Last month, 2-year-old Alaska moose, Atka, had surgery to remove a toe with progressive bone degradation from his front left foot. Since then, the ‘Prince of Rocky Mountain Wild,’ as he’s called by his keepers, has been leaning on the trusting relationship he has with his care team to continue his recovery.

“We’ve been really impressed with Atka,” said Erika Furnes, Atka’s primary trainer and senior keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “When an animal needs to go through something major like this, there’s always a chance you could lose some of the trust you have built with them. We have to ask a lot of Atka right now, to give him the best possible care, and he’s doing a really great job.”

Since his surgery on Feb. 28, 2023, Atka has been voluntarily participating in his recovery, which started with 13 days of barn rest following his surgery. On April 10, Atka’s care team decided his wound was looking good enough for the big guy to go outside.

“The plan was always to listen to what Atka was telling us during his recovery, and to balance what’s best for him medically with what’s best for him as a moose,” said Furnes. “After nearly two weeks, he was ready to stretch his legs in the sunshine. By respecting his space and responding to his needs, we can maintain his trust, which allows us to provide better care for him long-term.”

Atka’s surgical sutures have come loose, which is not uncommon in this procedure when performed in domestic hoof stock like cows or goats, but because he voluntarily participates in hoof care, CMZoo’s veterinary team and Atka’s surgeon have been able to monitor his foot closely, and are happy and comfortable with how it is progressing. Atka also actively participates in training to receive antibiotic injections and oral medication for any discomfort he might be experiencing.

“We want to give him the rest, pain medications and antibiotics he needs while limiting the number of times he has to go under anesthesia,” said Furnes. “So far, we haven’t needed to anesthetize him since his surgery. I’ve been so proud of him. He’s still coming right over to his training panel and presenting his hoof on the block so we can get a close look at his surgical site. He takes oral medications in an apple in the morning, and so far, he has let us give him all necessary injections of long-lasting antibiotic.”

Atka and his care team have worked to build that relationship through positive reinforcement husbandry training. Moose are rare in zoos, and are almost unheard of south of Colorado. Because they’re so rare in human care, there aren’t as many training protocols, so CMZoo has helped blaze the trail for moose training everywhere.

“When you go through a tough chapter like this with an animal, it reminds you of how important the relationship-building and training you’ve done in the past is,” said Furnes. “Ongoing maintenance training is always important, but when an animal’s recovery depends on it getting certain care, the relationship of trust and the language you have built together make the process less stressful and more successful for everyone – animals and humans.”

Atka is still healing and learning how to navigate on seven toes, instead of eight. Moose feet normally each have two toes that move independently to help the long-legged mountain mammals balance on rocky terrain. It is likely Atka will probably walk with an unusual gait for the rest of his life, since this necessary surgery has changed the structure of his foot – which is one-quarter of his foundation.

Animals are resilient, and Atka is adapting to his new foot. Keepers say that over the last four weeks of recovery, Atka has spent time lying down in comfy sand and shavings piles they’ve provided for him in his yard. He has been trotting, rubbing against trees, walking to his fence line to greet guests, enjoying fresh browse and wading in his pond. Guests might see Atka stumbling when he makes tight turns, favoring his one-toed foot, or curling it to rest it while he stands.

Atka has access to his barn and his yard for now, so visitors can stop by to wish him well in Rocky Mountain Wild. Atka’s team will continue to monitor him closely and make any adjustments to his medications, treatments or access to physical activity, with Atka’s best interests in mind.

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Update: April 26, 2023
Last month, 2-year-old Alaska moose, Atka, had surgery to remove a toe with progressive bone degradation from his front left foot. Since then, the ‘Prince of Rocky Mountain Wild,’ as he’s called by his keepers, has been leaning on the trusting relationship he has with his care team to continue his recovery.

“We’ve been really impressed with Atka,” said Erika Furnes, Atka’s primary trainer and senior keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “When an animal needs to go through something major like this, there’s always a chance you could lose some of the trust you have built with them. We have to ask a lot of Atka right now, to give him the best possible care, and he’s doing a really great job.”

Since his surgery on Feb. 28, 2023, Atka has been voluntarily participating in his recovery, which started with 13 days of barn rest following his surgery. On April 10, Atka’s care team decided his wound was looking good enough for the big guy to go outside.

“The plan was always to listen to what Atka was telling us during his recovery, and to balance what’s best for him medically with what’s best for him as a moose,” said Furnes. “After nearly two weeks, he was ready to stretch his legs in the sunshine. By respecting his space and responding to his needs, we can maintain his trust, which allows us to provide better care for him long-term.”

