Teenagers interested in learning more about nature have a brand-new opportunity at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. A 3-evening course, called Teen Naturalist Training, is tailored to nature-enthused teenagers – and its very first session is on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
EdVenture program kids with workshop fun activity
“Each evening, we’ll connect with the wild world through different educational experiences indoors and outdoors,” said Austin Kennedy, Extended Education Supervisor. “We’ll make wind chimes, press flowers, make clay imprints while we explore, discuss topics, and learn all along the way.”

During each 3-hour class, teens will learn about the natural world and gain a deeper understanding of Colorado’s wildlife and wild places, which could help future naturalists or nature hobbyists see if any of these specific topics spark a passion or interest in them.

The three-session training program will take a deeper dive into five topics:

  1. Nature Mentoring and Understanding the Role of a Naturalist
  2. Leave No Trace Methodology
  3. Colorado Plants
  4. Colorado Mammals
  5. Colorado Birds

Attendees can sign up for one, two or all three sessions, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Oct. 11, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25, 2023. The classes are intentionally kept on the smaller side, with around 16 spots available each night. Longtime members of CMZoo’s Teen Program will attend the course as peer mentors to new attendees, so teens can learn from and relate experiences to each other, too.
Teens on a naturalist project with Cheyenne Mountain Zoo program
“If you’ve ever thought to yourself, ‘I’d really like to learn more about rocks, or birds, native wildlife, and how they work together.’ and you’re a teenager, then this is a great place to start digging deeper,” said Kennedy. “We’re excited to offer this uniquely focused training to teenagers in our community so they can see if these topics might lead to a calling as a naturalist.”

Kennedy and the CMZoo EdVenture team plan to add more opportunities for naturalist training for teens and adults. More information will be available at cmzoo.org/outdoorschool in the coming weeks.

The deadline to register for Teen Naturalist Training is Wed., Oct. 4. For more information and to register for one, two or all three sessions in the series, visit https://www.cmzoo.org/series/teen-naturalist-training-series-1-oct-11-18-25/.

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Ring-tailed lemur half-brothers, Elo and Maky, are preparing for a big adventure! They’ll soon join a bachelor group of nine ring-tailed lemurs at Brevard Zoo – an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in Melbourne, Florida.
Ring-tailed lemur, Maky, playing in their island area of Water's Edge: Africa at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Ring-tailed lemurs are endangered, and wild populations are decreasing, according to the International Union for the Conservancy of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This move is in support of the Ring-Tailed Lemur Species Survival Plan (SSP), which manages assurance populations in human care to make breeding recommendations and achieve the highest possible genetic diversity among animals cared for by AZA-accredited organizations that support SSPs, like CMZoo. Rogue and Allagash, the two moms on Lemur Island, have both been recommended to breed again with Hercules.

“This is bittersweet, because of course we will miss Maky and Elo, but it’s an exciting opportunity to bring more of this endangered species into the world,” said Erin Henninger, animal keeper in Water’s Edge: Africa. “That’s why we exist as an organization – to save species and to inspire people to protect wildlife and wild places. Ring-tailed lemur babies are really good at inspiring people. It’s also an opportunity for their sister, Anja, who will hopefully be a mom someday, to observe her mom and aunt giving birth and raising young. She will likely help raise her future little brothers and sisters.”

In preparation for this move, the lemurs’ care team prioritized crate training. The goal is to make the lemurs comfortable entering, exiting and spending time in their travel crates, since they’ll be wide awake for their flight. The boys have mastered crate training, and even know how to close the crate door behind them.
Ring-tailed lemurs playing in their island area of Water's Edge: Africa at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
They have also learned a number of foundational voluntary behaviors, like shifting (moving to a location when asked), targeting (moving to a specific location and touching a target stick, so keepers can get a closer look at them), and injection training.

“We’ll work with their future keepers to relay their training knowledge, individual preferences – like favorite training treats – and behavior histories, so we can all best support them as they settle in,” said Henninger. “Both boys are really smart and eager to train, and they have good social skills, so we’re looking forward to seeing them embrace this next chapter in their development as young adults.”

Guests who want to visit Maky and Elo before their departure should plan a trip to the Zoo before mid-October. Stay tuned for more updates on Allagash, Anja, Rogue and Hercules by following CMZoo’s social channels!

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A snow leopard’s tail is an incredibly useful tool. About as long as their bodies, their tails act as a counterbalance, so they can make hairpin turns at lightning speed in the wild. When they’re pursuing prey in their native Himalayan Mountains, their tails act like an automatic rudder on a speed boat, instinctively correcting their course as they maneuver left, right, high and low with unbelievable speed and precision.
Snow leopard Bhutan with enrichment ball
In between hunting excursions, their tails are super-fluffy heat sources that they wrap around their bodies – notably their noses and paws – to help keep them warm in their harsh native high alpine habitats.

