The Waterhole Archives - Page 5 of 34

CMZOO OFFERS TWO MORE DATES FOR FURRY FAMILY MEMBER IN AUGUST

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.”

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!”

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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With each passing day, the development of our black-footed ferret kits seems to be on fast-forward, as they eagerly explore their surroundings and pick up new skills. Black-footed ferret (BFF) kits are about the size of a pinky finger when they are born. They experience major milestones, such as growing their baby teeth, eating meat, and opening their eyes, in their first 60 days of life.

Since 1991, we have successfully bred 605 BFF kits in our behind-the-scenes conservation center. We have partnered with other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center and other organizations to breed, release, and monitor black-footed ferrets to increase their wild population.

Native to prairies stretching from Mexico to Canada, BFFs were thought to be extinct in the 1980s. During Western frontier explorations in the early 1900s, cargo ships from Europe and Asia inadvertently brought sylvatic plague to North America. The spread of the plague bacteria by fleas among prairie dogs (and other animals), combined with poisoning and eradication programs led by newly settled farmers and ranchers who saw prairie dogs as pests, drastically reduced the prairie dog population. Because prairie dogs are their main food source, BFF populations declined dramatically along with them.

On Sept. 26, 1981, a ranch dog named Shep caught a BFF. Shep’s catch led to the discovery of a small population of the elusive animals in Meeteetse, Wyoming. Since then, zoos, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center and other organizations have banded together to breed, prepare, release and monitor BFFs to increase the population.

Because they or their offspring could be released to the wild, every effort is made to keep the black-footed ferrets as wild as possible. So, they are not visible to CMZoo guests. Guests can see a BFF, named Rouge, in The Loft! Every CMZoo guest helps support this important program because 75 cents from every visit goes to Quarters for Conservation, which helps fund BFF conservation and other important efforts around the world.

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Nine-month-old prehensile-tailed porcupine, Mocha, recently made her home in My Big Backyard and is turning heads with her captivating snoot and unique tail. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are native to the forests of Central and South America, making their homes high up in the treetops. True to their name, prehensile-tailed porcupines have a prehensile tail, which means they can grasp tree branches and hang solely by their muscular tail.

Mocha was given her name by her keepers because of her mocha-colored quills and to promote sustainable coffee. Using sustainable coffee helps protect the native habitat of the prehensile-tailed porcupine.

Mocha is still young, but she has already developed a sweet disposition and gently takes food from her keepers during training sessions. She is curious, smart, eager and already excels in husbandry behaviors such as target training, crate training and scale training. Mocha also lets her keepers touch her, which is foundational as they develop a trusting relationship and expand her training to include regular health checks in the future.

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There’s a new face in Scutes Family Gallery! Aysan (ICE-on) is an 8-year-old female Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth who came to CMZoo to join 31-year-old male Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, Bosco, on a breeding recommendation.

Aysan and Bosco have settled in nicely together, and have even been seen touching noses and calmly interacting. Aysan’s keepers are working on building a trusting relationship with her and making the tree-filled atrium a comfortable new home for her.

Guests can see Aysan right away. Often, Bosco is on the right side of the atrium and Aysan is on the left side. To tell the sloths apart, look at their nails. Bosco prefers his nails to be longer than Aysan.

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Last month, volunteers and conservation experts gathered in Wyoming’s Laramie Basin to release hundreds of critically endangered Wyoming toads to their wild native habitat. 200 of the toads were raised at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, including 10 little toads that CMZoo fans and guests named and followed online as they prepared for their big job: helping restore their species, which was once considered extinct in the wild.

Jeff Baughman, field conservation coordinator at CMZoo, has led the effort for the Zoo’s contribution to this multi-organization effort since 2008, along with partners from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and others. The year-round effort to breed, raise and release the toads culminates each year in June, as he helps the toads – and thousands of tadpoles – make their debut in four designated reintroduction sites.

For many years, 1-year-old toads and tadpoles have been released each summer. This year, for the first time, 2-year-old toads were also released. This summer, CMZoo released 200 adult toads, bringing to total ever released to 1,425. The Zoo has released 46,651 tadpoles (yes, they count every single tadpole!), and 215 metamorphs and young toads over the years.

Baughman’s goal is for toads to breed and survive in the wild. The hope has been for the 1-year-old toads to overwinter and breed the next year. The 2-year-olds released this year could potentially reproduce this summer, so even if they don’t make it through the year, their offspring could.

