Video Stories Archives

This fall, volunteers and conservation experts gathered near Las Animas, Colorado, to release 33 endangered black-footed ferrets (BFFs) into the wild, including some that were born at CMZoo!

2024 was a record-breaking breeding year for CMZoo’s BFF conservation program, with 37 kits born! It was also a pioneering year. CMZoo’s conservationists tested multi-partner breeding to see if females could conceive and whelp kits from different dads in the same litter. Out of seven females in the trial, two had litters with two fathers represented. Read more

BFFs were considered extinct until the 1980s. On Sept. 26, 1981, a ranch dog named Shep caught a BFF. Shep’s catch led to the discovery of a small population of the elusive animals in Meeteetse, Wyoming. That population became the hope for the recovery of the entire species.

Since then, zoos, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center and other organizations have banded together to breed, prepare, release and monitor BFFs to increase the population. CMZoo joined the fight to save ferrets in 1991, when its BFF breed-and-release program began. In the last 33 years, 647 kits have been born on Cheyenne Mountain. The Zoo is a major contributor to recovery efforts, releasing BFFs to protected wild places in Colorado every year.

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It’s the howl-iday season at CMZoo, and our pack is thriving! CMZoo is home to five Mexican wolves: Navarro and his offspring — Hope, Shadow, Phoenix, and Uno. Sisters Hope and Shadow have stepped up as confident leaders, often being the first to investigate food, while Uno, Phoenix, and Navarro take a more laid-back approach.

To help keep the pack wild, keepers place food near the front of their yard and then leave, maintaining the wolves’ natural wariness of humans. This is especially important since our wolves or their future offspring could potentially be released into the wild to help bolster the endangered Mexican wolf population. Thanks to conservation efforts, wild Mexican wolf numbers are increasing, with an estimated 257 currently living in the wild in the U.S., according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

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Bowie, one-year-old panther chameleon, has unique adaptations. From his eyes that can see the ultraviolet spectrum and rotate independently to his tongue that’s double the length of his body, Bowie is a great ambassador for teaching guests about these incredible chameleons. Don’t forget to stop by Scutes Family Gallery and visit Bowie during your next trip to CMZoo!

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CMZoo has been pioneering innovative farming techniques in zoos since introducing its first shipping container farm, in 2021, followed by a second, in 2022. Today, only a few zoos are using hydroponic systems like these.

By producing their own fertilizer, the CMZoo horticulture team is saving money and resources while gathering essential data to fine-tune their methods, and yield amazing harvests.

The team is close to reaching full potential with crops like kale and lettuce, while continuing to make small improvements. The team is also growing beets, turnips, cabbage, dandelions and wheatgrass. The long-term goal is to expand, eventually sourcing 50% of the lettuce for the giraffe feeding experience and 80% of the Zoo animals’ lettuce from these farms. Next time you visit CMZoo, check out what’s growin’ on in the shipping container farms located across from Grizzly Grill!

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Four-year-old Atka has grown impressive antlers this year, marking the end of the antler-growing season. Each year, male moose grow a new set of antlers. His antlers, once covered in velvet to help them grow, have now shed the fuzzy layer, revealing the iconic white antlers we associate with moose.

Once his impressive antlers have hardened, he will likely start using them. In autumn, male moose spar for territory and mates. Moose are typically solitary in the wild, and we replicate that for Atka at CMZoo while also providing him with plenty of opportunities to spar with trees and enrichment if he chooses. In the winter or spring, Atka will shed his antlers completely and begin the growth process again.

Stop by Rocky Mountain Wild to see Atka’s 2024 antlers before he sheds them this winter!

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If you’ve been to Rocky Mountain Wild recently, you might have seen the three bandit-faced raccoons: Benton, Baker and Baldwin! The curious 6-year-old brothers are settling into their new home, spending their days exploring branches, playing on tire swings, napping in hollowed-out logs, and washing their long hands in the pond.

The boys recently came from an AZA-accredited zoo in Louisiana, where they were born in human care. Energetic, curious, and outgoing, these three will help remind visitors how to protect our native wildlife.