Atka’s surgical sutures have come loose, which is not uncommon in this procedure when performed in domestic hoof stock like cows or goats, but because he voluntarily participates in hoof care, CMZoo’s veterinary team and Atka’s surgeon have been able to monitor his foot closely, and are happy and comfortable with how it is progressing. Atka also actively participates in training to receive antibiotic injections and oral medication for any discomfort he might be experiencing.

“We want to give him the rest, pain medications and antibiotics he needs while limiting the number of times he has to go under anesthesia,” said Furnes. “So far, we haven’t needed to anesthetize him since his surgery. I’ve been so proud of him. He’s still coming right over to his training panel and presenting his hoof on the block so we can get a close look at his surgical site. He takes oral medications in an apple in the morning, and so far, he has let us give him all necessary injections of long-lasting antibiotic.”

Atka and his care team have worked to build that relationship through positive reinforcement husbandry training. Moose are rare in zoos, and are almost unheard of south of Colorado. Because they’re so rare in human care, there aren’t as many training protocols, so CMZoo has helped blaze the trail for moose training everywhere.

“When you go through a tough chapter like this with an animal, it reminds you of how important the relationship-building and training you’ve done in the past is,” said Furnes. “Ongoing maintenance training is always important, but when an animal’s recovery depends on it getting certain care, the relationship of trust and the language you have built together make the process less stressful and more successful for everyone – animals and humans.”

Atka is still healing and learning how to navigate on seven toes, instead of eight. Moose feet normally each have two toes that move independently to help the long-legged mountain mammals balance on rocky terrain. It is likely Atka will probably walk with an unusual gait for the rest of his life, since this necessary surgery has changed the structure of his foot – which is one-quarter of his foundation.

Animals are resilient, and Atka is adapting to his new foot. Keepers say that over the last four weeks of recovery, Atka has spent time lying down in comfy sand and shavings piles they’ve provided for him in his yard. He has been trotting, rubbing against trees, walking to his fence line to greet guests, enjoying fresh browse and wading in his pond. Guests might see Atka stumbling when he makes tight turns, favoring his one-toed foot, or curling it to rest it while he stands.

Atka has access to his barn and his yard for now, so visitors can stop by to wish him well in Rocky Mountain Wild. Atka’s team will continue to monitor him closely and make any adjustments to his medications, treatments or access to physical activity, with Atka’s best interests in mind.

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Update: April 11, 2023
Atka, our 2-year-old Alaska moose, continues to recover from surgery on his front left hoof. Atka has been healing in his barn since his operation, and his care team has been happy with his participation in recovery care and rest. Now, his wound seems to be healthy enough that he got the veterinary go-ahead to stretch his long legs in the sunshine! Since yesterday morning, he has been exploring his yard and learning to navigate the terrain with just one toe on his front left foot.

Atka will take turns in his barn and out in his yard. Guests will notice Atka ‘curling’ that foot to rest it, working harder than usual to find his footing sometimes, and lying down to rest more frequently. The resilient young moose seems to be getting the hang of it already. He has been trotting, rubbing against trees, walking to his fence line to greet guests, enjoying fresh browse and wading in his pond between resting in his soft beds of sand and shavings. He even felt confident enough with his one-toed front hoof to successfully stand on three feet and use a back hoof to scratch the spots where he recently shed his antlers.

Atka’s surgical sutures have come loose, but because he voluntarily participates in hoof care, our veterinary team has been able to monitor his foot closely as it heals. Atka also receives voluntary antibiotic injections and oral medication for any discomfort he might be experiencing.

He’s making great strides with the support of his Rocky Mountain Wild and veterinary care team, but we’re not out of the woods just yet. Atka’s team will continue to monitor him closely and make any adjustments to his medications, treatments or access to physical activity, with Atka’s best interests in mind.

Next time you’re in Rocky Mountain Wild, stop by to say hello to Atka and wish him well as he continues his recovery. To read more about Atka’s surgery and other updates, keep scrolling down on this page.

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Update: March 28, 2023 4:30 p.m. MT
Atka has been out of surgery for a few hours and seems to be doing well. The team is cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the procedure and Atka’s recovery from the anesthesia so far. Since he woke up, Atka’s care team has seen him stand for a short while and lie back down with good control. Now, he’s resting in his barn.

During his recovery, he may be in his barn for quiet time, but will also be given the option to move around as much as he’s comfortable. We are committed to Atka’s recovery and care as he steps into a life with seven toes. We will share updates on Atka periodically during his recovery process on the Zoo’s social media channels.

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March 28, 2023
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s veterinary and animal care teams are partnering with Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital to remove a progressively problematic toe on Atka, CMZoo’s 2-year-old Alaska moose today, Tues., March 28, 2023.

The young male moose has experienced ongoing issues with his front left hoof and toe. Atka came to CMZoo at 8 weeks old in July 2020, after he was unfortunately orphaned in the wild in Alaska at around only six days old. Alaska Zoo cared for him until he was old enough to travel to CMZoo, where he has lived ever since.