“We have seen wild egg strands during surveys and releases, which is always so exciting,” said Baughman. “Maybe next year we’ll see even more egg strands, or we’ll see 1-year-old toads that hatched in the wild this summer. We’re going to continue testing ways to help more toads survive from year to year.”

Some of the toads are microchipped, so that any toads found in the wild can be scanned to see where they were born. Ten of those microchipped toads have names – pretty unusual for an endangered animal intended for wild release, but CMZoo social media fans chose a name theme for the ten tiny toadlets born last summer. Jim, Pam, Dwight, Michael, Phyllis, Oscar, Kevin, Angela, Kelly, and Stanley are now playing the most important roles of their lives, supporting their ecosystem or maybe, hopefully, bringing a new generation of toads to the Laramie Basin.

Each year on the day of the release, the team from CMZoo meets in the early morning hours to load the toads, already safely stored in tubs of cool and misty moss, from the conservation center into a van. That van will also transport CMZoo keepers, volunteers, board members and supporters on a nearly 4-hour drive to the meetup spot at a local fairground parking lot.

That’s where teams coordinate, learn how to safely handle the delicate toads, and pick up their waterproof boots before splitting up to see the toads off into the wild. After another drive, way off the main highway, and traipsing through knee-high waters, thick mud and mosquito breeding grounds, the teams arrive at the edge of a beautiful, crystal clear pond that’s brimming with life.

Pelicans, dragonflies, blackbirds, chorus frogs and more make their summer home in the basin, surrounded by the Medicine Bow and Laramie Mountains in the distance. In between steps – painstakingly placed to protect the well camouflaged toads hopping through the tall, wet grasses – the team stops to remember that wild places like this are well worth early mornings, boots full of pond water, mosquito bites and Denver traffic. Not to mention the daily dedication CMZoo’s conservation team and their partners have for the effort year-round.

“Being out in the Laramie Basin to release toads every year, and getting to bring volunteers who haven’t been before, really cements my passion for this ongoing effort,” said Baughman. “This is the only place in the world Wyoming toads live, and it’s up to us to help them recover. I always try to take a moment to reflect on the year we spent preparing these toads for release. It gets me excited for the year ahead.”

In addition to the toads released each year, CMZoo makes a second summer trip to the basin to release tadpoles to the wild. The toads and tadpoles are vital to the health of the ecosystem, serving as insect control, food sources for other creatures, and indicators of the health of their homes.

“I used to hear people asking why we put so much effort into saving a toad,” said Baughman. “Amphibians are facing the biggest mass extinction since the dinosaurs, and we’re their biggest hope. Without amphibians, insect populations would become out of control, and birds and other animals would lack an important food source.”

Pesticides, drought and a deadly amphibian fungus are the leading causes for the worldwide decline in amphibians. Chytrid fungus causes a skin infection that prevents amphibians from absorbing water and breathing through their skin, a process called cutaneous respiration. This often leads to organ failure and death.

For a long time, the approach has been to look for ways to address the fungus. Water adventurers can prevent the spread by disinfecting fishing gear, kayaks and other equipment used in water. But now, Chytrid is present in most wild waters, so Baughman and fellow scientists are looking for ways to help the toads become resilient to the fungus, or even adapt to it. That means intentionally exposing them to it.

“We think the tadpoles that hatch in Chytrid-infested waters might be more resilient to it than those born in Chytrid-free environments,” said Baughman. “Of course, introducing Chytrid to our breed-and-release facilities would pose a huge risk, because of the potential for it to wipe out entire populations. So, we need more wild-born toads to test the theory for us. In the meantime, we’ll continue building the numbers in the best way we know at this point, which is in breed-and-release facilities like ours, while we continue to test new methods.”

None of this work is possible without the support of CMZoo guests. Through CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, 75¢ of every admission is dedicated to frontline conservation efforts like this, so guests can enjoy a day on the mountain with their favorite animals and support important programs dedicated to saving wildlife and wild places. Since 2008, when Q4C started, CMZoo’s guests and members have contributed more than $4 million to conservation projects worldwide.

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Bean, our 4-year-old Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, isn’t just a caramel-colored, upside-down smiling face. She’s an avid explorer and an A+ student with an enviable nap schedule. While sloths are only active for about 4 to 6 hours every day, Bean makes the most of her waking hours. She is very smart and eager to train with her keepers, often offering a behavior before keepers ask.