Although Bhutan [boo-TAWN], 15-year-old male snow leopard at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, isn’t traversing snowy mountains in search of dwindling food sources, or battling blizzards for a good night’s rest, his tail is still vital to his well-being.

“Especially for an older cat, he’s an agile climber and leaper,” said Jessi DiCola, Asian Highlands keeper. “His tail weighs about 10 pounds, so it’s fluffy, but it’s also really muscular. I think his tail has a lot to do with how well he can balance and interact with enrichment.”

It might be hard to tell from the fierce-and-bouncy disposition of 75-pound Bhutan, known as “Boots” by his keepers, but he has reached a distinguished age for a big cat. The median life expectancy of snow leopards in human care, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is 15.

As if Bhutan’s tail wasn’t already impressive enough, it recently helped his care team discover an age-related issue: kidney disease. Unfortunately, it’s quite common in older big cats (and domestic cats, too).

Because Bhutan was previously trained to participate in annual voluntary blood draws from his tail, his keepers and CMZoo’s veterinary team are hopeful they caught his kidney disease early in its progression.

How do you draw blood from a fully awake snow leopard? By asking him to let you hold his tail, of course.

To safely access his tail and to ensure Bhutan knows he is in control of his choices, Bhutan’s care team asks him to come into a special mesh training tunnel for blood draw sessions. The tunnel remains open, so Bhutan can walk away if he decides he’s finished with that training session.

One keeper sits at the very end of the tunnel, where Bhutan knows to position his rear end near the mesh between him and his keeper. As he’s facing forwards, another keeper sits on the other side of the mesh to his left, so she can communicate to Bhutan and reward Bhutan as the training progresses. The two keepers focus intently on Bhutan’s behavior, which is how he communicates his level of comfort throughout training.

Once Bhutan’s giant fluffy tail is in the right spot in the tunnel, his keeper opens a sliding port at the bottom of the mesh that allows him to safely swing his tail out to his keeper’s hands. (You can see Abuto doing a similar training in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddEcGMCZFDA).

“Boots is a total pro at blood draws,” said DiCola. “We’re watching for subtle signs, like a lip curl or tail flick, that tell us he’s close to getting uncomfortable. If we see that, we’ll pause immediately – before he gets uncomfortable – and wait until he shows us he’s ready again, or we’ll stop and try again later. The more we practice, the more comfortable all of us are.”

Bhutan’s kidney levels are elevated, but they’re not extreme at this point. There’s no cure for this kidney disease, unfortunately, so Bhutan’s team must focus on stopping it from getting worse for as long as they can. What they’ve learned from caring for Lomela and Abuto, African lions, is that managing blood pressure is key to slowing the progression of kidney disease.

“We know kidney disease is common in aging cats, and we have successfully monitored and addressed the same issues in our aging African lions for many years now,” said Dr. Eric Klaphake, head veterinarian at CMZoo. “We have been able to give Abuto and Lomela a good quality of life for longer than we might have thought. We hope that what we’ve learned from caring for them will also benefit Bhutan.”

Kidneys are the body’s filtration system. Blood moves through kidneys to be cleaned, and if blood pressure is high, it damages the kidneys as it moves through. Imagine how a trickle of water feels against your skin versus water coming from a high-pressure hose.

Because Bhutan was already well-versed in blood draw training with his tail, blood pressure training – also using the vein in his tail – was a breeze for the spotted scholar. Keepers followed a lot of the same steps to get him in the right position in the training tunnel, with his tail at the port, but Bhutan had to get used to a new sensation: a tail squeeze.

To do that, keepers placed a piece of cloth on the ground and positions Bhutan’s tail on top of it. Once he shows them he’s comfortable, they wrap the piece of cloth around his tail and pause to monitor his level of comfort. If he’s ready to continue, they pull the material more tightly around his tail to resemble the sensation of the blood pressure cuff.

“He has only been working on the blood pressure cuff training for a couple of weeks and he’s already ready for the real thing,” said DiCola. “We’re excited to start getting the real readings, so we have an even better idea of his overall health and what we can do to support him in his golden years.”

For now, Bhutan isn’t on any medications. His care team will increase the frequency of his blood draws to track how his kidney levels might be changing. If his blood pressure is high, his team will address potential changes to his diet or medications to help address it.

CMZoo will provide updates on Bhutan on the Zoo’s social media channels. Next time you’re in Asian Highlands, stop by and wish “Boots” well!

