The Waterhole Archives - Page 4 of 43

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO – Summer is around the corner, and many families are planning activities to keep the kids active, healthy and inspired. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado offer expert tips for incorporating gratitude into children’s daily lives, and CMZoo’s horticulture team says creating a family garden provides ample opportunities in nature.

“Having a backyard or patio garden means you can have quick access to a peaceful place, without needing to make a whole day of it,” Zach Groskopf, horticulture technician at CMZoo, says. “Planting and nurturing a garden allows you to slow down and breathe deep in nature, without requiring reservations or a road trip.”

Gardening provides endless memories, education and screen-free time in the calming presence of nature, and seeing something thrive under your care can be extremely gratifying. The size of space available doesn’t matter. Plus, by planting native and Colorado-friendly plants that feed butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators, gardeners can help wildlife that is/are vital to our ecosystems.

CMZoo’s horticulture team has a variety of native and Colorado-friendly plants, veggies, herbs and shrubs available this year at CMZoo’s annual Plant Sale, Thurs., May 16 through Sat., May 18. Penstemon (beartongue), gaillardia (blanket flower), purple prairie flower, butterfly bush, silver lace vine, columbine, basil, cilantro, kale, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and more will be available for purchase.

“The columbine is my personal favorite flower because they’re beautiful, and they’re resilient,” Zach says. “I keep bees, and these flowers make the most delicious honey, too. The columbines at the Plant Sale are special because we grew all of them from columbine seeds collected from all around the Zoo.”

There are no reservations or Zoo tickets required to attend the Plant Sale, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thurs., May 16 and Fri., May 17 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., May 18 – when the Zoo closes early for Run to the Shrine. Plants will be available on a first-come first-served basis, so don’t be late! The sale has been known to sell out early in previous years.

This year, the Zoo’s fundraising Plant Sale will be in the Zoo parking lot. Keep an eye out for signs directing you to the sale as you drive into guest parking. This year’s Plant Sale is in-person only. There will be no online shopping or shipping options available. Come out to the Zoo and chat with our expert horticulturists about which plants will work best in your garden, and feel good knowing you’re supporting the ongoing beautification of the Zoo with your purchases.

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Visitors to Primate World, at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, may soon notice two crates in the orangutan yard. These crates are part of the Zoo’s careful preparations to help two iconic Sumatran orangutans, 6-year-old Kera and her mother, 37-year-old Sumagu, get ready for their next chapter.

The mother-daughter duo is scheduled to move to another AZA-accredited zoo, likely later this summer, as part of a breeding recommendation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Sumatran orangutans.

Sumagu has a breeding recommendation with a male at another zoo, and keepers are working diligently to ensure the move is as smooth and low-stress as possible.

“Crate training is one of the more advanced behaviors we work on with our orangutans,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, says. “We’re teaching Kera and Sumagu to voluntarily enter the crates and to be comfortable spending time in them.”

Using positive reinforcement training, keepers are helping both orangutans associate the crates with rewards and calm experiences. In addition to watching for subtle behaviors, the team teaches the orangutans to signal when they’re ready to end a training session. This method allows Kera and Sumagu to feel empowered throughout the training process.

“Our goal is for them to enthusiastically enter the crates and allow the doors to close behind them,” Ashton says. “That way, when it’s time for the big move, it’s a familiar and positive experience.”

Thanks to this voluntary approach, neither orangutan will require sedation during their trip. Experienced animal transport professionals will make stops along the way to check on the great ape travelers, offering food and water, and making visual health checks. The teams also collaborate with AZA-accredited zoos along the way, in case the orangutans need care mid-trip.

Sumagu, who was born at CMZoo, will be stepping into a new world as she heads to her new home.

“We’re excited for Sumagu to have this new life experience,” Ashton says. “She’s such a wise and savvy orangutan. She’s very confident, and we’re encouraging her choice and control as she trains. She’s a great communicator. If she needs us to make adjustments, she’ll let us know.”

