The Waterhole Archives - Page 26 of 35

American black bears in Colorado will start coming out of hibernation soon, and they’ll be hungry after a winter in the den. Although we don’t have any native species of black bears at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we’re advocates for doing all we can to keep wild animals wild. No matter the species, it’s never a good idea to feed a wild animal – on purpose or by accident. In some cases, feeding wildlife is illegal.

Early risers can make a difference and save bear lives. When it’s trash day, put trash out the morning of pick-up. We have bear-safe trash receptacles throughout the Zoo, and similar models are available for residential properties. If you don’t want to invest in a bear-safe trash receptacle, keeping your trash cans in a garage or shed is a good option to help keep bears out of trouble. Bears think garbage smells amazing and if they can get into it, they will.

“With five toes on each paw, bears are incredibly dexterous,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal manager. “Over time, they learn how to use their dexterity to open doors and containers, so it’s up to us to stay one step ahead of them.”

Bears also love birdfeeders. They love sunflower seeds and other seeds, and especially love hummingbird food. When a bear eats from a birdfeeder, it’s probably going to destroy that bird feeder and eat all of the food you bought for the birds. Also, once they find a food source, they’ll often come back to that area, which creates a potential for surprise visits in your backyard. Take bird feeders down at night when bears are most active, or just hang bird feeders in the winter, when the bears are asleep and the birds are really searching for food.

Black bears can smell a meal from up to 20 miles away. Once they smell and find a campsite, they’ll start searching for food. When you’re camping, keep food outside of your tent, so you’re not inviting bears to investigate your sleeping quarters. Keep food locked in a bear-safe container or hang your food from a rope, high off the ground and away from something a bear could climb. Bears are attracted to things like s’mores and meat, but also toothpaste and coffee. If it smells interesting, a bear wants to check it out.

“Bears are intelligent, and they have really great memories,” said Zwicker. “Once they’ve found a source of something yummy, you can bet they’ll be back for more.”

Once a bear comes into human spaces, they’re given the term ‘nuisance bear.’ They’re tracked and usually only get a few ‘strikes’ before they have to be killed, or in some rare cases relocated. That’s why it’s so important that we help prevent opportunities for them to become a nuisance.

“Seeing a bear in the wild is magical,” said Zwicker. “Their presence is part of what makes Colorado so special, but it’s up to us humans to protect these curious creatures from themselves. If you can follow these simple tips, you could save a bear’s life.”

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Just a few more weeks, and the kids will be out of school for Spring Break! Wondering how you’re going to fill a week off school with enriching and educational entertainment? Have no fear, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is here with fun and WILD experiences for your kiddos: Spring Break Zoo Camp, for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade!

Spring Break Zoo Camp is Monday, March 23 through Friday, March 27, 2020. This year, campers will learn about amazing animal adaptations. Animals all over the world have unique adaptations that help them survive in the wild. They’ll learn about – and see, in person – animals’ defense mechanisms, like porcupine quills, and physical traits that help them thrive in their environments, like the long, furry tail of a snow leopard or the water wicking fur of a river otter. After seeing these amazing adaptations with their own eyes, campers are sure to come home with exciting stories to share about their new animal friends.

For the first time ever, CMZoo is offering half-day and full-day options for kindergarten campers. Full-day camps include an additional afternoon snack and some quiet time to rest after lunch. Campers should sign up for the camp that reflects the grade in which they are currently enrolled. All camps include hands-on experiences, up-close animal encounters, games, tours and more, every single day! Register for the whole week, or just a few days.

Space is limited, so visit www.cmzoo.org/camp to register your campers today!

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For giraffe, hoof health is vital to overall health. As the zoo profession evolves to further embrace animal husbandry training, and new veterinary technologies allow for better diagnostics, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is working to improve the future of giraffe care.

“Horses have been domesticated for thousands of years, and the mantra has been ‘no hoof, no horse,’ meaning the overall health of a horse is connected to the health of its hooves. More and more, we’re embracing that for giraffe,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, vice president of mission and programs at CMZoo. “We don’t yet have all the answers, but we have seen that hoof overgrowth changes how the foot supports the weight of a one-ton body. When an animal distributes that much weight differently because of hoof overgrowth, it can have a huge impact on their joints, ligaments and bones.”

