News Archive

Four kits and four adult black-footed ferrets (BFF) are one step closer to life in the wild, thanks to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo conservation team. In mid-September, the ferrets were moved to a preconditioning center outside of Fort Collins, Colo., where they’ll spend about 35 days in a semi-controlled environment. During this phase, biologists observe . . .

Giraffe conservation was given a generous boost from many helping hands when Operation Twiga III rolled out in Uganda earlier this month. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff and other concerned conservationists took part in translocating endangered Nubian giraffe to a safer location, where they could establish new herds and maintain the important genetics of their subspecies. . . .

Favorable strides in the management of endangered Wyoming toads were made this spring and early summer as CMZ experienced a robust egg-laying season, followed by the release of hundreds of year-old toads into the wild. Wyoming toads are currently listed as “extinct in the wild” by The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. On May . . .

Vulture conservation has been a focus at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for nearly a decade, and while strides have been made toward protecting them, this critically important species still hovers on the brink of extinction. They need our help more than ever. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums has just voted to include African vultures as one of their SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) projects, thereby creating an opportunity for more united conservation efforts. Currently, 12 zoos across the country are committed to partnering with African conservation organizations in order to address the African vulture extinction crisis.

  A nine-day trip to the jungles of Panama to help release hundreds of critically endangered frogs into the wild is just part of the job for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo veterinarian Dr. Eric Klaphake. As part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation project (PARC), the Zoo is actively involved in helping save dozens of . . .

  The Tsavo Trust, which works to protect elephants and rhinos in Africa from illegal poaching, is gaining more ground, thanks to the continued support of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo guests. This year, donations are supporting the Trust’s long-term viability through infrastructure development, in addition to ongoing support for aerial surveys. Two $18,333 donations for infrastructure . . .

Every expectant mother wants good lighting for her big moment, but for black-footed ferrets, lighting is absolutely critical to optimum breeding. CMZoo Conservation Coordinator Jeff Baughman utilizes lighting cycles, lots of cell testing and a solid timetable to successfully breed the endangered small mammals. Currently, Baughman averages about 20 to 30 black footed-ferret kits per . . .

Throughout Panama, a silent extinction is occurring. Dozens of frog and toad species have already been driven to extinction by chytridiomycosis, the world’s most lethal amphibian disease. Fortunately, amphibian conservationists and the greater zoo community have not been sitting idly by. Caused by the chytrid fungus, this disease is responsible for having caused amphibian population . . .