Degu (pronounced ‘DAY-goo’)? What in the world is a degu? Most people have never heard of these pint-sized rodents that are native to the grassy slopes of the Andes Mountains, in South America. Chinchillas and guinea pigs are close relatives of the degu. Now, along with chinchillas and guinea pigs, a degu has joined our Cheyenne Mountain Zoo family!

Meet Diego! He’s a 3-month-old common degu and the newest resident of The Loft. Part of Diego’s new role as an animal ambassador is to help educate guests to do research before bringing a new pet into your life. It’s important to learn about diets, habitats and enrichment needs of a new pet, along with any local species regulations. Several states restrict having certain species as pets. Degus are not legal as household pets in Colorado, but they are in other states. Colorado has these rules in place to help protect our beautiful ecosystems, because some species, like degus, could quickly become an invasive species that could disrupt the natural balance.

Next time you visit the Loft, be sure to look out for Diego! He is very curious and can be heard making quiet chirps as he explores his home, so listen closely as you approach him. Diego is already training to do encounters like ZOOMobile, Meet-and-Greets, and other EdVenture programs. To find out more about these programs and all the other animals that you could connect with, visit cmzoo.org/animals.

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He’s quadrupled in size, started training and is growing his first set of antlers – Our 8-month-old Alaska moose, Atka, has been with us for half a year – and what a busy six months it has been! We’re looking back at his progress and filling you in on what’s next for this quickly growing guy.

Before he even arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, his team was working to make his habitat safe for him. The moose yard was already set up for an adult moose, but Atka only weighed about 90 pounds when he first came to live in Rocky Mountain Wild in July 2020, so there was plenty of ‘baby-proofing’ to do.

CMZoo grounds and maintenance crews installed fencing with smaller openings for Atka’s safety – better suited for a moose calf. Within that exterior boundary fencing, his team created a smaller boundary that prevented access to complicated parts of the yard, like the culvert and pond. The smaller yard meant he could get used to his new home and his rapidly growing moose legs one step at a time. As he became more confident and grew in size, he gained more access to the large outdoor space.

Atka, who was unfortunately orphaned in the wild in Alaska when his mother was involved in a fatal human-wildlife conflict, was still being hand-fed three bottles per day. Over the next several months, his team introduced grain and browse, otherwise known as tree branches, and reduced the number of bottles he received until he was completely weaned. Atka, like other moose in human care, also quickly developed a taste for bananas, which made the not-so-fun transition away bottles a little more bearable. The bottles were helpful in developing initial bonds with his keepers, and bananas are a favorite treat now.

“He was hesitant about some of us at first, but also curious from day one,” said Kristen Cox, Rocky Mountain Wild keeper. “Sometimes, when we’d clean his yard, he’d come right up and put his nose under our arms and smell the tools we were using, then sniff the bags we used to clean up and stomp on them. It was really ‘helpful’ and fun to see he wanted to approach us and see what we were doing.”

At first, Atka wasn’t used to his new people, so keepers slowly worked to teach him that when they were near and touched him on the back or neck that he would be safe, and would be rewarded – usually with a bottle and later with half a banana. He needed to be comfortable with physical touch as a first step toward learning behaviors that are important to his long-term health, like voluntary hoof care, injection training, x-rays, blood draws and more.

The keepers and Atka developed a trusting relationship over time, and the young moose has become quite the scholar. He’s already learning all of the above mentioned husbandry behaviors, thanks to his keepers who worked with him at his own pace and respected any time he chose not to participate. Now, he’s comfortable with people he doesn’t see daily, too, like the CMZoo veterinary team and staff visitors who come by to visit.

At about 380 pounds (yes, he has quadrupled in size since he came to CMZoo – and could likely grow to about 1,600 pounds at his prime), Atka doesn’t get visitors inside his yard anymore, so he’s also learned to consistently approach his keepers at his training panel, right next to his barn.

As he interacts more and more with his keepers, they’re learning his quirks and demeanor.

