Bye Bye Boo

By Sean Anglum,
Public Relations & Special Events Manger

The ghosts have howled, the ghouls have moaned, the carousel has faded its twinkle and the candy has all been handed out. Another year of Boo at the Zoo, our safe Halloween party, has gone by. There are so many people to thank for another successful year, where to begin? So that we don’t miss anyone in catching a kudo from us, allow us to send a big thank you to all involved. And you DO know who you are!


Winners of the Spooky Treat Station Contest, Lockheed Martin

This blog attempts to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at Zoo operations. I’m challenged to describe the behind-the-scenes craziness before we open the gates for Boo. We only have a few hours each evening to set everything up and get ready for our Boo guests. The challenge of placing over 100 sponsors, volunteers, performers and Zoo staff in their places; setting up over 20 Spooky Treat Stations; delivering decorations and lots of candy to all of the stations and making sure all the little tweaks get tweaked for the event each night is daunting. Some might say mind-bending. But it’s worth every gray hair it grows on us when we see the little ghouls and goblins in their costumes, having a great time at Boo at the Zoo. The things you don’t see behind-the-scenes are all of our smiles.

There are only 50 weeks to go ‘til the next Boo, let’s all start planning now. BOO!


Volunteers from the local Star Wars Squadron pose with Thor, Mascot for the Colorado Springs Thunder, our Haunted House sponsor

Palm Oil Crisis – You can help!

Next time you reach for a snack, check the ingredients list. Is your favorite treat made with palm oil? Demand for palm oil is high because it provides a cheap alternative to trans-fat in our favorite candies and snacks. In addition to being used in the food industry, palm oil is also used in many cosmetics and bath products.

But did you know? Palm oil plantations are spreading into orangutans’ natural rainforest habitats, destroying their food sources and pushing them toward the brink of extinction. To find out more, view a recent Fox 21 News story about the Palm Oil Crisis and what Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is doing to help.

We at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo believe in the power of individuals to affect change. To find out how you can make a difference, visit the palm oil section of our WEBSITE.
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Blog Keeper Notes:
*If you were one of the first five commenters on our last post, please send your address to: blogkeeper@cmzoo.org to receive your free sky ride admission pass!

*Thank you for all of your votes on our recent poll! Turns out 43% of you chose “safe trick-or-treating” as your favorite part of Boo at the Zoo!

Be sure to vote in our new poll "How do you plan to take action in the palm oil crisis?" found on the side bar.

Cool Ride, Cool Science

Photo Credit: Claude Burke, Zoo Member

Looking for something COOL to do this weekend? On Friday and Saturday October 24 and 25, COOL SCIENCE and their fantastic demos will be stationed at the top of Mountaineer Sky Ride during Boo at the Zoo from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.



A traveling Science show, COOL SCIENCE gets people engaged in exciting hands-on activities and workshops designed to provide intimidation-free opportunities to explore the joy of science and engineering. You won’t want to miss their special treat at the top of Mountaineer Sky Ride. It will be frightfully fun!

Now you can buy a Boo at the Zoo ticket that includes a ride on the Mountaineer Sky Ride!

Combo Ticket Prices (includes entrance to Boo at the Zoo and Mountaineer Sky Ride)
$12 – Member price
$18 – Non-member price

The first five people to comment on this post will receive one free admission to the Mountaineer Sky Ride!

Log vs Lucky

By Jason Bredahl, Elephant/Animal Care Manager


Kimba eating bark

We put a new log in the elephant yard the other day to give Lucky and Kimba a giant back scratcher (they like to throw dirt, hay and mud on themselves).

We provide many different kinds of skin care opportunities for our elephants: The “do it yourself” options come from fresh topsoil, hay, and mud wallows that we give them. They have large rocks and upright logs in their exhibit to scratch on. Additionally we dry scrub, hose them, and wet scrub them with a shampoo multiple times every week.

Kimba playing with the new scratching post

The new log was hopefully going to give them another possible scratching opportunity. We let them out together after we installed it and both were very interested in eating the bark. After about half an hour we brought Kimba in the building (to give her a bath) and Lucky was left outside alone with the new toy.

She knocked it down in less than a minute. She pushed on it with her head and snapped the upright at the ground. The log was pine wood, 7 feet in the ground and 20 inches in diameter. Lucky weighs 8,000 pounds. Logs vs. Lucky = Lucky wins.

We’ll go back to the drawing board and come up with a new method.

Behind the Scenes at Boo

Ever wondered what it takes to plan an event like Boo at the Zoo?

Just ask the folks from MITRE Corporation who worked tirelessly last week to create our Haunted House. From building plastic walls to hanging lights and decorating, these dedicated volunteers fashioned an attraction you can’t miss!

Volunteers from MITRE

And that’s just the beginning. Staff and volunteers also carved over 50 pumpkins for the lighted pumpkin path, added string upon string of spooky lights, set up fun carnival games and decorated many safe trick-or-treating stations for the kiddos to enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who dedicated so many hours to making this event a huge success! Visit the Haunted House and other attractions during Boo at the Zoo hours:

October 17-19 and October 24 – 26, 5:30 – 8:00 pm

It will be frightfully fun!

Inti Making Friends

Inti

Inti & Sophi

Not long ago, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo sent Inti, a black howler monkey, to Utah's Hogle Zoo. Keepers there report he has become a staff favorite! Both resident girls, Jackie and Sophie, responded well to Inti! It's always great to get good news on former Cheyenne Mountain Zoo animal residents.

Welcome!

Welcome to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s new blog! From amazing animal stories to a “behind the scenes” look at daily Zoo life, now we have a way to share the Zoo on a more personal level and give you a glimpse of our world.

All of our posts will be written by Zoo staff and volunteers from every department across the Zoo. From Keepers to Curators -Horticulturists to Vet Staff, you’ll get the inside scoop right here!

Thank you for visiting and check back often for your very own personal peek into the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.