Giraffe hooves grow continuously throughout a giraffe’s life. Ongoing hoof maintenance can help prevent issues commonly associated with hoof overgrowth, like lameness and early onset arthritis. Training giraffe to voluntarily participate in hoof maintenance makes preventive care possible, hopefully avoiding these ailments for future generations of giraffe.

Because it’s such an integral part of CMZoo’s work today, some may be surprised to learn that giraffe hoof care is still in its pioneering phase.

“Before our training program started in 2013, we had limited options for managing hoof overgrowth,” said Dr. Dadone. “We also didn’t fully understand what a ‘normal’ giraffe hoof should look like, because we didn’t have consistent access to the underside of the hoof. Training giraffe to participate in their health care has been a total game changer in the level of care we can provide.”

In the last ten years, CMZoo’s Zoo-wide training programs have flourished. The giraffe care team has been recognized nationally for its training success. In just two years, the giraffe care team, led by Animal Care Manager, Jason Bredahl, and Lead Giraffe Keeper, Amy Schilz, developed safety and training protocols and trained the entire herd of giraffe for front foot hoof trims and x-rays.

“It was unheard of,” said Dr. Dadone. “The giraffe were way smarter than we had given them credit for, and this training gave us opportunities to provide ongoing care without anesthesia.”
Hoof care training techniques include asking the animal to voluntarily approach the team, then lift, position and hold its foot so staff can access it safely.

When working around the feet of a 17-foot-tall, one-ton animal, human safety is crucial. The team developed co-working communication that allows one person to train and keep the giraffe’s attention while the other person performs a hoof trim (or other necessary hoof work). Staff learned which kinds of barriers would best protect them and provide adequate access while working safely around giraffe feet. They also studied behaviors in the giraffe so they could recognize when a giraffe might need a break from hoof work.

Once the herd trained to receive x-rays, the care team found that arthritis, ligament injuries, bone damage, and sometimes fractures were present at a rate they weren’t expecting. This discovery led the team to establish a program that included routine front foot x-rays, thermography, visual assessments and monthly hoof trims.

“We can more accurately diagnose and manage giraffe foot health with less invasive procedures, thanks to training,” said Dr. Dadone. “Now that we know giraffe are prone to these issues, we prioritize training of animals from an early age. The goal is that every giraffe, from one year of age, can have its front feet handled and can receive baseline x-rays. The hope is that we can help the next generation of giraffe avoid some of the issues our older giraffe might be experiencing.”

Young giraffe, like Viv, born at CMZoo in July 2019, start training to participate in their care from an early age. Nearly 8-month-old Viv already participates in prerequisite training that will lead to hoof care training. Her keepers say she is shift-trained, which means she will voluntarily move to another area of the barn or outdoor yard when asked. Viv also shifts into ‘the chute,’ which is a narrow part of the indoor barn that some giraffe move through to receive hoof care and other care.

She participates in target training, as well, which means she will touch her nose to a target held by her trainers. For hoof care or x-ray training, target training helps trainers communicate the very specific location the animal is being asked to move to. Likewise, the target helps animals understand what’s being asked of them.

Viv’s keepers have taught her a ‘back up’ command, which helps Viv get into position for hoof care, among other things. They recently started training Viv to get comfortable with being touched, beginning with her shoulders. Once she’s comfortable with being touched on the shoulders, they will continue progress to eventually touch her hooves, which will get Viv even closer to receiving ongoing hoof care.

As CMZoo’s giraffe care team continues finding new ways to improve the health of animals in their care, they learn from and share best practices with the wider giraffe care community. They do this by attending conferences, hosting CMZoo’s annual giraffe care workshops, and through studies, programs and partnerships with Equine Lameness Prevention Organization, Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Giraffe Conservation Foundation and more.