“I think he’s coming into his own after so many changes in such a short time,” said Kelsey Walker, Rocky Mountain Wild keeper. “He’s really energetic and playful. He likes to rub his face against our knuckles and gently play-spar with us that way. He’ll also run with us if we’re walking by on the path. He’ll see us and we’ll say, ‘Hey, moose!’ and he sprints over to us and zooms around all excited.”

He also seems to share a curiosity about giraffe, like many CMZoo fans.

“One day, the giraffe keepers let us have some of their browse for him,” said Sarah Dugger, Rocky Mountain Wild keeper. “Normally when we give him browse, he just devours it. It’s his favorite, next to bananas. But this browse had been in the giraffe barn for a couple of hours, so it smelled like giraffe. He was smelling it and rubbing against it and just looked really interested in what this strange smell was. Then, he ate it.”

What’s next for young Atka? More eating and growing, of course, and his first set of antlers.

“I’m so excited to see how big he gets,” said Dugger. “We keep hearing how big Alaska moose are. How tall will he get? How much will he weigh? What will his antlers look like? It’s going to be cool to see how his behavior changes in rut, when his antlers are fully developed, too. There’s a lot to look forward to.”

Male moose grow a new set of antlers each year and shed them every winter. Each set of antlers is unique, but go through about the same annual growth cycle. During rut, when typically solitary wild male moose battle other males for territory and access to female moose, their testosterone peaks. Although Atka won’t need to battle for his territory, his hormones will still likely lead him to instinctive sparring behaviors. To fulfill this instinct, keepers will provide him with large barrels and other items to rub his antlers against (and probably spar with occasionally).

On social media, Atka fans can keep up with his antler development with a new series, #AtkaAntlerWatch, published monthly on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. His first set of antlers started to form in November, but have really taken off in the last month or so. During each photo or video update on social media, Atka’s keepers will attempt to measure his antler growth. We say ‘attempt’ because this will not be an exact measurement, as Atka recently showed us he might be more interested in trying to taste the wooden ruler than being measured by it. As of the first update, on Jan. 25, 2021, his adorable antler ‘nubbins’ are about two inches tall, and are covered in fuzzy moose calf fur.

Soon, keepers will start introducing Atka to his pond – a next step his keepers say they can’t wait to see.

“It’ll be neat to see if he swims, because moose dive to eat underwater vegetation and can actually swim,” said Cox.
“I wonder if he’s going to get the zoomies in the water!” said Dugger.

Keep up with Atka’s exciting progress on the Zoo’s social media channels and by visiting him in Rocky Mountain Wild, voted the #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice contest in 2020.

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Three pink-backed pelicans, Pluto, Penelope and Pandora, joined Water’s Edge: Africa at the beginning of October, and they’re settling in well sharing space with our flock of African penguins and guests!

Water’s Edge Keeper, Grace, tells us about the pelicans as we get up close with these big-beaked birds and say hello to the penguins. Pandora, who is with us temporarily while her new exhibit at another Associations of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facility, and Penelope start the video on the guest sidewalk and then take a dip in the lower outdoor pool. Plato shows off his impressive fish-catching skills from the inside beach.

Next time you’re at CMZoo, swing by Water’s Edge: Africa, our new home for hippos, penguins, pelicans, warthogs, lemurs, guinea pigs and guineafowl, to say hello!

It’s snack time with 4-month-old Alaska moose calf, Atka, who joined us in July. He’s grown to nearly 250 pounds and stands just under five feet tall! Our big guy is gaining about 14 pounds per week, but is still a safe size for his keepers to go into his exhibit with him. He’s eating more solid foods, like grain and browse, and has nearly completely weaned off of bottles. He has mastered the art of making ‘noodles’ out of his favorite elm browse, as you can see in the video!

Atka fans will notice his coat is changing colors and texture. His winter coat is coming in thick and has turned from its formerly reddish hue to a dark chocolate brown. He’s also sporting incredibly fuzzy ears, ready for cooler temps coming our way in the next few weeks. We get a lot of questions about when he’ll grow his first set of antlers. We should start seeing growth in the spring!