Shortly after he arrived in 2020, his team discovered an abscess that had been growing in his front left toe and had become infected and needed treatment. Infections of this type in a young moose in the wild have the possibility of being fatal. Fortunately for Atka, the medical treatment his care team provided was successful, but the abscess created a hole which his body naturally filled with scar tissue. That changed the structure of his toe permanently, which gave Atka a unique gait with intermittent limping that didn’t always prove to be painful. Based on sensitivity tests during hoof care training, it seems the pain would come and go, and the presence of a limp didn’t always indicate he was in pain.

The team noticed him limping significantly and more consistently in February 2023. Atka voluntarily participates in hoof care, including a behavior for hoof x-rays. In February, the x-rays revealed significant bone degradation, compared to a November 2022 x-ray, in his front left outside toe, where the abscess was years before. After careful consideration, CMZoo’s veterinary, animal care and leadership teams decided together that a toe amputation was Atka’s best chance moving forward. In the meantime, Atka is receiving medication for pain.

“We know that animals can sometimes repair themselves better than we can, so we tend not to intervene too aggressively if we do not need to,” said Dr. Eric Klaphake, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “Our former moose, Tahoma, had a hoof issue that his body remedied naturally with the assistance of voluntary trained hoof trims, but Atka is experiencing progressive bone damage, which Tahoma did not. After monitoring and helping him with pain management, we’ve reached the point at which medical treatment and hoof care cannot stop further bone loss and the pain associated with it, and surgical correction is the best next step.”

The procedure will require Atka to go under anesthesia, which always has risk, but is riskier for a larger animal and for those classified as ruminants, like cows, that have multi-chambered stomachs. Removing the toe of an animal will inevitably alter its gait and cause it to rely more on other toes, hooves and limbs. The surgery team has performed similar and more complicated procedures successfully in the past, and CMZoo and CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital have a long history of saving animals together. The team is cautiously optimistic that this procedure will get Atka on the path for a long and healthy life, but the surgery won’t likely completely correct his gait issues.

Planning for a young moose’s recovery involves embracing the unknown and preparing for whatever Atka decides to do. His team will work to keep his wound as clean and dry as possible for a feisty moose during a muddy season, and will balance his need to stretch his legs with the desire to keep him relatively calm as he recovers.

“Our Atka certainly hasn’t had the easiest life, but he has been resilient and determined since day one,” said Rebecca Zwicker, animal care manager in Rocky Mountain Wild. “After being orphaned and developing that infected abscess so young, we have seen him come through tough situations that would likely have been fatal without our support. We’ve helped him along this far, and we’re committed to helping him through this. We appreciate everyone rooting for him. Hopefully with the removal of this toe, he can put this whole abscess chapter behind him.”

The surgery is scheduled to take place today (Tues., March 28) at CMZoo. CMZoo will share updates on Atka periodically during his recovery process on the Zoo’s social media channels. Guests may not see Atka in his yard as often while he recovers.

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In Partnership with Children’s Hospital Colorado

Some cuddle, some snore, some sleep on all fours. No matter how we do it, getting quality sleep is an important part of every healthy routine, whether you’re a human or an animal! Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado recently shared advice for parents considering what kind of sleep is best for their babies. There are lots of options for helping human infants sleep well, just like there are many different ways animals at the Zoo sleep!

Orangutans might be the most particular sleepers at the Zoo. In the wild and in human care, they make new nests to sleep in almost every day. They usually assemble one nest for a midday nap and another more elaborate nest for their longer sleep at night.

To build nests at the Zoo, orangutans gather large amounts of bedding such as grass hay, wood wool, blankets, big paper bags and tree branches into a pile. Then, they sit in the center of the pile and pat, weave, rearrange, sort and layer the materials until their nest is just right. They typically build nests on the ground and on their tree-high platforms to sleep, but also rest in hammocks, big tubs or separate den rooms.

Young orangutans practice building nests for years before they start sleeping in their own nests as adults. Kera, CMZoo’s 4-year-old female Sumatran orangutan who lives and sleeps with her mom, Sumagu, practices nest building many times each day, but still shares mom’s nest to sleep.

“Orangutans learn by observing others, so Kera has watched Sumagu build nests since she was born and makes her own,” said Dina Bredahl, animal behavior assistant and longtime primate keeper at CMZoo. “Kera routinely flings her nesting materials to destroy her nest when she’s finished building so she can start all over again. Practice makes perfect!”

Like many humans aim to do, orangutans sleep for around eight to 10 hours a day. Tujoh, CMZoo’s 28-year-old male Northwest Bornean orangutan, seems to like the soothing sound of running water when he drifts off to sleep.

