Welcome to the indoor giraffe training stall, where Bailey’s keeper team is giving her a pedicure of gigantic proportions! While Bailey participates, Jason, CMZoo’s African Rift Valley animal care manager, gives an update on her pregnancy progress, and how you can join in the fun at home.

Of course, this paint is vet-approved and nontoxic, and we’re doing this so she’s easier for you to spot in the herd. Bailey is a great student, and she seems to enjoy training – both the interaction and all of the crackers she’s getting. It’s also helpful for her care team to have another chance to get up close and check out that belly to see if we can see any signs that she might be getting closer to giving birth. As of right now, there are no signs of imminent labor, but that could change at any time.

If you want to guess when Bailey will give birth – any time between now and Nov. 19 – go to cmzoo.org/guess and submit the day, hour and minute you think the calf will arrive. The closest guesser will win a giraffe encounter with our herd.

Keep up with Bailey overnight by tuning into her 24/7 birth stall camera at cmzoo.org/giraffecam or on CMZoo’s YouTube channel. Join the entire herd daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. MT via our livestream cameras that overlook their main yard.


Tiny pink hooves, a dazzling orange coat with brown stripes and spots and a big personality. We must be talking about our newest addition: a 2-week-old Red River hoglet that is zooming its way into our hearts.

“This little baby has been growing in leaps and bounds over the last two weeks, and its energy level is doing the same,” said Lauren Phillippi, lead keeper in African Rift Valley. “We’ve seen lots of zoomies and playful antics, like running around mom’s feet, getting bursts of energy and making good use of those little legs.”

The little one has been seen jumping over logs, burrowing into soft piles of hay and excitedly bouncing between the rooms in its indoor space. When baby isn’t on the move, it is nursing well and snuggling with mom, 8-year-old Zena. It has also been picking up pieces of Zena’s produce, like lettuce and broccoli, with its mouth and tossing them aside. The baby will continue to nurse for at least the next few months.

Since the hoglet and Zena are doing well, staff haven’t needed to examine the baby up-close, which means its sex has not been confirmed. There are no immediate plans to name the baby, but fans can keep an eye on CMZoo’s social media channels for updates.

“We’re giving them lots of time to bond, which is really important for mom and baby,” said Phillippi.

When a new baby joins the CMZoo family, keepers rely on the trusting relationships they have developed with the mothers. Animal care teams can observe the baby and encourage it to move with Zena into different spaces – so they can clean spaces and feed Zena, for example – because Zena feels comfortable with the team. Encouraging a baby into a different space is usually dependent on whether the mom wants to move because young animals, like this hoglet, usually instinctively follow their mothers.

Zena is calm around the baby and approaches keepers from behind a barrier with baby in tow. The hoglet has been seen several times curiously exploring its indoor den a few feet away from Zena, then hurriedly rejoining her side. Next, the team will observe Zena’s level of comfort with taking the baby outside, where guests could see it. There’s no exact timeline in place, so for now, the baby and Zena will remain in their behind-the-scenes indoor den.

The little hoglet is eating well and growing quickly. Red River hoglets are often described as having a watermelon pattern when they’re born. Just like adult Red River hogs, hoglets have the signature bright orange coats, but the babies also have brown and white stripes that run the length of their bodies, along with little brown and white spots all over. Those stripes and spots usually fade in about six months, but act as important camouflage in the meantime.

This is Zena’s second hoglet, after Pinto, who was born at CMZoo in April 2021. Zena came to CMZoo on a breeding recommendation with Huey, CMZoo’s 15-year-old male Red River hog. Huey has been a great father to Pinto, and four others. Red River hog fathers are active in raising their young. For now, Zena and baby will get time to bond alone, while Huey and Pinto spend time together in their indoor and outdoor spaces.

Guests can visit Huey and Pinto in African Rift Valley now. Follow CMZoo’s social media channels for updates on when Zena and the hoglet will make their public debut.

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Blanca, our 3-month-old Rocky Mountain goat, is growing up fast! She recently weighed in at 53 pounds. Her mom, Lena, weighs 126 pounds, and her dad, Albert, weighs 358 pounds, so we’re curious who Blanca will take after as she continues to grow. Speaking of growing, check out her little horns!

Blanca is growing in confidence, too. She approaches Yazhi and Twinkie, our two older female Rocky Mountain goats in the herd, and even eats food right out of her keepers’ hands. Blanca is still nursing sporadically in addition to eating solid foods. Rocky Mountain goats typically stop nursing around four months, so we expect she’ll transition to eating completely solid foods in the near future.

Have you seen Blanca in person yet? Visit her and the rest of the Rocky Mountain goats across from the Sky Ride on the rocky cliffs, next time you’re at CMZoo!

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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo keepers were greeted by a brand-new baby Red River hog in the early hours of Fri., Aug. 12. They had suspicions a baby was on the way, and their suspicions were confirmed when they found Red River hog mom, Zena, resting peacefully with her baby, who appears to be in good health.

“We are over the moon with excitement for this little one,” said Lauren Phillippi, lead keeper in African Rift Valley. “Red River hog babies are some of the cutest in the whole animal kingdom with their little stripes, tiny statures and energetic behaviors.”

The little hoglet is about the size of its mom’s snout. Red River hoglets are often described as having a watermelon pattern when they’re born. Just like adult Red River hogs, hoglets have he signature bright orange coats, but the babies also have brown and white stripes that run the length of their bodies, along with little brown and white spots all over. Those stripes and spots usually fade in around six months, but act as important camouflage in the meantime.