To learn more about Atka, check out his YouTube playlist

Three pink-backed pelicans joined the African penguins at Water’s Edge: Africa today! Pandora, Plato and Penelope have moved into the penguin building, where they will stay for a few days to settle in before beginning to explore the outdoor penguin areas, too.

Pink-backed pelicans have a wingspan of 7 to 9 feet, but they’re one of the smaller species of pelicans. They’re native to lakes, rivers and ponds throughout southern Africa. They are named for the pale pinkish hue on their backs that can be seen when they stretch out their wings.

The three pelicans lived with African penguins at their previous AZA-accredited zoo in Maryland, so they’re used to sharing space with them. Keepers say the penguins have been giving the pelicans space this afternoon and have responded well to their presence.

Pandora, a 4-year-old female, will live at CMZoo temporarily while her new exhibit and breeding partner prepare for her arrival at another AZA-accredited zoo. 4-year-old male, Plato, and 4-year-old female, Penelope, will live here for the foreseeable future as companions to each other and our penguin flock.

Their keepers say the three large birds are really curious and have been exploring the exhibit. Just like our flock of 17 African penguins, once the pelicans feel comfortable, they will have the opportunity to share sidewalks with guests on Boulder Beach, at Water’s Edge.

Next time you’re at the Zoo, swing by and say hello to our new pelican ambassadors.


As kids head back to school with so many changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our partner, Children’s Hospital Colorado, has provided a guide to helping prepare children and their parents for what’s to come with this blog.

Likewise, one of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s youngest residents is preparing for big changes ahead. Atka, a 3-month-old male Alaska moose who moved to Rocky Mountain Wild after being orphaned in Alaska, is working on training, learning to navigate new areas of the moose yard, and saying goodbye to bottles.

As animals adapt to changes like these, keepers look for ways to help them feel confident and calm, partly by making sure animals have access to things they like. Atka, for example, loves browse, otherwise known as tree branches. He likes to eat browse, investigate it and watch guests from behind it. He also likes shade and his mister to keep cool and comfortable. His keepers continually make changes to his yard that improve his confidence outside of the barn. They’re also developing trusting relationships with the little moose.

Each of Atka’s keepers has bonded with Atka over various special interactions when they first recognized he would hold a place in their hearts forever. For Rogers, it was a moment of innocent mischief.

“I went in to do some cleaning one day and he came over and was playing with a grain bag that I was trying to use as a trash bag,” said Courtney Rogers, lead keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “He was kicking it and overall adorably getting in my way while I was trying to get the job done. It was really endearing. He likes to play hard to get. If you’re in the yard with him, but focused on something else, he’ll usually come over and see what you’re up to and maybe nudge you for some attention. He prefers being the one to initiate interactions. That’s good because that means he’s confident and independent.”

His impressive growth could be contributing to that confidence. Atka has been gaining about two pounds per day. He now weighs more than 170 pounds, having gained 80 pounds since he arrived mid-July. Obviously, he’s eating well, and as he grows his diet will need to change.

Atka currently gets two bottles a day, down from three per day when he arrived. At around this age, moose calves in the wild would be weaning off of their mothers’ milk, so Atka is on the right track. He also eats a lot of browse, grain and two bananas per day. Still, the little guy loves that bottle, so his keepers are being proactive in building his trust in them and his interest in other motivators that will help him achieve the training that will help his keepers care for him throughout his life.

“He’s learning to eat his grain, but is much more open to it if we include a mushed banana,” said Rogers. “Lots of people ask why he gets bananas, since they’re definitely not a part of a wild moose’s diet. Bananas are an old moose keeper secret. Tahoma loved bananas, too. The Alaska Zoo keepers who cared for Atka before us knew about it, and we learned about it from other keepers. It’s one of those weird things that someone somewhere tried once and hit the jackpot. They do contain sugar, so he gets them in moderation and as a special treat when we need to motivate him to do something.”