“We noticed that Tujoh would tinker with his drinking fountain each night until he made it run consistently,” said Bredahl. “So, we installed a small pool that circulates water and gives him the trickling water sounds that he seems to enjoy for a good night’s rest.”

CMZoo’s giraffe don’t need much sleep. They only rest or sleep for two to five hours a day! Most members of the tower only sleep for one-to-three hours at a time. Some giraffe stand up to sleep, others lie down and some do a combination of both.

“The giraffe who lie down will twist themselves up into what looks like a big pretzel, and rest their heads on their hips with their legs either straight out or folded underneath them,” said Savannah Woods, African Rift Valley keeper. “I’ve also seen Mahali lying down to sleep and using Lakeisha’s back to rest his head while she’s standing next to him.”

They often sleep together in groups at night, but some take midday naps, like 4-year-old male Ohe, who can frequently be seen snoozing in the yard for a brief moment of shut-eye.

Big cats, on the other hand, sleep off and on for most of the day. Taking frequent cat naps allows them get plenty of rest while still maintaining awareness of their surroundings. Mountain lions sleep for up to 17 hours per day! They prefer cool, shady spots in the warmer seasons and sunny rocks during the cooler months. CMZoo’s mountain lions, Sitka, Adira and Koda, can often be found enjoying one of their heated rocks in the winter or the covered, cool spots under trees in their habitat in the summer months.

“Mountain lions are typically solitary in the wild, but have also been observed in social groupings,” said Courtney Rogers, senior keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “Our three mountain lions have been together from a young age, so they’re comfortable around each other and have become famous for their big cat ‘cuddle puddles,’ where they sleep in a big pile together by the glass guest viewing area.”

Mountain lions aren’t the only animals that sleep next to each other. Omo, CMZoo’s one-year-old Nile hippo, and his mom, Zambezi, often sleep in a big spoon, little spoon position. That’s only when they’re on land, though. CMZoo’s four hippos usually head to their pools around 2 a.m. to sleep the rest of the night away.

“Omo is getting more independent these days, but he used to use Zambezi as a raft when he was smaller,” said Al Carrier, Water’s Edge: Africa senior keeper. “They still rest their heads on each other sometimes. Hippos are really cool because they sleep mostly underwater and their instincts bring their noses to the surface to breathe every 5 minutes or so, without them waking up.”

Each night, CMZoo’s hippos sleep for about 10 hours and nap for around another three hours during the day. Because they’re so large-and-in-charge, hippos are usually deep sleepers. If something wakes them up while they’re underwater, they can communicate through ‘hippo laughs’ that sound like a snort mixed with an old car horn, without surfacing, to let the rest of the pod know there’s a disturbance.

Wolves, known for their pack behaviors, also sleep near each other but rarely cuddle up once they grow out of puppyhood. That’s not an indication of a lack of bonds, though, for CMZoo’s pack of five Mexican wolves, Navarro, Shadow, Phoenix, Hope and Uno.

“When our wolves wake up in the morning after sleeping for much of the night, they greet each other with lots of face licks and wagging tails, even though they’ve been sleeping near each other the whole time,” said Rogers. “They seem to be light sleepers, always listening and smelling for potential danger. If one hears a noise and wakes up, they often will do a barking vocalization that can also alert the others.”

Wolves sleep around eight hours in a 24-hour period, usually lightly, with a long rest at night or after a big meal and with short naps throughout the day. Uno, CMZoo’s three-year-old female Mexican wolf was seen sleeping deeply when she was a pup, though.

“When they’re young, they often cuddle with their mothers,” said Rogers. “We would see Uno climbing up on top of her late mom, Luna, to sleep right on top of her in the den. She’s also the only one I’ve seen ‘twitching’ in her sleep, like dogs do. We can’t know for sure if she was dreaming, but it looked like she was running in her sleep, so maybe she was.”

Next time you’re at CMZoo, see how your sleep compares to the animals you visit!

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Atka, our Alaska moose, isn’t fazed by single-digit temps. Moose have adaptations that help them survive the winter, including a thick winter coat and a long nose that warms air before it hits their lungs.

Moose are active throughout the winter months, spending time foraging and roaming in their native habitats, including some parts of Colorado. As you make plans to enjoy outdoor winter activities, it’s important to keep moose in mind. Give them space, learn where they’re most frequently spotted and help keep wildlife wild with these tips.

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At the end of August 2022, African Rift Valley keepers arrived to work to find Lomela, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 15-year-old African lion matriarch, was not acting like herself.

“Lomela is normally intensely focused on her keepers’ every move and is quick to engage with us,” said Rachael Hahn, senior lead keeper in African Rift Valley. “That morning, she looked sort of ‘spacey’ and lethargic. We thought she might have injured herself because she was resistant to shifting when we asked her to.”