Trained behaviors like target training and ‘hang out,’ a cue that asks Bean to hang from her back legs and stretch down, are important for daily exercise, mental stimulus, routine health checks, and building trust with keepers. Because she picks up on things quickly, the sky is the limit for Bean’s training in the future.

When Bean isn’t in training mode, she is actively exploring her indoor and outdoor spaces, using ropes or the rafters. Bean is very curious and creative; you may notice some pink and blue spots on Bean’s fur from recent paintings she participated in for enrichment.

While sloths are adorable and look perfectly snuggle-able, the best way to love them is to observe them from a distance or up-close with respect for their personal space, under the supervision of professional keepers. You can find Bean taking a nap under her heat lamp, exploring The Loft’s highest perches, snoozing in her hammock, hanging out under her tree or training with her keepers.

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The first signs of a longtime vision to move the main road within the Zoo are starting to take shape at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The second week in July 2023, crews will bring in the heavy equipment to begin excavating the far edge of the play hill yard to make way for a brand-new road.

“We’re really excited to see this extensively planned project start to come to life,” said Dave Ruhl, vice president of operations at CMZoo. “Other than moving the carousel – which we know many of our guests and members will miss until it reopens later this year – this initial phase of construction should not impact our guests.”

For now, guests might see some extra fencing and construction going on near the center of the Zoo, but guest pathways and animal exhibits will not be impacted during this first phase, which is expected to last until fall or winter 2023. The play hill and eateries will also remain open. Looking for Carousel Sweets, the red trolley formerly next to the carousel? That amenity moved to the walkway above Australia Walkabout a couple of months ago.

“We’re working really hard to balance giving everyone an awesome summer experience at the Zoo while we get started on these needed improvements,” said Ruhl. “Growing pains are real, and we appreciate everyone’s support and enthusiasm as we take this on together.”

The historic carousel will be disassembled at the beginning of July. Guests and members who want to use all of their frequent rider punch cards should do so by July 4, 2023. After that, teams will move the carousel to its safe storage for the summer. Guests should be back in the saddle by winter 2023-2024.

“If you’ve ever managed a construction or remodeling project, you know that there are a lot of constantly changing factors,” said Ruhl. “We’re staying flexible and will make adjustments to the plan as needed. Our goal is to do this safely, quickly and with the lowest possible impact to our guests and animals.”

The new road within the Zoo, which will largely serve Zoo staff and Shrine visitors, will eventually replace a large portion of the main road adjacent to the giraffe yard. Currently, guests and vehicles share that road from African Rift Valley to Australia Walkabout. For now, the main road will continue to be used without guest interruptions while the new road is created.

The new main road will one day span from the guest parking lot below the Zoo, on the existing road behind Water’s Edge: Africa and Primate World, next to the Cozy Goat and along the far edge of the play hill yard, to meet up with the current main road. The main road below the elephant bull statue is set to become additional animal space.

These improvements are part of a huge undertaking to elevate our guests’ experiences at the Zoo. It’s in part funded by the ELEVATE Capital Campaign to update the Zoo’s admissions plaza, better manage traffic within the Zoo, and expand animal areas. Stay tuned to CMZoo’s social media channels for updates.

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Elo and Anja, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s vivacious ring-tailed lemur twins, turn two years old on Tues., July 11! They may be the youngest residents on Lemur Island, but they have leadership in their lineage, thanks to their respect-commanding mother, Allagash, and the fascinating hierarchy of lemurs.

“Allagash is kind of the queen of Lemur Island,” said Courtney Rogers, senior keeper in Water’s Edge: Africa. “So, it’s not too far-fetched to say her kids would be the prince and princess. Female lemurs typically sit at the top of the hierarchy in lemur groups. Allagash and her sister Rogue have always outranked Hercules, their male mate and the twins’ father. Now that the island youngsters are getting bigger, it’s pretty clear that Anja is embracing her role as second-in-command.”

When it’s dinner time, Allagash eats first and allows only her kids to sit close enough to join her for the first-round snacks. Anja will help her mom chase the others away if they feel like they aren’t getting the best possible food options, best places to sunbathe, most interesting enrichment items or enough space to themselves. Of course, keepers make sure there’s plenty to go around to the whole group. Elo, Anja’s male twin, and their half-brother Maky, seem to mirror their dad, Hercules’ personality, and go with the flow. Rogue is more laid back than Allagash, which works for their group dynamic.