Motivating him to train, try new foods and explore new spaces safely are banana-worthy endeavors, but building a trusting relationship with his keepers is the biggest priority.

“We’re teaching him that he can control his outcomes and get rewards by behaving in certain ways,” said Rogers. “He learned to stand on his scale from an early age, so we know how intelligent he is. We have started cueing him to allow us to touch his leg. It seems simple, but it’s a first step in letting him voluntarily participate in his health care. We will say ‘touch’ to him and then touch his leg. I show him it benefits him to allow us to do that by reinforcing his positive behavior with a piece of banana. Someday soon he’ll be too big for us to go into the yard with him, so we need him to learn these behaviors while he’s young. Especially as he weans off the bottle, we need him to know there are other benefits of interacting with us.”


Right now, Atka can roam around a fenced area within the moose yard. He has access to trees, enrichment, shade and his mister. This smaller grassy part of the expansive moose yard doesn’t include potentially difficult obstacles, like the deep pool or rocky culvert. But soon, he’ll have a lot more space to explore.

“We’re taking it one step at a time,” said Rogers. “His outside space will be bigger, covering about half of the yard. We try to think of all the ways an animal could get into ‘trouble’ in a new space and address them. We’ll be watching closely when we take him on his first field trips into the larger yard, in case there are any spots we may have missed.”

In the wild, calves would learn to navigate from their mothers. Atka has the tools to navigate safely, but he doesn’t have the experience. A mother moose would instinctively pick the safest paths to navigate terrain and her calf would learn by watching her.

“Since he’s so independent, we’re not sure if he’ll follow our lead,” said Rogers. “The yard has some obstacles we want to make sure he knows how to navigate safely, but we trust he’ll figure it out quickly by depending on his natural moose instincts.”

Just like Tahoma, this little moose doesn’t seem to be phased by much, so keepers are optimistic about his future explorations.

“I’ve been impressed that he is pretty brave with new things,” said Rogers. “We got a new shade sail to give him some more shade in the yard and we laid it on the ground to figure out how to hang it. Some animals would be really hesitant about something like that, but he came right up to it and kept walking on it and through it. He was very helpful while we tried to install it.”

We’ll share updates as keepers continue helping Atka acclimate to his yard and new training opportunities, as he grows. Guests can visit Atka in the moose yard in Rocky Mountain Wild.

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Koda, our nearly 4-month-old mountain lion kitten who came to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in June after being found alone on a logging road in Washington, will soon start introductions with one-year-old mountain lions Adira and Sitka. For now, Koda is still too small to safely explore the outdoor mountain lion spaces, so he has access to three indoor dens each night and all four indoor dens during the day, when Adira and Sitka are outside.

With chain link fencing between them for safety, the three mountain lions have constant protected access to each other. Known as ‘howdies,’ this initial phase in introducing animals gives them opportunities to see, smell and hear each other, or to choose to walk away. Keepers have been observing the cats’ reactions to each other, and say that little Koda had an immediate affinity for Adira.

“Koda was very aware that Adira is female,” said Courtney Rogers, Rocky Mountain Wild lead keeper. “When we first started howdies, he immediately ran up to the fence and would call to her. She would call back and go over to him. As she should as the senior in the situation, she puts him in his place when he gets too rowdy by giving him a calm little growl or a quick swat at the fence. Koda responds submissively, which is a good indication they’re ready for a full introduction.”

Sitka, the older male, is interested in Koda, but prefers to watch him from a distance and have the choice to interact or not. At first, Koda’s sudden movements startled Sitka, which made him feel like he needed to protect himself. Recently, keepers have seen Sitka and Koda making progress, too.

“Now Sitka will sleep through Koda’s kitten antics, which is a sign that he’s getting more comfortable around him,” said Rogers. “Sitka will demonstrate that he’s not a threat through his body language and Koda mirrors that, which is great. Adira and Sitka share the same space during howdies, with Koda his in own space. Adira and the kitten are getting along so great that her presence helps Sitka feel calmer around Koda. Some mornings, we come in to find Sitka and Koda cuddled up right next to each other on either side of the fence.”