According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the median life expectancy for an African lion is 16.9 years, so Lomela is considered geriatric. Except for inevitable age-related slow-downs, like arthritis, she seemed to be relatively healthy until that morning. The team leaned on Lomela’s previous voluntary health care training to find out what was causing the sudden and drastic decline.

“Lomela is incredibly intelligent, so even though she wasn’t feeling great, she was able to follow our training cues so we could help her,” said Hahn. “When we ask her to participate in blood draw and blood pressure behaviors, we ask her to move into a training area that has a small sliding panel at the bottom of it. Once she’s comfortable, she moves her tail out of the port so we can safely reach it. We use the big vein in her tail to draw blood and get blood pressure readings for her. She gets lots of yummy snacks for participating, and we are able to diagnose what’s going on.”

The tests revealed that Lomela had extremely elevated kidney levels and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, kidney disease is prevalent in domestic and big cats and high blood pressure is known to worsen kidney disease. Lion fans may remember that Abuto, the 10-year-old African lion patriarch at CMZoo, has also dealt with this disease for many years.

However, the disease impacts each individual differently, and Lomela seems to be much further along in its progression than Abuto. It’s estimated she has only about 25 percent kidney function remaining. Thanks to her participation and her care team’s quick actions, she seems to have leveled out since her worst in late August. But, the outlook for cats with kidney failure can be unpredictable.

With medication changes, the team got her blood pressure under control within about a week. Getting her blood pressure under control took the pressure off of her kidneys and prevented further damage.

“At the end of August, I was concerned,” said Dr. Eric Klaphake, DVM, DACZM, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “Her kidney values and blood pressure have improved since then, and we will continue to monitor that, and adjust things as needed. She seems to be at a stable point now, but unfortunately once kidney values are that high, you have lost kidney function forever, so we’re monitoring her carefully.”

Elsa, Lomela’s 6-year-old daughter, has also been watching her mom closely.

“We could tell Lomela was really feeling better when she started playing with Elsa again,” said Hahn. “Elsa can be pretty relentless when she wants to play, but she gave Lomela space when she needed it. Now, we’ve seen the two cuddling and wrestling like before, so we’re hopeful they have a lot more time together.”

Lomela’s team will continue monitoring her health through bi-weekly blood draws and weekly blood pressure readings. They will also encourage her to continue participating in training sessions that help her stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, and with stretches that help manage arthritis pain without medications that could contribute to kidney damage.

Abuto’s care routine also continues, but the ‘mane man’ in African Rift Valley seems to be doing well. In January 2021, we shared a behind-the-scenes video of Abuto’s health care husbandry training sessions. Although Abuto’s loss of kidney function is also irreversible, his team has been able to help him live a good quality of life by focusing on blood pressure management, hydration and nutrition.

“We have been so happy with Abuto’s response to his ongoing treatments,” said Hahn. “We’re always cautious when we share that our older big cats seem to be doing well because we know how quickly things can change. We have so much respect for them, and of course we want them to stay forever, but we will know when it’s time to make the most compassionate decision of all.”

Learn more about all five of CMZoo’s African lions at https://www.cmzoo.org/animals/a-z/featured-animals-african-lion/, and visit them in African Rift Valley next time you’re at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

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In 2017, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium established the Giraffe Plasma Bank to help reduce giraffe calf mortalities. The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe, established this summer, is dedicated to growing the number of available banks around the country, and recently welcomed new partners.

Newborn giraffe calves may be six feet tall and can walk within hours of being born, but they’re extremely fragile. In the wild, calves have about a 50 percent mortality rate in their first year. In human care, it’s about 20 percent. The cause of a calf’s struggles can many times be traced to initial difficulty nursing. Its first mother’s milk, called colostrum, provides important antibodies and proteins. Without it, calves are more susceptible to infections and other health issues.

But, plasma treatments can increase the chance of survival for a calf that doesn’t receive their mother’s colostrum in the first day of life. Plasma is the liquid component of blood, and accounts for more than half of blood’s volume. It contains antibodies and transports nutrients, electrolytes, hormones, and other important substances throughout the body. It also helps remove toxins from the body by transporting them to filtering organs, like the liver, lungs, kidneys, or skin.

To get plasma, you need willing blood donors.

“Not all heroes wear capes,” said Amy Schilz, senior animal behaviorist at the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (The Center). “Some wear spots.”

At CMZoo, 12-year-old male, Mashama, and 13-year-old female, Msitu, are the most eager voluntary blood donors. The two well-known giraffe work with their trainers to receive positive reinforcers – crackers, in most cases – while their team draws blood from a vein in their neck.

WATCH THIS BLOOD DRAW SESSION WITH MASHAMA

“The sessions are always completely voluntary, and Mashama and Msitu get excited for the reinforcers and extra attention they receive during training sessions,” said Schilz. “They can choose to walk away at any time, and our veterinary technicians use a specialized blood draw setup so the needle comes right out if the giraffe walks away. We also watch for signs of discomfort and we stop if we think a giraffe isn’t enjoying it, but we really don’t see that.”