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Although Water’s Edge: Africa’s opening date hasn’t been set, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is steadily preparing to welcome home Zambezi (zam-BEE-zee) and Kasai (kuh-SIGH), two female Nile hippopotamuses who are taking an extended vacation at Dickerson Park Zoo, in Springfield, Missouri. They moved there in 2016 to allow us to build a new state-of-the-art exhibit for them.

Patty Wallace, Water’s Edge: Africa lead animal keeper, worked with Zambezi and Kasai for six years at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Wallace spent five of those years as their primary trainer. She is excited for guests to get to know the girls again and to see them in their brand-new home.

Kasai is 20 years old and larger than her older sister, Zambezi. Kasai is easily identifiable by the pink spots on the tops of all four of her feet. Zambezi is 27 years old and has a more consistent skin tone than Kasai. Both hippos enjoy participating in training, but Kasai tends to have a more dominant personality, which often means she’s the first to investigate new enrichment or food.

“I’m really excited about rekindling our relationship and getting to know the hippos again,” said Wallace. “We can expect them to be a little cautious coming into this new building, because they’ve never been there before. Part of the challenge is getting them back to the level of comfort they had before. They’re both really food motivated, so I expect it will take a lot of patience, understanding and watermelon to help the girls gain confidence in their new space and with keepers again.”

Only 30 organizations accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in North America house hippos. In addition to their somewhat rare presence in zoos, Wallace says part of the CMZoo hippos’ appeal is their generally calm and gentle demeanors.

“Hippos are known as one of the most dangerous animals in the world, with incredibly impressive strength and size,” said Wallace. “Zambezi and Kasai have grown up in human care, so they’re used to people. They may scuffle with each other from time to time, but they really are gentle giants.”

A big part of helping the hippos gain confidence in their new home is training the keepers to control the myriad of new building features that will help them care for Zambezi and Kasai. Keepers are getting accustomed to underwater shift doors, hydraulic doors, garage doors, cable-and-bollard systems, water filtration systems, heating and cooling systems, lighting, behind-the-scenes kitchen and enrichment preparation areas, and more.

“We’re also planning our animal demonstrations and enrichment activities, considering how the girls might like to interact with us in this space and what will give our guests a memorable experience,” said Wallace. “We have a ton of opportunities to help guests fall in love with hippos, thanks to the design of this awesome new space.”

Water’s Edge: Africa’s indoor hippo demo space allows guests to get right up close to the hippos, with only bollards in between them and the animals. In the same area, guests can stand on a scale that helps them see how many humans it takes to weigh the same as a hippo. Near the outdoor hippo yard, a nature trail takes guests to a rope bridge that hangs above the hippo yard, giving guests a first-time bird’s eye view of the girls in water and on land. A knife-edge outdoor pool will help guests see the hippos as the hippos see them – just above the water line.

“You can be eye-level with a basking hippo at the knife-edge pool’s viewing area,” said Wallace. “It is going to be such a cool experience. I can’t wait for everyone to visit the new exhibit and hopefully form long-lasting relationships with these beautiful girls.”

At Dickerson Park Zoo, keepers are working with the girls to make them as comfortable as possible for their trip home to CMZoo, including building the hippos’ comfort level with their transport crates.

“We situated their transport crates so they’re part of the entrance to their yard, which allows them to travel through them and be around them regularly,” said Tracy Campbell, senior zookeeper at Dickerson Park Zoo. Campbell has worked with the girls since they arrived in 2016 and has worked with hippos for 20 years. “Once we have an exact timeline for their trip back to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we’ll increase their crate training time, but for now we’re keeping them acclimated by walking through them.”

Wallace was part of the transport training when the girls first traveled to Springfield.

“We trained with them for about three months before their last transport,” said Wallace. “They traveled in separate crates made of wood and steel. Like Dickerson Park Zoo is doing, we positioned the crates as entrances to the building, so they could walk through them and gain confidence with them over time. They were hesitant at first, but since they’re so food motivated, it didn’t take them long to get the hang of it.”