Sumagu’s daughter, Kera, is also preparing for this next stage in life. At her age, orangutans naturally begin to seek more independence, and Sumagu encourages that independence in Kera. To support this, Kera and Sumagu will travel in separate crates, and then settle into their new home together.

“It’s important for young female orangutans, like Kera, to observe their mothers raising another baby,” Ashton says. “She doesn’t have a breeding recommendation, but she could later. Young female great apes who get to be older siblings become more successful mothers later. Great apes’ offspring typically stay with their moms longer than any animal species, and learning how to be a mom from their own mom is the best-case scenario.”

Keepers at CMZoo will be working closely with the orangutans’ future animal care team, sharing training histories and behavioral nuances, which is essential for complex and intelligent animals like orangutans.

“Kera is such a fun kid,” Ashton says. “She’s serious about orangutan things, like nest-building, but she’s also super engaging and outgoing with people. We will definitely miss both of them, but we’re proud to support this breeding recommendation that supports the population in human care, and continues to inspire conservation for wild orangutans.”

Fans of Kera and Sumagu, and all orangutans, can save the rainforests from the comfort of their smartphones with a free global mobile app called PalmOil Scan, available for free on the App Store and Google Play. It is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, with further expansion planned in the future. Orangutan enthusiasts can learn more about palm oil, and download the free app before their next shopping trip, at cmzoo.org/palmoil.

Palm oil is an edible oil that can be found in about half of consumer products. Unsustainable palm oil production results in deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, the only places where critically endangered orangutans live in the wild. Although the majority of palm oil production is in Southeast Asia, it has also expanded to other tropical areas, which means more animal species could lose the habitats they need to survive.

When produced sustainably, palm oil is 4 to 10 times more productive than any other edible oil. Using PalmOil Scan, conscientious consumers can scan the barcodes on tens of thousands of products in the app’s extensive database (which is being updated and expanded continually) to see if they are produced by a company that has committed to sourcing sustainable palm oil.

“Orangutans are incredibly intelligent and complex animals,” Ashton says. “Our animal care team knows these great apes really well, and we’re planning for the best opportunities for all of the orangutans in our care as these changes take place.”

Primate World is currently home to six orangutans: three Sumatran orangutans, including Kera and Sumagu, and three Bornean orangutans. When Kera and Sumagu move, male Sumatran orangutan, Baka, will continue his current lifestyle, with access to interactions through a safety barrier with Ember and Hadiah, mom-and-daughter Bornean orangutans. Tujoh, a male Bornean orangutan, will continue to have the same access.

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Baldwin, Benton and Baker, the raccoon brothers who call Rocky Mountain Wild home, recently took up a new hobby, thanks to their keepers’ creativity and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s commitment to environmental enrichment. Their habitat now features an exciting new addition: an elevated stream where they can fish, forage and explore on their own schedules.

“Raccoons love to solve problems, splash in water and, of course, eat,” Kelsey Walker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal keeper, says. “This stream is a dream come true for them, and our guests seem to love watching their adorable methods.”

Inspired by the old-fashioned gold panning stations of the American West, the new wooden enrichment feature consists of three connected elevated ‘streambeds,’ each about eight feet long and two feet wide. The beds are full of about five inches of dirt, sand, rocks and shells, and flooded with water. Keepers bury shrimp, mussels and crab legs in the substrate, encouraging the raccoons to rely on their natural foraging skills.

The enrichment was introduced in February, and from the very beginning, the raccoons took to it immediately.

“These raccoons were born in human care, but they instinctively knew how to fish right away,” Kelsey says. “They perch on the rocks or wade into the streams, patting the surface with their paws until they detect food. They dig it out, roll it in their paws to find the weakest spot to crack into it, and then settle somewhere dry to eat.”

Raccoons are incredibly tactile animals. Seventy-five percent of the part of their brain that manages the sense of touch is dedicated to their forepaws. Their paws often tell them more about their environment than their noses or eyes. That makes ‘blind fishing’ in muddy streams a cinch. They can solve the ‘mud problem’ and locate prey underwater – or under rocks – just by feeling around the surface.

