tickets now at cmzoo.org/moonlight.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

On the longest day of the year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will celebrate the longest-necked animal: the giraffe! On Fri., June 21, giraffe keepers and staff from the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (The Giraffe Center) are throwing a daylong event to commemorate World Giraffe Day.

“This is our way of thanking our community for their dedication to our herd, our Zoo and our conservation partners all year long,” says Diana Miller, giraffe specialist at The Giraffe Center. “We have a ton of inspiring activities planned!”

There will be many giraffe-themed activities along the giraffe plaza and the giraffe boardwalk, where guests can learn about CMZoo’s giraffe herd and take direct steps to save wild giraffe. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., several giraffe-themed activities are free for anyone with a ticket to the Zoo. Guests who want to participate in the giraffe fan parade should be sure to get a ticket for 10 a.m. or earlier. A full schedule of events is available at https://www.cmzoo.org/world-giraffe-day/.

Watch for signs on how to navigate through African Rift Valley as we embark on our exciting giraffe habitat improvements, scheduled to start in mid-June. Learn more about the giraffe herd’s future home and consider supporting it here: cmzoo.org/giraffeproject

By visiting the Zoo, guests and members can help save giraffe on World Giraffe Day and every day. Through CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program, every admission to the Zoo raises 75¢ for conservation. Since 2008, guests and members have raised more than $5 million for frontline conservation partners and projects around the world.

Wild giraffe - Photo credit: Musiime Muramura, Uganda Wildlife Authority — Photo credit: Musiime Muramura, Uganda Wildlife Authority

Giraffe are one of CMZoo’s legacy Q4C projects, so an easy way to support giraffe conservation is to simply visit the Zoo. Specifically, CMZoo visitors are supporting Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and their important work studying and protecting wild giraffe, growing populations, advocating government protections and policies for giraffe, and educating and empowering communities who live near wild giraffe.

“In the past year, members’ and guests’ Q4C funds supported additional anti-poaching efforts by funding a new GCF veterinary vehicle to respond to snaring and poaching,” says Diana. “We still have a long way to go, but it’s working, too. With this support, the latest surveys show that the population of wild giraffe is increasing steadily.”

With Q4C support, GCF continues to monitor giraffe populations in Uganda, in partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Recent surveys indicate that all four populations of giraffe in Uganda are increasing in number, with seven new calves reported in Lake Mburo National Park, seven calves in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, thirteen calves in Kidepo Valley National Park, and four hundred calves in Murchison Falls National Park.

“I keep having to tell people that’s not a typo,” Diana says. “There really are four hundred calves documented in the population in Murchison Falls National Park. That population is an excellent example of what can happen when all of the delicate conservation puzzle pieces fit together well.”

In addition to fieldwork and local communities’ buy-in to coexisting with giraffe, an important piece of the conservation puzzle is public support and funding. Zoos play a vital role by inspiring people all over the world to care for wildlife and wild places – and with programs like Q4C, zoos can connect funding from inspired people to frontline organizations who can make the impact.

“Nobody helps guests fall in love with giraffe as well as our herd can,” Diana says. “From confident Tumbili to curious Wednesday, sassy Azmera and wise Mahali, the giraffe at CMZoo have inspired countless people to care for their wild counterparts. They have the most important jobs here at the Zoo, and our job is to take good care of them.”

CMZoo’s herd receives top-of-the-line care with hoof care and husbandry training programs that continue to lead the profession. After more than a decade sharing methods with other giraffe care teams, CMZoo established The Giraffe Center to serve as a resource for all giraffe care professionals. The Giraffe Center offers in-person and online husbandry and hoof care trainings, as well as customized consultations for giraffe care teams all over the world.

“We love traveling to other facilities to see how they do things, brainstorm problem solving with them, share what works for us and discuss what we’ve learned from other organizations,” says Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at The Giraffe Center. “But, there’s nothing like being with your home herd. Our giraffe are such rockstars at training, so our annual workshops here at CMZoo are a lot of fun.”

At the end of May, The Giraffe Center hosted another giraffe behavior workshop at CMZoo with Behavior Works. The behavior workshop is a continuation from the introductory giraffe care workshop. At the behavior workshop, Amy and The Giraffe Center team help giraffe care professionals build upon the fundamental teachings they learn from the intro giraffe care workshop by getting hands-on with members of the CMZoo herd.