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Alex, CMZoo’s 5-year-old common warthog, is one busy piggie. He’s great at training, enjoys wallowing in mud, melts into a nap when scratched, and sometimes goes on walkabouts with his keepers. Alex is even learning how to share space with hippos, Zambezi and Omo!

When Alex is outside, you can usually find him in the yard between Water’s Edge: Africa and Primate World. If you’re lucky, you might catch Alex on an afternoon walkabout in Hippo Plaza or hanging out with Zambezi and Omo in the main hippo yard, best seen from the rope bridge. These moments with Alex are not scheduled, so feel free to ask our staff about Alex during your Zoo visit.

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Celebrate our ‘flockstars’ on International African Penguin Awareness Day (IAPAD), on Sat., Oct. 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Zoo!

Penguin enthusiasts will gather in Water’s Edge: Africa for crafts, games, and other activities available throughout the day – including keeper demonstrations during penguin feeding times, at 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. There’s no cost to attend IAPAD events, but advance daytime admission tickets are required and can be purchased at cmzoo.org.

Each visit to CMZoo is conservation in action. Wild African penguin populations face many threats and continue to struggle in the wild. But, penguin protection organizations are making great strides to save this endangered species, including our partnership with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).

SANCCOB rescues and rehabilitates adult penguins, conducts important research and educates the public about African penguins and their ecosystem. Thanks to our members’ and guests’ support, CMZoo has been a longtime supporter of SANCCOB, having donated more than $130,000 to African penguin conservation since 2010.

In 2020, we also joined the African Penguins SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) conservation effort, which is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Under this additional conservation commitment, the Zoo sends $3,000 annually to SANCCOB in support of their Robben Island Ranger. This ranger closely monitors the Robben Island penguin colony in South Africa, helping researchers keep track of the penguin population. The ranger also plays an important role in the direct care of penguins, and other seabirds, by identifying population crises and transporting birds in need of medical attention to the SANCCOB rescue and rehab facility for treatment and eventual re-release.

Learn more about our history of African penguin conservation, thanks to guests’ and members’ support, here: https://www.cmzoo.org/conservation/african-penguin-conservation/.

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If Aaron Lippy and Kaitlyn Tullberg, two Teen Program participants at CMZoo, are any indication of the next generation of conservationists – rest assured, the planet is in good hands. The two enthusiastic high school students recently returned from a six-day off-the-grid CMZoo Teen Program adventure in Glacier National Park.

Tullberg and Lippy were in a group of 9 teens led by Austin Kennedy, CMZoo Teen Program supervisor, and other Zoo staff. Their wild adventure was full of brand-new experiences like camping, hiking, and making lasting connections with each other and the wildlife and wild places they explored.

CMZoo’s Teen Program focuses on spending time exploring nature, learning about animals, and understanding other cultures. The program is known for its hands-on educational experiences at the Zoo and in nature, with exploration trips available for Teen Program participants year-round. These summer trips take place annually, and they connect teens to local, national, and international wildlife and wild places. Each destination, adventure, and educational opportunity is intentional, and supports the program’s overall goal to inspire future leaders in conservation and animal care.

“We want to get them immersed into a really wild and protected area to see what can happen when people come together to protect the wild world, and national parks are a great example of that,” said Kennedy. “Giving teenagers, especially, these opportunities to get off their phones and into the natural world is important, and it’s really rewarding to watch their inspiration and excitement grow over the week we spend together.”

The group had an action-packed itinerary. They hiked daily and explored special places, like the National Bison Range, where they saw a black bear, a bald eagle, a lot of bison and the iconic Flathead Lake.

“We learned so much on this trip; it’s kind of insane, actually,” said Tullberg. “We learned about the seven signs of leave no trace, like taking only pictures and leaving only footprints. We learned about endangered species and how we can help protect them by taking action to keep the land wild. I think the overarching theme is being stewards of our environment in all of the ways possible – whether we do that by staying on trails and picking up trash or educating and inspiring others, just like this trip educated and inspired us.”

Some of the teens’ favorite memories were picking wild huckleberries, taking a night swim in the lake, and interacting with the ecosystem through workshops that took place in exciting locations – like in the middle of a stream. But, just sitting around the campfire and bonding over shared experiences was a big part of the adventure, too.

“At this stage in my life and with the careers that I want to have, it’s necessary for me to get out of my shell and camp in the woods, basically,” said Lippy. “I thought this trip would be the perfect opportunity and it really was. We connected with the land and with each other, and it helped me feel more confident relating to other people.”

At the end of each day, the group had their meal together and talked about what they’d learned, or how they interpreted the day and the impact it made. They also bonded as teenagers who are growing up in a world with a lot of distractions.