The trip between Dickerson Park Zoo and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo takes about 11 hours. The hippos travel in their crates inside an enclosed and climate-controlled flatbed truck. Once the hippos are comfortably in their crates, a large crane is used to move the 1.5-ton animals onto the truck. During the transport, the hippos are monitored to address any needs along the way. All went smoothly last time, and CMZoo keepers stayed with the girls at DPZ for about a week to help them settle in.

“I’m excited to have the girls home again,” said Wallace. “In the mornings, I would call ‘good morning, hippos!’ and they’d vocalize and poke up out of the water to look for me. They’d watch and wait for me to prepare their breakfast – and they’d let me know if I was being too slow. They’d walk up the ramp and stare at me, watching my every move. I can’t wait to see them and our guests exploring this amazing new exhibit.”

About Nile Hippos

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes Nile hippopotamuses as a species vulnerable to extinction in the wild, estimating 125,000 to 150,000 remain in their native habitats. The primary threats are habitat loss and illegal and unregulated hunting. Hippos are hunted for ivory, which is found in hippopotamuses’ canine teeth, and meat.

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Seasonal illnesses, like influenza, can wreak havoc on humans this time of year. But, did you know great apes, like orangutans and gorillas, are also susceptible to the flu virus, which impacts an estimated 3 million humans annually?

As Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s year-round sponsor, Children’s Hospital Colorado, provides tips for staying healthy during flu season, Primate World keepers take steps each year to help great apes stay as healthy as possible.

“The great apes are the most susceptible to illnesses that impact human primates, like you and me,” said Dina Bredahl, senior lead keeper in Primate World. “Any primate at the Zoo can catch illnesses from humans, but the risk is increased for great apes because they’re so similar to humans. Orangutans share 97 percent of the same DNA as humans.”

To protect the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans and the Western lowland gorillas at CMZoo, the apes receive the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is administered by injection, which the Primate World residents train to accept voluntarily. Flu shots are available each fall, but injection training continues throughout the year nearly every day. The training can take months and requires the apes to build upon the trust they have in their keepers. Some of them choose not to participate in injection training, or may not be at a point in their training that keepers feel confident a real injection won’t derail the progress.

“We rely on ‘herd immunity’ to protect the population, so not every single great ape will receive a flu shot,” said Bredahl. “As long as a majority of the gorillas and orangutans receive the vaccine, we drastically reduce their overall risk.”

One example is one-year-old Sumatran orangutan, Kera. Little Kera was at a point in her training that her primary keeper thought a real first-time ‘poke’ might risk a regression in her training. Because the majority of the other primates were further along in training, Kera didn’t receive a shot during the fall flu shot clinic. However, her primary trainer continued training, and Kera has made incredible progress. So much progress, in fact, that she gets excited for the training.

“We’ll use a syringe that doesn’t have a needle, so they get used to seeing the shape and being touched with it,” said Bredahl. “Eventually, we move on to a dull needle, so it looks more similar to the needle we’d use for an actual injection. Kera’s trainer has been so successful that Kera now knows if she presents her hip and then holds still for a moment for the pretend injection, she’ll get a special reward. She presents her hip pretty enthusiastically, which is adorable and impressive since she’s still just an infant!”

Keepers also take steps to avoid transmitting diseases to the great apes.

“Primate World keepers receive flu shots yearly to protect ourselves and the great apes in our care,” said Bredahl. “We also wear medical masks when we prepare their food or are in close protected proximity to them. We wash our hands constantly and practice good hygiene before and after we handle anything they’ll touch or eat.”

Guests can visit CMZoo’s three Bornean orangutans, three Sumatran orangutans and five Western lowland gorillas – and can even see their training during scheduled demonstrations – in Primate World.

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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has welcomed two domestic ferrets to The Loft! 1-year-old male, Alfred Pennyworth, and 3-year-old female, Harley Quinn, are already target training, create training, meeting guests and learning how to interact on ZOOMobile programs. Come by The Loft and meet this energetic duo next time you’re at the Zoo!