The brothers typically spend 15 to 30 minutes fishing before moving on to other activities, but they return to the streams multiple times each day and night. It’s safe to say that fishing is their new favorite hobby. In addition to fishing, they have a variety of enrichment opportunities throughout their space, including a dry foraging bin filled with hay, shavings, peas and corn, and fruit hanging from trees to encourage climbing. Keepers also scatter treats in mulch and hay across the habitat floor.

“Our three raccoons are really living the good life,” Kelsey says. “It’s like they have retired on waterfront property. They sleep in every day, then they go fishing, hang out with their brothers, take a nap and fish some more. That’s their routine.”

The Zoo’s enrichment philosophy focuses on creating engaging and stimulating environments that encourage animals to do wild-type behaviors at their own pace, without depending on keepers’ schedules. Keepers still train with animals, because husbandry behaviors are important for their care. The new streambeds are a great example of environmental enrichment.

“This has been a really successful way to provide enriching and interesting activity for them for an entire day,” Kelsey says. “They don’t need us, beyond stocking the stream each morning. It’s incredibly rewarding to set up an environment and to know they’re having a great day, getting good physical and mental exercise, and using their natural instincts.”

Guests visiting Rocky Mountain Wild will also benefit from the new feature. Since the stream beds are elevated, visitors get an even better view of the raccoons’ fishing techniques and playful behavior.

“When they’re in the troughs, they’re right up by the mesh, so it gives guests a great angle of what they’re doing,” Walker added. “If they happen to be sleeping when you stop by, be sure to come back later. They’ll probably be up to something fun, whether it’s fishing, climbing or foraging.”

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Thanks to the support of Zoo guests and members, wild critically endangered African penguins have ongoing support. One of the key people leading this charge in the field is the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds’ (SANCCOB) Penguin and Seabird Ranger, Yandisa Cwecwe.

Working side-by-side with African penguins on South Africa’s historic Robben Island, Yandisa plays a vital role in protecting one of the world’s most threatened seabirds. With a Master of Science in Zoology and Marine Biology, and early research experience at Stellenbosch University’s Marine Conservation Genomics laboratory, Yandisa’s passion for marine life led her to SANCCOB in 2021. There, she found her calling conserving African penguins.

“The wild African penguin population is dropping at a rate of nearly 8 percent per year, but thanks to support from our members and guests, we can help these charismatic birds have a better chance of survival in the wild,” Nicole Chaney, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo conservation manager, says. “It’s inspiring for our members and guests to learn about the people dedicating their lives to saving wildlife and wild places, like Yandisa and the team at SANCCOB.”

As a SANCCOB Ranger, she rescues injured, ill or oiled penguins and transports them by boat to SANCCOB’s Rehabilitation Centre in Table View, South Africa, for specialized care and rehabilitation before they are released back into the wild.

Yandisa also collaborates closely with varying organizations on the island, including Earthwatch, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the University of Cape Town, and the Robben Island Environmental Unit. Her daily routine includes early morning field patrols, seabird and penguin population monitoring, penguin nest checks, and the use of Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT tags) to help track individual penguins throughout their lives.

In 2024, African penguins were officially uplisted to ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List, with the number of wild breeding pairs falling below 10,000. If current trends continue, these charismatic birds could be extinct in the wild by 2035. Yandisa works to prevent that outcome every day. The threats they face, from commercial overfishing and extreme weather events to pollution and disease are formidable. Conservationists, like Yandisa, with support from CMZoo members and guests, provide hope.