“To just sit around a fire and just ‘be in the world’ brings out the best parts of people, and these kids don’t get a lot of those opportunities,” said Kennedy. “Who you truly are starts to come out when you’re in the wilderness. I was so proud of this group’s focus on taking intentional time to be still and to figure out who you are at the core without distractions and devices. They’ll always have these special experiences with one another.”

They also studied survival skills, wildlife ecology and more at the Glacier Institute outside of Columbia Falls, Montana. The Glacier Institute is an outdoor education organization that focuses on getting people outdoors and connecting them to the wild world of Glacier National Park. The Glacier Institute is the official education partner for Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest.

If you know a teen who could be interested in connecting with like-minded teens through programs at the Zoo and in the field, check out requirements and opportunities at cmzoo.org/teenprograms.

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3-year-old Alaska moose, Atka, has been busy growing an impressive set of antlers, exploring his yard and mastering navigation since he recovered from toe surgery earlier this year. Check in with the ‘prince of Rocky Mountain Wild’ and stop by to see his ever-changing antlers next time you’re at the Zoo.

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– IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO –
Step up to the hoof block with Wednesday, our 10-month-old reticulated giraffe. As students around Colorado head back to school from summer break, our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado have provided some excellent tips for helping kids settle into the routine.

At CMZoo, keeper teams help animals succeed as students, too! 10 months old may seem young to start studying, but Wednesday’s team wasted no time helping her learn foundational husbandry behaviors that will allow her to voluntarily participate in her own healthcare for the rest of her life.

Way to go, Wednesday!

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Mahali, a 20-year-old male giraffe at CMZoo, is showing signs of reduced mobility and range of motion. While his care team supports him with pain medications and a sand-mix stall to rest comfortably on each night, veterinary and animal care teams have made the decision to move into a mindset of providing hospice care for him. This is a difficult decision for his team.

“He’s still having more good days than bad days, and although we know how quickly that could change, we’re focused on giving him every possible bonus day he can comfortably have,” said Jason Bredahl, animal care manager in African Rift Valley at CMZoo. “That also means we have decided not to provide extreme medical intervention going forward.”

Mahali has benefitted from his medical team going to great lengths for him in the past. For many years, he voluntarily participated in training for hoof care, blood draws and even applying orthopedic shoes to his hooves. In 2017 and 2020, Mahali went under anesthesia to receive simultaneous multiple treatments for his reoccurring foot and leg issues. Those risky, meticulously planned procedures successfully helped him heal and return to a good quality of life.

“Without his most recent treatment, in 2020, we might not have had these last three years with him,” said Bredahl. ” Mahali is doing well, considering his individual challenges, but we know he won’t be here forever and his time may come sooner than later. Right now, we’re committed to making him comfortable, and providing opportunities to be as active as possible and social with his herd.”

Mahali takes oral anti-inflammation and pain medications – in yummy rye cracker-and-honey ‘sandwiches.’ His team tracks quality-of-life data markers that they discuss regularly to ensure Mahali is still able to do things that fulfill him as a giraffe and as an individual. The team tracks Mahali’s specific activities daily and overnight, so they can adjust medications or activity levels for him as needed.

“We want to see Mahali finding areas to stand and rest more comfortably, interacting with the herd, walking, eating, sleeping, lying down and getting up safely,” said Bredahl. “On days we see he’s a little stiffer, we might encourage him to stay in the barn on a nice soft sand-mix stall, and he may agree that it’s a rest day or he may decide to go outside. He still participates and moves to spaces when we ask him, but he’s still making choices in his care.”

Mahali’s care team says he’s still making them laugh with his antics, too. He may have slowed down as he has aged, but they still see a twinkle in his eye and respect his position in the herd.

“When he was younger, he was a very physical giraffe,” said Brehahl. “He was tactile in those days, and he would push other giraffe out of the way to position himself front-and-center with his care team. He’d pull on our shirts with his lips to get our attention, and to interact with us and get snacks. These days, he seems more content in his own space.”

Mahali’s keepers say he has become more discerning in his golden years, and he only accepts certain food items as training rewards. If they offer lettuce as an incentive, he spits it out with a seemingly intentional aim for the keeper who offered it to him. Then he huffs at them until they reset for a behavior that will earn him his favorite: rye crackers. They have to save the crackers for the big training asks, like curling his hoof on the hoof block so they can visually check his feet, but Mahali doesn’t miss an opportunity to remind them he’d rather not waste his time on lettuce.

“You’ve got to admire the guy – he knows his worth,” said Bredahl. “He’s a big giraffe and a big presence in the herd, and we’re grateful for every day we will have with him.”