Bob Chastain, CMZoo president and CEO, is back with the latest update from Water’s Edge: Africa. We’ve refilled the void in the soil under the indoor hippo pool and waterproofed the new concrete. Soon, we’ll do another water test to measure continued water loss.

Get an up-close view of the micro cracks that we’re repairing with a filler product that has some elasticity. We hope the lining material we apply next will stop those leaks.

Also, in this video, we’re giving you a first-time sneak peek at the Water’s Edge: Africa vacation yard. This outdoor yard and pool will be used by a variety of animals and will be visible to guests on their way to Primate World.

Although we don’t yet have an opening date, we’re getting closer! We’re still aiming to begin introducing animals to the building sometime in March. We’ll keep you posted!

A team of four CMZoo staff members traveled to Ecuador in December to track critically endangered mountain tapir and speak to local school children about the native species.

They successfully studied and attached GPS collars to five wild tapir. The collars will relay data to prove the roaming ranges of tapir in the Andes Mountains, which we hope will be used to establish protections for their threatened natural habitats.

CMZoo members have voted three times to support ongoing mountain tapir research and conservation efforts in Ecuador. During the upcoming Membership Conservation Grant Vote, members will help us decide again which projects receive part of the $75,000 of membership revenue annually allocated for these grants.

CMZoo Mountain Tapir Expedition Update

A team of four #CMZoo staff members traveled to Ecuador in December to track critically endangered mountain tapir and speak to local school children about the native species. They successfully studied and attached GPS collars to five wild tapir. The collars will relay data to prove the roaming ranges of tapir in the Andes Mountains, which we hope will be used to establish protections for their threatened natural habitats.CMZoo members have voted three times to support ongoing mountain tapir research and conservation efforts in Ecuador. During the upcoming Membership Conservation Grant Vote, members will help us decide again which projects receive part of the $75,000 of membership revenue annually allocated for these grants.This expedition was done in partnership with Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and Andean Bear Foundation.

Posted by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Tuesday, February 11, 2020

As the oldest Canada moose in human care in the United States, CMZoo’s 12-year-old male, Tahoma, has received specialized care for years. Until recently, his issues – including arthritis in his limbs and spine, and an on-and-off cough – haven’t seemed to decrease his long-term quality of life.

Now, Tahoma is showing signs that his pain is increasing, so keepers and CMZoo veterinary staff are working to keep him comfortable for his remaining time. Tahoma’s care team says he’s still eating well, which is a good sign.

Because moose are rare in human care, there’s widely varying data about their average life expectancy. The range we have seen from reputable sources is from 5 to 15 years. But, they have been known to decline quickly once issues become widespread, like this.

“We’ve seen a general slowing down in Tahoma over the last several weeks,” said Rocky Mountain Wild Animal Keeper Allison Rosing. “Specifically, he’s dealing with a significant arthritis-related limp in his front left leg, which he’s been compensating for by shifting weight to his right leg. Because he’s putting more weight on his right leg, we’re seeing inflammation in his right knee. We’ve also seen him ‘hiking’ his head up when he walks, to lessen the weight on his left leg.”

X-rays on Tahoma show severe arthritis in his left leg and other limbs, and advancing arthritis in his spine. His care team has been managing his arthritis for a few years, but recently it seems to be advancing more aggressively.

“We know we’re not going to be able to correct any of this for him, but we can do things to make him more comfortable,” said Rosing. “We’re managing his pain by increasing his anti-inflammatory medications, pain medications and laser therapy sessions. We’re also providing more spaces for him to lie down and rest.”

His team moved some large branches, which he’d previously enjoyed sparring with, out of his barn to make space for a big pile of pine shavings that he can lie on.

“He loves it,” said Basia Dann, Rocky Mountain Wild animal keeper. “He comes in to his barn every night and curls up in his pine shavings.”

Tahoma receives laser therapy on his joints three times per week. Laser therapy is thought to reduce pain and inflammation. Keepers have noticed his limp improving since starting the more frequent therapy regimen.