CMZoo contributes annually to SANCCOB’s Robben Island Ranger project, directly funding field efforts like Yandisa’s work. Since 2010, CMZoo guests and members have contributed more than $159,675 to SANCCOB in support of African penguin conservation. In 2020, the Zoo deepened its commitment by joining AZA SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) African Penguin, a collaborative program supported by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Every visit to CMZoo is conservation in action. African penguins are one of the species up for support in this year’s Members-Only Conservation Vote. Until Sun., March 30, CMZoo members can check their email for a private link to cast their vote for the CMZoo staff-championed conservation project that inspires them most. Guests visiting CMZoo can see African penguins up close, knowing their visit helps support a future for this species in the wild.

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At 9 years old, our golden dairy girls – Cotija, Asiago, Queso, Mozzarella, Colby, Muenster, Ricotta and Brie – are enjoying their golden years to the fullest! These goats spend their days sunbathing, training, climbing, playing, going on walkabouts and meeting guests. Visitors can feed the goats for $1 per feeding, depending on weather, or interact with them through goat encounters, where they can pet and brush the goats.

If you’ve tasted goat cheese, it was probably made from milk from a goat like one of ours! Nubian and Nubian-Saanen goats are among the most common dairy goat breeds found on farms worldwide. Our goats originally came from a local cheese farm, inspiring their cheesy names.

Stop by and share some moments with these gouda girls!

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Have you ever wondered how CMZoo’s magical moose became part of the family? Four-year-old Alaska moose, Atka, came to the Zoo in 2020 after his mother was unfortunately involved in a fatal human-wildlife conflict. At six days old, Alaska Zoo began caring for him, then he came to CMZoo at eight weeks old. Having been bottle fed by his care teams, Atka was unfortunately not a candidate for wild re-entry.

Since then, Atka has captured the hearts of millions as an inspiring story of determination. He has also blazed a trail for moose care, as one of the only moose in Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited human care in the U.S.

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Emmett and Digger, two 20-year-old grizzly bears, have called Cheyenne Mountain Zoo home since 2007. Sometimes people wonder how they got here. Although they’re the same age, they’re not related, but they share similar backstories, and have been together since 2006.

In the wild, they were labeled as nuisance bears after several negative interactions with humans prior to being removed from the wild. Often, nuisance bears aren’t as lucky as these two, and once they receive several ‘strikes,’ they are often killed or relocated. Emmett and Digger were given a second chance, and a safe and enriching life, at CMZoo.

Now, Emmett and Digger spend their days exploring, training, playing and showing guests just how incredible grizzlies are – far from the temptations that got them into trouble in the wild. While grizzly bears don’t live in Colorado, black bears roam many urban and wild spaces here. With impressive senses of smell and problem-solving abilities, they need our help to stay wild. Do your part by securing trash, bringing in bird feeders at night and storing food in bear-safe locations, both at home and out in nature. It’s up to us to help bears resist the temptation of an easy meal in an unsafe situation.

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A group of ferrets is called a business! Our business is made up of Alfred, Tsunami, Cyclone, Avalanche and Blizzard! These playful, social animals thrive in small groups. A mix of ages helps the group maintain strong bonds as it evolves. Alfred, at 6, and Tsunami, almost 5, are the oldest, while Cyclone, Blizzard, and Avalanche are 3-year-old females. Though there’s no real hierarchy, Cyclone and Avalanche often lead playtime. Unlike their solitary black-footed ferret cousins, domestic ferrets have been bred for social traits, making them more interactive with humans and each other. Stop by The Loft at CMZoo to see them playing, snuggling and training together!

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado have seen pets improve their family members’ lives – and health. A family pet can lower heart rates, reduce loneliness, increase physical activity and improve kids’ ability to read emotions and respond. There are factors to consider before adding a pet to the family. Read Children’s Colorado’s advice on family pets here.

One way to get outside and enjoy time with a four-legged family member is at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Dog Days! Finn, a one-year-old great Pyrenees-poodle mix, has attended Dog Days three times, experiencing the stimulating sights, sounds and smells at the Zoo, while enriching Zoo animals’ lives with his presence. His person, Amber Gates, says she’s not sure who has more fun: Finn, as he enthusiastically explores, or her, as she watches his pure joy unfold.