Mahali is one of five giraffe in CMZoo’s herd over the age of 20 – four years and more over the median life expectancy. Nearly one-third of the herd is considered aging. Females Muziki (25), Amani (24), Twiga (23) and Lakeisha (23) are the eldest members of the herd, and all receive various levels of care for age-related issues, depending on their individual needs.

The median life expectancy for a giraffe, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is 16 years. Until recent data, which combines the median life expectancy for males and females, the AZA median life expectancy for a male giraffe was 14.7 years.

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CMZOO OFFERS TWO MORE DATES FOR FURRY FAMILY MEMBER IN AUGUST
Dog visiting river otter exhibit with their owner during dog days a the Zoo.
The dog days of summer will soon be over, but Dog Days at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are back! Thanks to two successful test days in May and June, CMZoo is welcoming guests and their well-behaved dogs to explore the Zoo again, during two special afternoon and evening Dog Day events in August.

These two additional Dog Days, on Mon., Aug. 14 and Tues., Aug. 29, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., will help the Zoo continue to perfect the best way to give furry family members an opportunity to visit the Zoo that also works best for our animals and families who are visiting without dogs. At Dog Days in May and June, CMZoo staff closely monitored Zoo animal behaviors, guest accountability and visiting dogs’ responses. Overall, it was enjoyed by guests, their dogs and Zoo animals. During Dog Day planning, the team accepted that there would be challenges, as there typically are during the development of any new program or event, but Dog Days went even better than we could have hoped.

“We can support healthy animal behaviors by providing a changing environment with diverse enrichment opportunities,” said Rick Hester, curator of animal behavior at CMZoo. “When we do this well, we observe animals behaving in varied ways to achieve different goals, including some of the behaviors and outcomes that appear to be most important to their species in the wild environment.”
Dog visiting Mexican wolf exhibit with their owner during dog days a the Zoo.
Service dogs are always welcome at the Zoo, so seeing a dog was not an entirely new experience for animals that live at the Zoo. But, service dogs behave differently than a family pet, and they visit in much smaller numbers.

Most Zoo animals did not behave any differently than they do on a normal day. Others were excited for a short time, and then returned to their normal behaviors. Some animals, like ring-tailed lemurs and meerkats, noticeably strengthened their bonds as a group.

“Meerkats are well known for their sentinel antipredator behaviors, observed in the wild and in human care,” said Hester. “During both Dog Days, we observed the meerkats working together, presumably with the goal to remove dogs from their view. The meerkats would huddle together and approach a dog, which is called ‘mobbing.’ All the dogs would eventually move away as their group would walk on and the meerkats, having accomplished their goal, would resume other activities like foraging for food. From the perspective of the meerkats, they were successful!”
Dog visiting African lion exhibit with their owner during dog days a the Zoo.
African lions and mountain lions were active, seeking opportunities to stalk and even pounce at the guest dogs. Giraffe were more interested in their daily guest lettuce feeding. Rocky Mountain goats perched high in their rocky cliffs to observe. Kwisha, a Western lowland gorilla, watched the dogs intently and calmly, as did African penguins from their indoor underwater viewing pool. By the afternoon, most of the Zoo animals were back to their normal activities.

“We’re continuing to monitor the behavior of our animals closely to better understand how Dog Days impact their behavior,” said Hester. “Our observations so far suggest that Dog Days, at some frequency, could play a role in meeting our enrichment goals for many species and individuals at the Zoo.”

The team is hoping to provide fun visits for our guests and maintain a level of novelty with the experience for Zoo animals. With that balance in mind, the Zoo added only two more Dog Day dates to the calendar, for now. On Mon., Aug. 14 and Tues., Aug. 29, the Zoo will stay open late for Dog Days until 6:30 p.m. A limited number of Dog Day tickets will be available for purchase at 3:30, 4, 4:30 and 5 p.m. on both days.

Zoo buildings, attractions and amenities will be open until 6:30 p.m., and Zoo animals will be out and about, just as they are during normal daytime visits, with a few exceptions for safety. Every person and every dog coming to the Zoo must have an advance timed e-ticket, available now at cmzoo.org. Dogs must have a designated dog ticket to enter the Zoo. Human tickets will not be honored for dog admission. Guests who would prefer to visit the Zoo without the company of canines are welcome to visit during the day, before dogs’ first allowed timed entry at 3:30 p.m.

Giving guests amazing experiences and providing excellent animal welfare are CMZoo’s top priorities, so it has been especially rewarding to see this new offering hit both of those marks at the same time.

For more information, visit cmzoo.org/DogDays.

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