Eight-year-old Zena’s keepers say she has embraced her hoglet with all of the key behaviors they want to see from a second-time mom. The baby is nursing regularly, Zena nuzzles and cleans the baby, and the baby gets ‘zoomies’ in the comfort of their indoor den. Red River hoglets are sometimes described as looking like wind-up toys, because they get bursts of energy that send them running circles around their mothers. The baby’s sex has not been identified and likely won’t be for another few weeks. In keeping with CMZoo tradition, the baby likely won’t be named for at least 30 days.

This is Zena’s second hoglet, after Pinto, who was born at CMZoo in April 2021. Zena came to CMZoo on a breeding recommendation with Huey, CMZoo’s 15-year-old male Red River hog. Huey has been a great father to Pinto, and four others. Red River hog fathers, unlike many species, are active in raising their young. For now, Zena and baby will get time to bond alone, while Huey and Pinto spend time together in their indoor and outdoor spaces.

Follow CMZoo’s social media channels for updates on when Zena and the hoglet will make their public debut.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and ruly fantastic animal experiences. In 2022, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #3 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised $4 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 239 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.

We can hardly believe Omo will turn one year old on July 20! It’s been a year of adorable ear wiggles, plops and boops with this boy, and it’s been our joy to share him with you. Hear our Water’s Edge: Africa keepers’ favorite ‘Omo-ments’ over the past year.

To celebrate Omo’s first birthday, our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado, are throwing him a party, and you’re invited. Join us in Water’s Edge on Wed., July 20 from 10 a.m. to noon to make Omo a birthday card, learn about hippos at a special keeper talk at 11 a.m. and then watch Omo and his mom, Zambezi, enjoy a special birthday cake at 11:30 a.m. Advance daytime admission e-tickets are required to attend.

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The adorably fluffy Rocky Mountain Goat kid born on May 4 has a name! Meet Blanca, named after Blanca Peak – one of Colorado’s tallest mountains. Blanca is growing in leaps and bounds! The young female goat is incredibly independent and energetic. Wait until you see her version of zoomies! She now weighs nearly 30 pounds, has met the full five-member herd of Rocky Mountain goats at CMZoo, and is even learning to take food from keepers.

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Our 10-month-old Nile hippo calf continues to grow and explore alongside his mom, Zambezi. Join Water’s Edge: Africa lead keeper, Philip, for an update on Omo and another milestone we expect Omo to reach soon: the 500-pound mark! We’ll be hosting a fun guessing game for a Zoo prize on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, enjoy this yard and poolside check-in with our hippo mom-and-son duo.

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There’s a very fluffy, adorably squeaky new kid on the rocks at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Around 3:15 p.m. on Wed., May 4, first-time Rocky Mountain goat mom, Lena, delivered a baby who was on her feet and working out her wobbly legs within minutes.

“Rocky Mountain goat kids are famous for being capable right out of the gate,” said Michelle Salido, lead keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “They’re native to some pretty demanding habitats, so they have to be hearty to thrive in those elements and that’s what we’re seeing with this little one. She’s getting the hang of her lanky legs, and we’ve already seen her climbing up rocks and on her mom.”

After a short intervention from animal care staff, the baby and mom are bonding well, and guests can see them – as long as they choose to stay visible – in the Rocky Mountain goat habitat.

The animal care team stayed with Lena and her baby through the evening on Wednesday, because they hadn’t seen nursing. The first feeding is really important for a newborn animal, because brand-new mother’s milk contains colostrum, which has important nutrients and antibodies. After about three hours of the kid attempting to nurse unsuccessfully, the team stepped in and hand-fed its first meal.

While feeding the baby a colostrum substitute, the team confirmed that it’s a girl and that she weighs about 8 pounds. After feeding the little one, the team reunited her with her mom and the two have been bonding well since. The baby has been seen nursing consistently since last night, so the team hopes mom and daughter will continue to take it from here.

“It took Lena a little while to get the hang of nursing, which isn’t unusual for a first-time mom, but since then, we’ve seen her really embrace motherhood,” said Salido. “She’s being protective, and she’s letting her daughter snuggle up to her and climb on her. She was really focused on making sure the baby was clean – especially her ears. She was licking the kid’s ears and the baby was making little goat whinnying sounds and wobbling around during the grooming session. They’re so cute.”

Following Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s tradition of not naming baby animals until they’re at least a month old, there are no immediate plans to name the youngster. Fans can follow Lena’s baby as it grows up on the Zoo’s social media channels.

Join our 1-year-old giraffe calf, BB, and her keeper team for two behind-the-scenes training sessions. Our youngest giraffe is working on voluntary husbandry behaviors that allow her team to take the best possible care of her. Watch as BB follows cues and gets positive reinforcement for participating in injection training and voluntary hoof care. Way to go, BB!

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Our little hippo calf, Omo, is 9 months old, and he’s outgrown the baby-proofing in his indoor training area! He’s nursing less and eating more solid foods, which are helping him grow up big and strong. He recently weighed in at 435 pounds. That may seem huge to us, but Omo is still just a baby. He lives full-time with his mom, Zambezi, and has been learning to communicate with his aunt, Kasai, and dad, Biko, who live separately in the same habitat, by making little ‘chuffing’ noises. Keepers have seen Omo’s personality continue to get bigger, along with the rest of him. They say he doesn’t just enter a room; he explodes into it. Check in with Omo, his mom, Zambezi, and Water’s Edge: Africa lead keeper, Philip, in this video update.

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