Last month, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo members cast their votes to help the Zoo decide how to spend $75,000 of member conservation funds among staff-championed conservation projects vying for members’ support. The three projects with the most votes received the full funding they requested.
Every membership and every visit to the Zoo is conservation in action. From 2015 to 2025, the program has provided $900,000 of membership revenue to support field conservation worldwide.
“Our members are so invested in our conservation efforts, and this vote is one of many ways they make a big impact for wildlife and wild places,” Ashley Cioppa, CMZoo membership manager, says. “Our members’ annual investment in their Zoo memberships directly supports animals here in Colorado and all around the world. Plus, they give our staff the opportunity to reach more niche organizations and projects that support their conservation passions. Thank you, members!”
Each year, CMZoo membership revenue contributes a total of $100,000 to conservation in two ways:
- $25,000 to the Quarters for Conservation program, which in total contributes a million dollars on average every 18 months to CMZoo’s legacy conservation partners.
- $75,000 to projects voted for by CMZoo members through this annual vote.
This year’s Members-Only Conservation Vote top-ranked projects to fully fund are:
1. Local Pollinator Kickstarter – Tracking and Protecting Local Species: $20,000
Pollinators – including butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds – are essential to local biodiversity and ecosystem health in Colorado Springs. Many species are in decline, highlighting the need for improved monitoring and habitat support. This project strengthens Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s capacity for pollinator research and conservation by upgrading two existing Motus tracking towers to monitor smaller species, including monarch butterflies. Members’ support funds locally relevant research and practical conservation actions to protect pollinators and their habitats.
2. African Lions – Promoting Coexistence in Kenya: $25,000
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has four African lions: Abuto, Lomela, Elsa, and Aslan. In their natural habitat, lions increasingly share landscapes with people, which can lead to conflict when livestock and predators overlap. These interactions create challenges for both communities and lion conservation. This project, in partnership with Ewaso Lions in Kenya, uses GPS tracking collars to monitor lion movement. Data is shared with local herding communities to provide advance notice of lion presence, helping reduce conflicts and livestock loss. Your vote supports practical, community-based approaches that promote coexistence between people and wildlife.
3. African Pancake Tortoises – Strengthening Science for Survival: $16,000
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to two African pancake tortoises, Maple and Syrup, who live in The Loft. These small tortoises are adapted to rocky habitats in East Africa, where they use narrow crevices for shelter. Despite these adaptations, pancake tortoises are poorly studied and are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In partnership with the Turtle Survival Alliance, this project surveys pancake tortoises in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia to better understand their distribution, population structure, and genetic diversity. It also supports local ranger training and the development of a multi-country conservation plan. Member funds support data-driven efforts to improve long-term outcomes for this species.
With the remaining funds, members will partially fund the Lar gibbon project, which came in at a close 4th place.
Lar Gibbons – Returning Gibbons to Their Natural Habitat: $14,000
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo recently welcomed two lar gibbons, Keoki and Holmes, who live in Primate World. In Southeast Asia, gibbon populations are declining due to illegal hunting for the pet trade and habitat loss from deforestation and palm oil production. Orphaned young gibbons are often unable to survive without care. Through partnerships with The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Gibbon SAFE program and the Gibbon Conservation Society, this project provides rescue, housing, and long-term rehabilitation for gibbons in Malaysia. Funding supports flood-resistant enclosures and specialized care to prepare animals for reintroduction to protected forests. Member funds provide resources for these essential conservation measures.
“It was especially exciting to see members’ excitement for pancake tortoise conservation this year,” Nicole Chaney, CMZoo conservation manager, says. “It’s the first time ever that a reptile species has been in the top-three supported projects. Thank you, members!”