Based on them sharing the most positive interactions, Koda will meet Adira first. Introducing felines is always delicate, so the team will monitor the cats throughout introductions and follow the animals’ leads. The keepers have determined a list of prerequisite skills that all of the mountain lions need to know before introductions. These behaviors will allow keepers to intervene if necessary and hopefully avoid any potentially harmful interactions. Because Adira and Koda’s introductions will be separate from Sitka, the keepers also need to help Adira and Sitka feel comfortable being separated from each other.

The introduction between Adira and Koda will likely take place in the off-exhibit den, since Koda is too small for the outdoor yards. That means Adira needs to feel confident in the dens without Sitka.

“We’ve been working on variations of Sitka and Adira sharing space and being separate,” said Rogers. “We make sure we give them something to occupy their time when they’re separated, like ice treats or paper to shred. After a couple of hours, we’ll give them a little meatball and then reunite them. They’re happy to be reunited, but aren’t showing signs of stress being separated.”

Koda has also been getting used to the sights and sounds of guests walking by from inside the den. Keen-eyed guests might have spotted the little guy inside the den during the day when he can come right up to the mesh gate that leads into the den.

“It’s been a good opportunity to make him more aware of his environment and let him choose to be there, which he does from time to time,” said Rogers. “Sometimes if you stand near the gate just before you enter the mountain lion cave, you can hear him playing rambunctiously inside and very seldom you can see him. He’s watching usually from a couple of dens back.”

The spotted kitten weighs only about 14 pounds now. He needs to grow quite a bit more before guests will see him outside. But, his keepers are sure that once guests meet him, they will fall in love with him, too.

“He’s ridiculous in the most adorable way,” said Rogers. “He gets the zoomies a lot. He gets these wild eyes and holds his head back and his pupils get really big. He’ll see you coming, hide behind a log and out of nowhere just leap out and run top speed to jump up and tackle a toy near you. The other day he stood like a meerkat for like 45 seconds. He’s outgoing, vocal and full of energy. We can’t wait to share him with everyone.”

Once Koda is big enough to explore the outdoor yards, we will share that information so guests can come and see him in Rocky Mountain Wild.

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Biko (BEE-koh), a 17-year-old male Nile hippopotamus who joined us at the end of June, is quickly winning over the hearts of humans and hippos alike. In just a couple of months, he has learned to navigate his new home, met CMZoo’s hippos sisters, Zambezi and Kasai, warmed up to his keepers, and started engaging with guests.

“He was initially pretty cautious around people, because Water’s Edge: Africa was designed to bring guests and animals as close as safely possible, and that was somewhat new for him,” said Al Carrier, keeper at Water’s Edge: Africa. “We’ve been taking our time and making sure he’s comfortable. We make sure he knows he can choose to walk away at any time and that he’s going to get rewards for interacting with people. He’s progressed really quickly, and he’s been coming up to guests in our demo areas and opening his mouth, which is always impressive. He loves to be sprayed in his mouth with a hose. That’s fun because we can get guests involved, too. We’re so proud of him. He’s doing great.”

Biko came to CMZoo on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Nile Hippopotamus Species Survival Plan. His genetics are compatible with 27-year-old Zambezi and 20-year-old Kasai, who are sisters. The Water’s Edge animal care team has started introductions, and things are going really well for Biko and Zambezi so far. Right now, they only spend time together when they’re supervised.

“He’s very curious about the girls,” said Carrier. “He’s a perfect gentleman and takes his time walking up to them during introductions. We have seen on our overnight surveillance footage that when they’re separated, he prefers to sleep right up against the fence next to them, and it’s usually Zambezi on the other side.”