Each giraffe plasma transfusion requires about six 250 ML bags of plasma to create, and each bag of blood takes about 20 minutes to collect. Once blood is drawn, it is ‘spun’ in a machine called a centrifuge at a local veterinary based blood bank. Centrifugal force separates blood into three components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Our veterinary team collects the separated, then frozen, plasma from the blood bank and stores it in CMZoo’s Giraffe Plasma Bank freezer, so it’s ready to go when giraffe calves need it.

The Center’s team shares their training methods, learns from others, and connects organizations that can now work together to make more plasma available in more locations – and that benefits giraffe calves everywhere, regardless of whether they live at an AZA-accredited facility or with a reputable private holder.

“I know this all sounds very scientific, but this program exists because we love giraffe and we want to save as many calves as we can,” said Schilz. “If we all work together, we can do that. That’s why we’re really excited to welcome more contributors to the Giraffe Plasma Bank team.”

In the past year, the multi-location Giraffe Plasma Bank has grown to five locations, and four more are in the process of training and setting up their banks. Dickerson Park Zoo, accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, in Springfield, Missouri, became a contributing member of the Giraffe Plasma Bank recently.

“We care for two giraffes that love to participate in training,” said Tracy Campbell, head keeper of Africa and South America at Dickerson Park Zoo. “Plus, we have a giraffe staff which does a great job with them. This is something we can do to help out the future of the population, and we are happy to do what we can. I give all the credit to my team for their hard work.”

Another new contributor is Highpoint Haven, a private facility and home to four giraffe in northeast Texas. Their team has a goal to lead a better standard of care for privately held exotic animals.

Dan Houck, a passionate giraffe lover and conservationist, owns Highpoint Haven. He has attended many of CMZoo’s giraffe care workshops, now operated by The Center, since 2016. Houck learned about hoof care, blood draw training and more, at those workshops and was able to customize those teachings to benefit the individual needs of the giraffe in his care. In 2021, a calf born into his herd directly benefitted from the knowledge, network and resources he gained at those workshops.

The calf, now named Sophie, was the second baby born to parents Harriet and Gerald. The labor and birth were textbook, but Sophie was unable to nurse.

“About four hours after Sophie was born and still hadn’t nursed, I was starting to get nervous,” said Houck. “We knew it was critical for the calf to get colostrum in the first 24 hours, but learned that many calves struggle if they don’t nurse within the first 9 hours or so. We needed plasma and we had to act quickly.”

Through his participation at the giraffe care workshops, Houck knew he could reach out to Dr. Liza Dadone, senior giraffe veterinarian at The Center and original co-founder of the Giraffe Plasma Bank along with Dr. Priya Bapodra-Villaverde, senior veterinarian at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Drs. Dadone and Bapodra-Villaverde were eager to help, but it was a Saturday, so mailing plasma to Texas from Colorado or Ohio wasn’t an option because it wouldn’t be delivered on a Sunday. The Highpoint Haven team started bottle feeding the calf with supplemental colostrum. They also drew blood and found that her blood glucose levels were dangerously low. Meanwhile, Dr. Dadone started calling on her network. The team was able to locate two bags of plasma, which were unused after another calf recently needed help at a zoo nearby. The team drove to pick up the two available bags of plasma on Sunday afternoon and administered them to the calf.

“By Monday morning, she was nursing,” said Houck. “The plasma transfusion was life-changing for her. It kick-started her instinct to nurse almost immediately. While we cared for Sophie, the team kept working to deliver more plasma from the Giraffe Plasma Bank to get us through the full treatment, which is six bags. Sophie got her last dose that Thursday and she’s been growing and thriving ever since. Now, she weighs 904 pounds and counting. She’s a handful, just like her dad.”

On Sept. 18, 2022, the Highpoint Haven family celebrated Sophie’s first birthday by making their first contribution to the Giraffe Plasma Bank, with Dr. Dadone on site to assist. Sophie’s dad, Gerald, was the voluntary donor.

“Gerald is a truly a one-in-a-million giraffe,” said Lauren Kimbro, manager of animal care and training at Highpoint Haven. “We have seen first-hand how plasma can save a calf, and Sophie is a healthy, happy calf with us today because of the expertise and generosity of the Giraffe Plasma Bank team. It takes a village, and it’s an honor to be a part of it.”

Since its inception, the Giraffe Plasma Bank has benefitted 13 giraffe calves, and the teams look forward to continuing and expanding that reach as more donors and banks join the effort. To learn more about the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe, visit cmzoo.org/giraffecare.

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How Do the Grizzly Bears at CMZoo Spend the Winter? As our 17-year-old grizzly bears, Emmett and Digger, prepare for the winter, they will start living at a much slower pace.