“Because we’ve gone to Dog Days a few times, Finn starts getting excited in the car when we turn up towards the Zoo now,” Amber says. “His ears perk up like, ‘Hey! I know this place and it’s really fun!’ Once we’re inside the Zoo, he knows exactly where he wants to go: straight to the penguins. He likes to watch them swimming, and they pause at the glass to check him, too. It’s so fun.”

On scheduled Dog Days at CMZoo, guests are welcome to bring their well-mannered family dogs with them to the Zoo. Since offering the sporadic event since May 2023, the guest experience team and animal care team have fine-tuned the experience so it’s enriching for Zoo animals and enjoyable for visiting dogs and humans.

Service dogs are always welcome at the Zoo, so seeing a dog is not an entirely new experience for animals that live at the Zoo. But, service dogs behave differently than a family pet, and they visit in much smaller numbers.

Most Zoo animals do not behave any differently on Dog Days than they do on a normal day. Others are excited for a short time, and then return to their normal behaviors. Some animals, like ring-tailed lemurs and meerkats, noticeably strengthened their bonds as a group.

“Meerkats are well known for their sentinel antipredator behaviors, observed in the wild and in human care,” Rick Hester, CMZoo’s curator of animal behaviors, says. “During Dog Days, we have observed the meerkats working together, presumably with the goal to remove dogs from their view. We have seen the meerkats huddle together and approach a dog, which is called ‘mobbing.’ All the dogs eventually move away, and the meerkats, having seemingly accomplished their goal, would resume other activities like foraging for food. From the perspective of the meerkats, they were successful!”

African lions and mountain lions are typically intrigued by the dogs, exhibiting classic big-cat stalking behaviors.

“The mountain lions were definitely out and watching the dogs,” Amber says. “I imagined them watching and wondering, ‘Is that a friend or a snack?’ Finn didn’t pay a lot of attention to the mountain lions, but his reaction to the African lions was interesting. The lions were laid back while we were there, but Finn positioned himself between me and them, as if he was feeling an instinct to protect me. I haven’t seen that from him before, so that was a new experience for both of us.”

Dog Days at CMZoo is a special event with limited availability. Advance tickets are required for humans and their canine companions, and tickets can sell out fast! Each dog must have a dog ticket to enter the Zoo; human tickets will not be honored for dog admission.

For upcoming Dog Days dates, requirements and ticket information, visit cmzoo.org/dogdays. See a guide to Dog Days here.

“It’s such a unique opportunity to see animals interact,” Amber says. “The goats were totally smitten with Finn. It was like they were thinking, ‘You kind of look like me, but I don’t think we’re the same.’ Watching the dogs explore and engage with animals they wouldn’t normally encounter is incredible.”

There are currently four Dog Days on the calendar:
– Friday, March 14, 2025
– Friday, March 21, 2025
– Friday, April 11, 2025
– Friday, April 25, 2025

As for Finn, Amber says they’ll definitely be back – ears perked, tail wagging and ready for another unforgettable day of exploration together.

“We 100% recommend it,” Amber says. “It’s a great way to bond with your dog while experiencing something totally unique.”

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At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, one extra-fluffy black bear quietly captures the hearts of guests and staff from her peaceful home above the play hills near Grizzly Grill. Beezler, an Asiatic black bear with sassy tendencies and a heart-meltingly gentle demeanor, has touched countless hearts as an ambassador for her species.

At 32 years old, she is the oldest living Asiatic black bear in human care in the U.S. The median life expectancy for Asiatic black bears in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is 29 years. At an age that would put her in her 90s in human years, Beezler is a testament to the compassionate care she receives, an enriching environment, and undoubtedly, her own determined spirit. Described as “sassy” by her keepers, Beezler knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to communicate it, especially when it comes to snacks.

“She is very sweet,” says Erika Furnes, Asian Highlands keeper. “But if we’re moving too slowly with her treats, she lets us know by being surprisingly quick to grab them off the tongs. Even when she’s telling us to hurry up, she’s still gentle. She takes food delicately with just her lips. It’s really cute.”