Animal introductions, especially with large and potentially territorial animals like hippos, require patience and a lot of observation. The team started the process as most animal introductions start at CMZoo: with a ‘howdy,’ which is an opportunity for the hippos to see, smell and hear each other through a protective fence. Howdies allow keepers and our animal behaviorists to observe the hippos’ responses to each other so they can gauge if and when the animals are ready to take the next step. They also give the hippos time to get used to each other before being in the same space.

Once keepers saw that Biko and the girls were interested and calm during howdies, they moved on to introductions, when the hippos share a space. If the hippos start showing behaviors that they’re uncomfortable, keepers can separate them for their safety.

“We chose Zambezi for Biko’s first introduction, because we saw calm and interested behaviors during howdies, and when Zambezi had the choice to sleep next to Biko or Kasai when they were separated overnight, she would consistently choose Biko, and he did the same,” said Carrier. “The first couple of intros were uneventful, which is good. We start most of their intros outside with one hippo in one yard and one in the other and then we open the gate between them. So we don’t surprise them, we always communicate that the gate is going to open and make sure they can see that the gate is opening and there’s another hippo on the other side. They would usually just look up at the gate and then go back to grazing on the grass. Eating is a great sign they’re relaxed and comfortable and calm.”

The team has been doing most introductions in the morning, for about an hour at a time. Carrier says that ideally you would want one hippo to show dominance and the other would be submissive in response.

“He’s just so great,” she said. “When Zambezi wants to boldly enter the yard, he’s respectful of that and backs down to let her know he sees her and respects her presence.”

Because the sisters were separated for some of their vacation away from CMZoo, while Water’s Edge: Africa was being built, the team is also working on reintroducing the sisters to each other.

“We’ve seen that Zambezi and Kasai still get a little territorial with each other, so we’re taking more time with those introductions,” said Carrier. “The exhibit has plenty of space for each hippo to have its own space. Biko and Zambezi don’t always interact during introductions, but are aware of each other. Sometimes, though, they’ll touch noses calmly, which is really cute. We’re super excited.”

Kasai and Biko don’t yet have the positive relationship that Biko and Zambezi share, and Kasai often shows she’d rather not share her space with Biko or Zambezi. For now, the team plans to continue focusing on fostering the relationship between Zambezi and Biko, and working up to helping Kasai feel comfortable sharing space if she shows them she’s interested.

“We’re not rushing anything and always follow the animals’ leads, so they know they’re in control and can be comfortable with these changes, which are a big adjustment for them” said Carrier. “We’re hopeful that once Biko and Zambezi can consistently spend time together that we can introduce Kasai to both of them at the same time, but that could change too. Kasai can be a big personality, so if Zambezi and Biko are good friends, they may be able to gain her respect as a team.”

Biko is also working on his relationships with his animal care team.

“We were lucky enough to get a really cool video of all of his trained behaviors from his previous keeper team, so we’ve been practicing those things so he’s not only fluent in them, but he’s also getting comfortable with us,” said Carrier. “He opens his mouth, backs up and rests his chin on the bars. He knows a ‘steady’ cue, too. When we put a hand on his nose, he will stand totally still, which allows us to give his body condition a good check. He’s an enthusiastic explorer, as most hippos are, so he’ll get scrapes and scratches here and there, and that lets us keep an eye on all of those little wounds. It’s great for a new animal to trust us like that.”

Biko’s team is learning what motivates him to train, so they can expand on his current skillset.

“He loves grain so much,” said Carrier. “The other day he had a mouth full of apples and I showed him his grain, and he spit all of those apples out to eat his grain instead. It was really funny. We normally use produce for training encouragement, but he prefers the grain. Zambezi likes hay and Kasai likes produce, so they’re all different.”

Biko gets about eight pounds of grain per day and half a bale (about 40 pounds) of hay. He also gets produce, including apples, oranges, carrots, melons, and – his favorites – cabbage and lettuce. Out in the yard, he grazes on as much fresh grass as he wants.

Biko is getting more comfortable in his brand-new space, with his new team of adoring keepers.