“CMZoo’s investment in The Giraffe Center has been fulfilling because we know we’re making giraffes’ lives better,” Amy says. “Seeing our workshop attendees work with our giraffe to learn how it should look to trim a hoof, and then hearing about their giraffe’s improved mobility at home after they’ve applied what they learn is so rewarding.”

The network and collaboration between giraffe organizations goes both ways. Amy and Diana have been instrumental in the design of the new barn that will soon stand tall in African Rift Valley at CMZoo. The team has traveled internationally to share best practices of giraffe care and to observe how others’ facilities and environments can best support a herd.

“We’re focused on environmental enrichment for all of our animals at the Zoo,” says Amy. “With a brand-new giraffe barn coming to CMZoo soon, we’re going to be able to fine-tune building and yard features that we’ve seen work elsewhere as we build this environment from the ground up. It’s happening soon, and we’re really excited to help it come together.”

The 10,000-square-foot giraffe barn’s design is in final considerations. Guests and members should expect to see changes to African Rift Valley start soon, and continue for the next few years as The Giraffe Center takes shape.

Back to The Waterhole

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO WELCOMES TWO ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT KIDS – Two bouncy, squeaky and fluffy kids joined the CMZoo family on Sun., May 19, when second-time Rocky Mountain goat mom, Lena, gave birth to her first set of twins.

New Rocky Mountain goat kids, twins born May 2024 with mother Lena — New twin Rocky Mountain goat kids, born May 19, 2024 to mother, Lena.

The double bundle of joy were on their hooves, taking their wobbly first steps within minutes. Both kids have nursed and continue to bond well with their attentive mom, who is moonlighting as a jungle gym.

“Less than 24 hours after its birth, Baby #2 climbed on top of Lena, who patiently laid still as the little one climbed from her back end all the way to her head, where it slid gently around the back of her neck with its front legs on either side of her head,” says Joanna Husby, animal care manager. “We’ve got an adventurous one on our hands! We’re seeing both babies hit all the milestones for healthy kids, and we’re excited for everyone to meet them.”

Baby #1, in the foreground of the photo above, is slightly smaller than Baby #2, and has a distinctively adorable floppy left ear. Baby #1 seems calmer than Baby #2, so far. Both are very vocal, making loud calls to mom, which are catching the attention of their 2-year-old sister, Blanca, and 14-year-old ‘grannie goat,’ Yazhi, from separate yards. 10-year-old dad, Albert, who is sharing space with Blanca, hasn’t seemed to notice, which is very on-brand for laid-back Albert.

Staff were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the kids, whose gestation lasted the full 180 days expected for a Rocky Mountain goat pregnancy. On Sunday, staff noticed Lena was in active labor around 11:15 a.m. Baby #1 was born at 12:09 p.m. and took its first steps 9 minutes later. At 12:34 p.m., while Baby #1 was nursing, Baby #2 was born. Baby #2 took its first steps at 1:02 p.m.

Because both kids are nursing and bonding well with Lena, staff have not intervened, so their weights and sexes have not been confirmed. Following Zoo tradition, they’ll get names after 30 days.

New twin Rocky Mountain goat kids, born May 19, 2024 to mother Lena. — New Rocky Mountain goat kids, one twin peering from under their mother's belly.

“Lena was a great mom to Blanca, her first baby, and she’s proving to know just what to do with these two,” Joanna says. “She did look a bit surprised to see the second baby arrive, which is understandable considering no one told her she was pregnant with twins!”

Twins aren’t uncommon for Rocky Mountain goats after a first pregnancy. Big sister, Blanca, seems very interested in the new sounds and smells in the barn. For the goats’ safety and comfort — and taking Blanca’s bold and energetic nature into account — their introduction to Big Sis may take a while. The twins are likely to meet calm-natured Albert next. But first, they’re exploring outside with Mom.

“The babies are following Lena well and she’s comfortable moving to a different spaces, so we welcomed them outside for the first time today,” Joanna says. “We have a side yard that has more suitable terrain for little hooves than our big yard with rocky cliffs, so they’ll find their footing there. My guess is that it won’t be long until they’re leaping and chasing all over the rocks. Having a twin means having a built-in play partner, and it’s going to be hard to do anything but watch them. Rocky Mountain goat babies are pure joy.”

The kids are the fifth and sixth babies born at CMZoo this season, along with two wallaby joeys in Australia Walkabout and two meerkat pups in Encounter Africa.

CMZoo will share updates on the kids on the Zoo’s social media channels and in the Zoo’s newsletter, The Waterhole.