Her diet consists of peanuts, apples, lettuce, carrots, yams, bananas and an omnivore chow. Occasionally, she enjoys meat or fish, but her true high-value rewards are whipped cream and yogurt. One of her favorite snacks is courtesy of the Zoo’s horticulture team. When crabapple season rolls around, Beezler knows just what to do.

“Above her outdoor space, there’s a crabapple tree that drops fruit every fall,” Erika says. “She knows it. She’ll look up towards the tree, waiting for it to deliver a snack, and then trots over to the apples as they bounce and roll around. It’s so fun to watch her enjoying that natural enrichment, and it’s good for her to stretch and move, since she’s an older bear.”

Beezler is an example of aging with grace in her golden years. She’s fully encouraged to move at her own pace. She has 24/7 access to her climate-controlled dens, where she naps often. However, it’s worth the walk up the short hill to her home, because although she has slowed down and spends a lot of time resting, guests might still see Beezler embracing her inner cub.

“She can be moving at her normal slow pace, but then she sees us setting up something fun, and she’s ready to go,” says Erika. “She really likes it when the weather warms up and we set up her pool. Sometimes she acts almost like a cub again, splashing and floating around. Other times, we set something up that we think she’s going to love, and she ignores it. It’s her world, and she can do whatever she wants!”

When she’s not relaxing her in tub, Beezler enjoys making her hay beds extra cozy, shredding cardboard boxes and occasionally showcasing her signature bursts of youthful energy. Keepers recently gave Beezler a log that Waffles, CMZoo’s African cape porcupine, had been interacting with, so it smelled really good.

“Beezler tore it up,” Erika says. “We hadn’t seen her do that in years! We’re definitely going to keep bringing those logs for her.”

As Beezler has aged, her care has evolved to prioritize her mobility and comfort. She has arthritis, particularly in her back left hip, so the Zoo’s veterinary team has developed a comprehensive pain management plan. She receives supplements and oral medications for pain and inflammation. She participates in laser therapy on her left hip, earning whipped cream as a reward for her cooperation. Beezler is also learning to receive acupuncture therapy by choice.

“We started training her for acupuncture treatments with a blunted needle, then transitioned to a sharper one,” Erika says. “She doesn’t seem to notice at all, and enjoys the whipped cream and yogurt rewards. The acupuncture needles are incredibly fine, just like in human acupuncture, and we hold onto them safely in case she decides to walk away, which she’s always free to do.”

Positive reinforcement training, like this, allows Beezler to be an active participant in her own care, reinforcing the Zoo’s commitment to training that prioritizes the animals’ comfort, confidence and choices in their homes.

Her training extends to other medical procedures as well. She voluntarily participates in blood draws, which allow her team to monitor different levels that could indicate she needs intervention, by placing her front leg into a specially designed metal sleeve.

In addition to her impressive training repertoire, Beezler’s environment is intentionally set up to enrich her and to encourage mobility. Keepers position activities and puzzle feeders in ways that encourage Beezler to move up and down her habitat’s steps, and to climb, stretch and dig.

“She likes to dig in the dirt and the snow,” Erika says. “Digging is a really good movement for her to continue because it involves so many muscles and keeps her dexterity strong. It’s also mentally stimulating and rewarding for her to dig to discover a treat we’ve hidden for her. That sense of confidence and accomplishment is important.”

Asiatic black bears are not commonly found in zoos, making Beezler a rare and special resident. Despite her small stature, standing only about two-and-a-half feet tall at the shoulder, Beezler maintains a giant presence at the Zoo and around the world through the Zoo’s social media channels. Whether she’s digging in the dirt, stretching for a treat, or playfully ignoring her keepers when she doesn’t feel like listening, Beezler continues to be an icon of resilience, intelligence and charm.

“It’s a privilege to work with her and to give people the chance to see and appreciate Asiatic black bears up close,” Erika says.

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