“He’s getting bolder every day,” said Carrier. “He’s naturally cautious and likes to investigate a space before settling down. The first thing he does is check the perimeter of any space he’s moving into. He likes to mark his territory. It’s a natural behavior of male hippos to spread their feces, which seems pretty gross, but it’s actually quite impressive the way he can reach every corner of a stall we’ve just cleaned top to bottom. He really likes the single stall with the deep pool, which was where he quarantined for a short time when he first joined us. We recently saw him playing with a ball in there, which we loved to see because it means he’s comfortable enough to let his guard down and have a little fun.”

Guests hoping to spot Biko should look for the more slender hippo with pinkish skin on his belly and front of his neck. Kasai is the largest hippo and has pink spots on her feet. Zambezi’s skin is darker and doesn’t have any pink spots.

“There’s something really special about Biko,” said Carrier. “His tusks hang out of his mouth, which is just adorable. He has really long legs for a hippo. He can reach plants and driftwood in the exhibit that we didn’t think he could reach. His head is huge and with those long legs, his body is pretty narrow, so he can reach those beautiful plants our horticulture team worked so hard on to make this exhibit so beautiful.”

Only 30 of the 233 organizations accredited by the AZA in North America house hippos. The last male hippo who lived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was Tony, who passed away in 1989. Although our female hippos first came to CMZoo decades ago, this is the first attempt to breed hippos at the Zoo in more than 30 years.

Guests can visit Biko, Zambezi and Kasai at Water’s Edge, which opened to the public in June and is now home to three hippos, 16 African penguins, two common warthogs, three ring-tailed lemurs, six Eastern crested guineafowl and roughly 30 guinea pigs.

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Who’s ready for an update on our little moose?! The nearly 9-week-old male calf, who has not yet been named, is settling in and stealing hearts in Rocky Mountain Wild! Animal Care Manager, Rebecca, is in the moose yard with him to talk about how he’s been doing since he arrived last Wednesday morning. (To watch video updates of his journey from Alaska to #CMZoo, see his video playlist.

On your next visit, look out for him in the moose yard, but keep in mind that he is a baby and takes naps in his barn sometimes. This little guy is growing quickly (he already weighs 115 pounds!), meeting new friends, working on training, trying new foods and exploring his new home, which requires a lot of energy. He has access to his barn and his yard, so make sure you leave time during your visit to swing by twice if you don’t see him the first time around.

The biggest question about our little guy has been, “What is his name?” As of today, you can bid on the chance to name him in our virtual Zoo Ball online auction. Check out cmzoo.org/zooball for more information and to check out other CMZoo experiences, art and more. You can also make a donation to the Zoo, which we really appreciate after being closed for three months due to COVID-19.

Thanks for following along as we welcomed him home last week! We’ll keep you posted on this long-legged love’s progress.


Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is excitedly making preparations for the newest resident of Rocky Mountain Wild — an 8-week-old male Alaska moose, due to arrive this Wednesday. The big-eyed, light brown, long-legged calf was orphaned at about six days old outside of Anchorage, Alaska, when his mother was involved in a fatal human-wildlife conflict. He has since been in the care of Alaska Zoo. Moose are extremely rare in zoos, and this arrival comes only two months after the loss of the Zoo’s beloved 12-year-old Canada moose, Tahoma.

“People have seen an increase in activity in the moose yard, over the past several days, as we prep it for the calf’s arrival,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal care manager. “Our guests have been really curious about the updates we’re making in the moose yard, so we’re excited to share this announcement. While we’ve been in the yard, ‘babyproofing,’ we’ve had some wonderful interactions with guests sharing condolences and stories of how Tahoma touched them. It’s clear that Tahoma’s legacy is in place. He touched a lot of hearts, young and old. This little guy has some big hooves to fill, but from what we hear from his keepers at Alaska Zoo, he’s up to the task.”