We often associate bears with hibernation, but science has shown that many animals, like raccoons, skunks, and bears, survive the winter using torpor instead, which is a much lighter form of hibernation. True hibernators include animals like chipmunks, ground squirrels and woodchucks. Animals in true hibernation remain in a low-energy state through the entire winter, and waking up takes a lot of time and energy for these animals.

Instead of this deep hibernation, grizzly bears enter into torpor, where they fall into a deeper-than-normal sleep during their inactive moments of the day, which conserves energy. When in the torpor state, they will also experience decreased breathing, heart rates, lower metabolic rates and a slightly reduced temperature. Bears are still intermittently active during the winter months but are able to sleep more than 100 days at a time without passing waste, eating, or drinking.

But do all bears go into torpor?

While there is still lots of ongoing research being done on bears, biologists have found that torpor behaviors tend to depend on location, climate, food supply in the wild and the individual bear. Certain bears in warmer climates will only spend two or three weeks in torpor. If bears have a lack of food supply, they will come out more often to find food.

When Emmett and Digger’s wild grizzly bear cousins up in Montana head into winter, they “den up,” or build a den with natural materials that they sleep in most of the winter. Emmett and Digger have access to their outdoor day beds year-round but also like to create their own dens throughout their yard in the winter.

They even cuddle with each other!

Emmett and Digger move a little slower in the winter, but are still active and captivating. They will casually splash in their pond, play-wrestle, and slowly explore their habitat. Keepers reward the grizzly bears with special treats like salmon, other meats and fruits for participating in husbandry training and shifting.

Emmett and Digger can often be seen snuggling together, investigating enrichment items, and training with keepers throughout the whole winter season. Visit them in Rocky Mountain Wild.

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Pumpkin SMASH! It’s that time of year again! Not only are pumpkins a tasty treat, they also serve as exciting enrichment for a number of animals at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. As you can see, each animal has a different approach to ripping into a pumpkin. The hippos like to crunch the pumpkins with their powerful jaws while the skunks like to ‘go all in’ and tear pieces apart with their tiny claws and teeth. The elephants use their strong trunks to squeeze the pumpkin open before delicately directing the gourd to their mouth. The behavior of our mountain lions is probably similar to your cat at home! They bat at the pumpkins and use their sharp claws and rough tongues to retrieve the meat their keepers hid inside.

Enrichment opportunities like this are important for the bodies and brains of our animals, because it’s good for our animals to problem solve. Enrichment is good for both animals and humans! As the holidays approach, it can be hard for us humans to eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, and lower stress. Our partners, Children’s Hospital Colorado, have provided some great tips for eating well, navigating holiday travel and having happy, healthy holidays this year: https://www.childrenscolorado.org/conditions-and-advice/parenting/parenting-articles/happy-healthy-holidays/.

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It’s time to check in on our mountain tapir, Cofan, as he lives out his golden years! In early 2021, Cofan underwent a life-saving surgery to remove his damaged left kidney. Since then, Cofan’s keepers have worked closely with him and given him extra love and scratches, which are his favorite rewards. Giving Cofan scratches puts him into a ‘tapir trance,’ allowing his care team to collect voluntary blood draws without any sedation. His post-surgery blood draw results have been encouraging and are a great way to keep tabs on his overall health.

Mountain tapir are very rare. Only six live in human care in the United States. Even though tapir look similar to anteaters or bears, they are actually closely related to rhinos and horses. Because tapir are so rare, but have the commonalities of horses, Cofan’s medical team refers to equine medicine and their own experience with tapir to give nearly 19-year-old Cofan the best care as he ages.

As Cofan gets older, enrichment is important for his health and quality of life in his golden years. Cofan loves eating lettuce, apples and fresh leaves from branches. Keepers will hang snacks from trees and bushes to encourage Cofan to problem solve and use his incredible nose. When he is not actively participating in enrichment, Cofan can often be found taking naps by his waterfall.

Mountain tapir, from the Andes Mountains in Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru, are one of four species of tapir. Due to habitat loss, mountain tapir are endangered with approximately 2,500 left in the wild. CMZoo staff, thanks to support from Zoo members in our annual Member Conservation Vote, work diligently to save mountain tapir and their habitats south of the equator.

Easy-to-love Cofan helps his species by teaching us more about how to care for mountain tapir, and by inspiring countless visitors to learn about and protect wild tapir. You can visit Cofan living out his golden years across the road from Encounter Africa.

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Bailey, a 10-year-old reticulated giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, is expecting her second calf any day now. Anticipating the birth of a giraffe calf can be a roller coaster of emotions: excitement, wonder, impatience, nervousness and even worry.