You can make a difference for wildlife by securing your trash! When raccoons or bears discover they can find tasty snacks at your place, they’re likely to become repeat visitors. This not only means dealing with scattered trash but also increases the risk of human-wildlife conflicts. Such conflicts can create dangerous situations for both people and animals and, in some cases, may lead to the euthanasia of wildlife that becomes too accustomed to human environments.

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Grizzly bears Emmett and Digger aren’t the only ones engaging with the recent renovations in Rocky Mountain Wild! The new guest path winds through native trees and plants, leading you past three lively raccoon brothers before reaching the updated grizzly bear exhibit. Here, you can get a closer look at Emmett and Digger as they enjoy their training, enrichment activities, pools and dirt piles—or even catch them during one of their naps! And don’t miss the scenic views and the thrill of our brand-new 20- and 30-foot-tall fire tower slides, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.!

This weekend, join us for a housewarming party for Emmett and Digger from Sat.,, Aug. 31 through Mon., Sept. 2 (Labor Day), featuring special activities and keeper talks!

All weekend long, enjoy these activities:

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-Show us your best #GrizzlyRizz at our selfie photo station with grizzly-themed photo props.
-Visit our docent biofact station to learn about bears, and how to protect them in the wild.
-Color your own grizzly paw to display for the weekend.
11:15 a.m. watch a daily raccoon keeper talk.
2:45 p.m. watch a daily grizzly demonstration.

Advance admission tickets are required for members* and the general public. Labor Day weekend is a popular time to visit Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and capacity is limited, so don’t wait to get your tickets at cmzoo.org.

(*Advance tickets required for Individual Plus, Family, Grandparent and Family Plus memberships.)

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Australia Walkabout is home to two American alligators, Tommy and Sally. Both regularly participate in voluntary training sessions, including target and touch training, which allow the alligators to choose to participate in their health care while keepers perform general health checks.

As ambush predators, alligators have unique adaptations that help them blend into their surroundings and strike swiftly when prey approaches. Their eyes are positioned high on their heads, enabling them to remain submerged while still keeping watch above the surface. Alligators can have about 80 teeth in their mouth at a time and can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in their lifetime.

Tommy and Sally are great ambassadors for their species, educating guests about the crucial role alligators play in maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

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Twinkly-eyed, button-nosed Cora is adjusting to her new home in Asian Highlands. The 1-year-old female red panda, who arrived at CMZoo on July 9, is enjoying an enriching environment with branches, triangle perches, recycled firehose ‘vines’ and bamboo snacks.

It’s been more than 20 years since a red panda lived at CMZoo, and in that time, their wild population has declined by half. Only approximately 2,500 red pandas remain in their native Eastern Himalayan forests, with habitat loss and fragmentation being the leading threats.

Cora’s arrival supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Red Panda and the Red Panda Species Survival Plan, helping to manage a diverse and healthy population in human care while inspiring red panda preservation for their wild counterparts.

Cora is mostly visible to guests when she’s out in her main yard. To help her settle into her new home, keepers have added a few branches to the front of her enclosure for extra privacy. They’ve also put up a ‘quiet zone’ sign and set up barriers to keep guests a few feet farther away than usual while she gets comfortable. Stay tuned to our social media platforms for updates on Cora!

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Earlier this month, a group of volunteers and conservation experts gathered to release hundreds of critically endangered Wyoming toads back into their native habitat. Wyoming’s Laramie Basin is the only place in the world where Wyoming toads live. Since 2008, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, along with partners from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and others, has driven the year-round effort to breed, raise and release Wyoming toads.

None of this work is possible without the support of CMZoo guests and members. Over $5 million has been raised for conservation through our Quarters for Conservation program. Every Zoo guest receives three “quarter” tokens, representing the 75¢ Q4C allocation from their admission fee. Guests can show support for their favorite legacy conservation projects, including the breed-and-release program helping Wyoming toads recover in their native prairie lakes, by placing their tokens in the corresponding slots in the Q4C kiosks located in the Zoo’s admissions plaza.

Thank you for saving wildlife and wild places!

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