Two CMZoo staff members are on their way to Alaska Zoo to meet the little calf and transport him home. Starting Tuesday, July 14, CMZoo will share updates of the team’s travels as they make their way home to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Moose fans everywhere can witness the young moose’s journey home on Tuesday and Wednesday via Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

“We knew we wanted to continue Tahoma’s incredible legacy with another moose, but we didn’t know it would happen this quickly,” said Courtney Rogers, lead animal keeper in Rocky Mountain Wild. “It’s a bittersweet situation, because of course, we wish this young calf could have continued living in the wild. But, since that was not possible, we’re grateful we’ll be able to care for him here. Since Tahoma passed, Rocky Mountain Wild has definitely been missing some ‘moose magic,’ and we’re so excited to help this little boy grow up.”

This young calf wouldn’t have been able to survive in the wild without his mother, but did benefit from having his first few days of his mother’s milk. He is still being bottle-fed, which will continue until he’s about three months old. As soon as he arrives at CMZoo, the calf will move into the moose yard in Rocky Mountain Wild, where staff have been doing some serious ‘babyproofing’ in preparation for his arrival.

“Tahoma weighed over 1,000 pounds and this little guy only weighs about 90 pounds, so there are several parts of the exhibit that could have been unsafe for him if we didn’t make changes,” said Rogers. “We hear from his Alaska Zoo keepers that he gets the ‘zoomies’ a lot, and he’s so small that he will likely be able to squeeze through or under some of the moose exhibit fencing, so we’ve been getting the exhibit ready for this young, inexperienced and excitable calf. We can’t wait to meet him.”

The exhibit features a deep pool and a relatively steep culvert, which the keepers will need to help the young moose learn to navigate. To keep him safe, a smaller temporary enclosure will be set up in the moose exhibit. Keepers will supervise calf ‘field trips’ into the main exhibit, to teach him the ropes and evaluate his comfort, before he graduates to full-time access to the entire exhibit. To help him adjust to the warmer weather in Colorado, they’re also preparing sand and soil beds that can be kept damp to keep him cool. The baby will also have fans in his barn, where he’ll sleep for protection while he’s still so small.

“We’re super excited, but also kind of feel like new parents,” said Zwicker. “When Tahoma came to us, he was about 10 months old, so this is the first time we’ve had such a young moose. We’re trying to be as prepared as possible. We have spoken with his keepers in Alaska and gotten great advice from other animal professionals who have cared for moose this young. But, we’ve also just accepted that this is going to be kind of a wild ride. He’s going to find some things to get into, and he may catch us off guard from time to time, but we’re also looking forward to watching him being a mischievous youngster. We have to channel our inner mama moose skills, and show him how to live his best life as an ambassador at CMZoo.”

CMZoo is one of only eight Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institutions in the United States to house moose. Because moose are so rare in human care, CMZoo pioneered moose care practices through their work with Tahoma, like formulating nutritious moose diets and training for voluntary blood tests, hoof care and more.

“Tahoma truly was one-of-a-kind,” said Rogers. “Moose keepers visiting from other zoos remarked at how calm and laid-back he was. It’s going to be fun getting to know a new moose personality! For those who only knew Tahoma in his senior years, it can be difficult to remember that he was once a young moose running around the exhibit, trying to knock over trees and sparring with his enrichment. We fully expect this youngster to keep us on our toes with his antics.”

Going from caring for a 12-year-old moose with age-related issues to caring for a baby who’s learning how to be a moose is going to be quite a change of pace for the Rocky Mountain Wild keepers.

“With Tahoma, we spent a lot of time preparing and administering medications and medical treatments to keep him comfortable in his elder years,” said Rogers. “Instead of preparing ‘med sandwiches,’ now we’ll be preparing bottles. Just like we did for Tahoma, we’ll be monitoring this young calf’s food intake, his weight and his activity to make sure he’s getting everything he needs from us. We also may need to babysit or walk with him around the exhibit, which we are pretty excited about.”

The male moose has not yet been named. He will move into Rocky Mountain Wild’s moose exhibit when he arrives, and guests should be able to see him in the yard right away.

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 truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2019, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #6 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #5 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. Of the 233 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.

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