“Lately he seems more willing to come over and train, which is great because it gives us more opportunities to give him his medications, lots of love and special treats,” said Dann. “In addition to the laser therapy, we have vet appointments with him weekly, so we can track the progression of his issues and make adjustments to his treatment quickly.”

Tahoma’s keepers offer his oral medications – which Tahoma doesn’t seem to enjoy taking – with treats like bananas, kiwi and rye crackers with honey and molasses.

“There’s not a lot known about moose in human care, because there are so few of them,” said Dann. “We’re tracking Tahoma’s issues and overall quality of life, so we can help him stay comfortable for as long as we can, and so we can share information with other organizations whose moose could benefit from it.”

We will continue to keep Tahoma as comfortable as possible while continuing to track multiple factors for his overall quality of life. Stay tuned for more updates on Tahoma as we have them.

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Tujoh, a 25-year-old male Bornean orangutan, recently made CMZoo husbandry training history. Tujoh and his primary trainer, Amy Tuchman, successfully completed a voluntary electrocardiogram (EKG) – a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart.

As Tujoh ages, Tuchman and the rest of his care team are looking for ways to take advantage of new technologies to diagnose medical issues common in great apes, like cardiovascular disease.

“It’s especially prevalent in middle-aged male great apes, and all of our guys in Primate World fall into that category,” said Tuchman. “This device allows us to monitor them as often as we like. Early detection could be the difference between life and death, especially for a big guy like Tujoh.”

This new pocket-sized equipment is a welcome advancement for 340-pound Tujoh, who Tuchman describes as a “straight-A student.” The test requires Tujoh to place his two index fingers through the protective barrier between him and Tuchman, onto the quarter-sized metal discs that take the reading. Then, he needs to keep his fingers on the discs with consistent pressure for thirty seconds, continuously.

It only took Tujoh a month to learn how to successfully complete the test. Perhaps that’s in part thanks to his intense focus. Tuchman says Tujoh likes to maintain direct eye contact with her throughout the training.

“He learns incredibly fast,” said Tuchman. “He already knew a ‘hold’ cue, and we built the behavior from there. Once he was sitting on the other side of the mesh from me, I held up my finger and asked him to touch his finger to mine. He’d never done it before, but he got it right away.”

Tuchman cleans Tujoh’s two fingertips before he places them onto the device to ensure the best connection for the reading.

“Now he holds out each finger individually for me to clean before we start, like he’s getting a manicure,” said Tuchman, with a laugh. “He learns how to do something, and he remembers every step you’ve asked of him. Then, he wants to do it that exact way every single time.”

As with most behavior training, the trainers learn from the animals, too.

“The device is made for humans, so we needed to customize how we could present it in a way that allowed trainers to be hands-free to reward his participation,” said Tuchman. “We also needed to securely present it at a level that he could access it while sitting and relaxed on the other side of the protective barrier between us, so we could get an accurate reading.”

Compared to the oversized and complicated readers of the past, these test results will likely be more accurate, because the testing equipment and overall experience are less invasive, thus less stressful for Tujoh.

“It’s still sensitive equipment,” said Tuchman. “That’s a good thing because we know it’s picking up the tiniest abnormalities for us to track, but it also requires a lot of patience and participation from Tujoh to complete the test.”

Tuchman and her team were inspired to pursue the ability to provide regular EKGs for the great apes in their care and attended a conference with Great Ape Heart Project – a coordinated clinical approach targeting cardiovascular disease across all four non-human great ape taxa: gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos. Studies have shown cardiovascular disease is a primary cause of mortality among great apes.

“I’m the primary keeper for Goma [28-year-old Western lowland silverback] and Tujoh, so I was interested in learning how other zoos are managing cardiac care, what tools are available and what we could do to improve our great apes’ cardiac care,” said Tuchman. “Any little improvement we can make to monitor their cardiac health and stay ahead of any issues will be really important.”

Tuchman and her team will share Tujoh’s data with Great Ape Heart Project so they can learn and share data that benefits great apes in human care around the world. They will also continue training with other great apes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to utilize this life-saving, non-invasive diagnostic tool with as many participants as possible.

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