Since establishing its giraffe breeding program in 1954, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has welcomed 202 giraffe calves to the world. Through experiences with mothers and calves, the team has gained invaluable institutional knowledge that will guide them through Bailey’s pregnancy, labor and first moments as a second-time mom. Although every birth, calf and mother is unique, there are common milestones that help Bailey’s care team recognize whether things are on the right track.

Giraffe gestation, or length of pregnancy, isn’t an exact science. Giraffe pregnancies typically range between 14 and 16 months, which can make planning for the birth a bit of a guessing game. CMZoo’s breeding bull giraffe, Khalid, and Bailey last bred on July 19, 2021. That means Bailey’s due date window is Sept. 19 through Nov. 19, 2022.

“Most of us believe the baby will be born about mid-way through that window because Bailey had her last calf right around 15 months,” said Rachael Hahn, senior lead keeper in African Rift Valley. “My guess is September 30.”

Giraffe fans can submit their own guesses about when the calf will be born at cmzoo.org/guess. The person who guesses the closest day, time and minute Bailey gives birth will win a behind-the-scenes encounter with the CMZoo giraffe herd. (Visit cmzoo.org/guess for rules and details.)

Although the giraffe care team closely monitors Bailey’s pregnancy, labor and calf, their goal is to remain as hands-off as possible. They support Bailey through environmental changes that will best support mom and baby, like getting Bailey used to having her own room at night. The birth stall is in the same barn as the rest of the herd, separated by a fence. Bailey still gets the social interaction she enjoys from the herd and has space away from others to make her labor as calm and safe as possible. She shares the birth stall with Msichana, a 20-year-old female giraffe.

“We know we’re getting really close to labor when we see certain physical changes in Bailey,” said Hahn. “We will see changes in her udders. Typically, a few days before birth, the tips of a giraffe’s udders look waxy because colostrum is building up and starting to drip.”

During the day, Bailey will continue to join the herd in the main yard. If Bailey goes into labor in the main yard, as she did last time she had a baby, keepers are confident they’ll be able to move her into the birth stall, relying on the trusting relationship they have with Bailey. Giraffe labor has been known to last up to 10 hours, and typically the calf’s front hooves are the first part to emerge.

“We know our giraffe lovers start to worry when a giraffe is in labor for a long time, but we don’t have concerns unless we see a mother really struggling,” said Hahn. “It’s different for every giraffe, just like it is for every human. Bailey’s first labor lasted nearly four hours, and we didn’t see her struggle. She did lie down momentarily, but she stood back up just as soon as we asked her to.”

Another reason it’s best for Bailey to give birth in the separate stall is because the team brings in a special substrate – or floor covering. Giraffe regulars will notice the team is using a new kind of substrate this year, which has a red tint to it.

“The substrate helps cushion the baby’s fall when it is born,” said Hahn. “Giraffe calves fall about six feet to the ground when they’re born. It can seem like a jarring way to come into the world, but it’s important because the bump to the ground severs the umbilical cord and stimulates them to breathe. The substrate also helps absorb fluid so the calf and mom have better traction, which is especially important when the little one is attempting to stand for the first time.”

Once the calf is born, it can take a few hours for it to stand on its own. It’s normal to see mothers nudging calves with their feet and noses, encouraging the calf to stand. Learning to use those long legs for the first time is no easy task – especially when you’re only a few hours old.

“We expect to see a calf tumble and stumble, but as long as they’re trying, we’re happy,” said Hahn. “It can be a hard thing to watch if you’ve never seen it before, but it’s totally normal for mom to nudge them and for the calf to take a lot of spills before finally standing up.”

After standing, it’s usually time to eat. The giraffe care team likes to see a newborn calf nursing from mom within the first several hours. They watch closely for that important first meal of colostrum, which contains antibodies that give the baby a boost. In case the baby doesn’t nurse, the team has bottles and formula on standby.

CMZoo houses a Giraffe Plasma Bank for newborn calf emergencies, so this baby would also have immediate access to that treatment. The potentially life-saving plasma has been donated voluntarily by other members of the herd, and has been proven to help struggling newborn calves in the past.

The following few days and weeks, the calf and Bailey will continue to bond moving in and out new spaces both inside and outside as well as meeting new members of the herd. Keepers will watch Bailey and the calf’s behaviors to help determine when those big adventures occur.

“Ideally, Bailey takes the lead on raising the calf and staff will only intervene if it’s medically necessary,” said Hahn. “Bailey did an amazing job with her first calf, BB, and we’re cautiously optimistic that she and her new calf will be successful together, too. Of course, we’re ready to support them as much as we can if they do need our help.”

When Bailey goes into labor, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo plans to share the birth of her calf on its social media channels. Fans can check in on Bailey in her overnight birth stall, and see the herd outside during the day, at cmzoo.org/giraffecam or on the Zoo’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/cmzoocs.

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