“Our group has its hierarchy well established, and they are so sweet with each other,” said Rogers. “All six of them will pile into the same hammock and wrap their tails around each other to snooze peacefully, or sit in a big line to groom each other, which is a sign of a tightly bonded group. The half-siblings, Elo, Anja and Maky, love to chase, leap and wrestle around together.”

Anja, who is the smallest lemur in the group, has a lot of heart. She is usually right at Hercules’ side when he calls the family together with a contact “howl”, and is often the first to add her vocal talent to his. Ring-tailed lemurs use over two dozen unique vocalizations, so Anja and Elo have been practicing their calls to communicate with family members. They are both very observant and have a great vantage point from high in the treetops, so they’ll let everyone know if they see anything that might be out of the ordinary. Maky, Allagash, Rogue, and Hercules come to investigate and join in, and practicing a synchronized family chorus helps their bond grow even stronger. Then, it’s back to napping, snacking and playing.

“They love turning our ideas for enrichment into even-better activities,” said Rogers. “We got them a knotted rope hammock recently and Elo, Anja, and Maky had such a great time jumping in and out that it started looking more like a vertical mesh ladder than a hammock. They quickly invented a new game, and we watched them leap to the top of the newly-imagined ladder and somersault back down over and over again. It’s always a fun surprise to see how the lemurs are going to interact with their surroundings. They have so much energy and they’re great innovators!”

The high-energy, high-climbing, beautifully bonded family will surely keep all party goers in good spirits as the whole Water’s Edge: Africa family celebrates the twins.

Mark your calendars for 10 a.m. to noon on Tues., July 11, and get advance e-tickets to join in the festivities. The birthday party will be at the hippo pool in Water’s Edge: Africa, where our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado, will bring a very special pair of 2-year-old twins who will celebrate their own birthday!

Join us for these fun activities from 10 a.m. until noon!
— Visit our docent booth with animal biofacts to learn more about the natural world.
— Make the twins a birthday card!
— Visit Children’s Colorado’s photo booth – complete with lemur-themed photo props!
— Visit Children’s Colorado’s coloring station.
11 a.m. — Enjoy a lemur keeper talk outside Lemur Island.
11:30 a.m. — Watch special guests from Children’s Colorado give a birthday treat to our lemurs.
11:45 a.m. — Sing “Happy Birthday” to the lemurs and our special guests, who are also twins!

While all birthday party activities are included in daytime admission, advance Zoo tickets are required. You can get your tickets at cmzoo.org.

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Give these two new residents your warmest welcome and step into the Quiet Zone at the beaver pond! The beaver pond by The Lodge at Moose Lake is home to two brand-new furry and adorable friends! One-year-old American beavers, Squash and Hashbrown, recently moved in with our 15-year-old beaver, Acorn. While they are still settling in and adjusting to life at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, they are quickly becoming more confident, and have made fast friends with Acorn, who is showing them the ropes. While their keepers have high hopes for their future endeavors as ambassadors, trust is being established between the new beavers and the keeper team.

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Our 6-week-old Amur leopard cubs are doing great behind the scenes! Join Asian Highlands Lead Keeper, Basia, for an update on the two cubs’ following mom, getting more mobile, and communicating by making the cutest cub calls you’ve ever heard! Once they show keepers they’re mobile and comfortable enough to explore outside where guests can see them, we will share that update on our social media channels.

Anya is an attentive mother, showing patience and leadership to her offspring. Her team has been working to support Anya and bring healthy cubs to the world for years, and Anya’s two previous litters were stillborn. Those experiences were difficult, and they serve as important reminders of just how delicate the breeding and rearing process can be. Anya and her care team have shown perseverance through their commitment to contributing to the Amur Leopard Species Survival Plan because Amur leopards are the rarest big cats on the planet, with only around 100 individuals left in the wild. We appreciate your support, which allows us to continue this important work to save species.

The cubs have not been named yet, and two incredible donors who made generous contributions to the Zoo will get the honor! We will share the cubs’ names as soon as we have them. Because the cubs and Anya are doing so well, we have not needed to intervene, so we have not confirmed the cubs’ sexes or weights.

Keep up with the cubs and see previous updates at cmzoo.org/cubs.

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