Happy Birthday, Boudreaux!

Boudreaux, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s komodo dragon, turns 10 years old today! He was born on Jan. 17, 2003 and arrived at our Zoo in September 2011.

“All you need to know about Boudreaux is he is one cool guy,” said April Hyatt, Aquatics Zoo Keeper. “He enjoys when keepers are in his exhibit and when he gets attention.”

Hyatt also reports that Boudreaux is a very active komodo dragon for his size and age. “When komodo dragons are young, they are arboreal, meaning they spend a great deal of time in trees. When they are older, they are more terrestrial, or ground dwelling. Boudreaux weighs 92 pounds, but he still enjoys climbing the trees in his exhibit, which is unique for his size.”

Guests can frequently watch Boudreaux swimming, walking around in the sand and enjoying enrichment. His favorite enrichment items include boxes, small pieces of animal hide and anything that he can dig under.

Boudreaux is a great ambassador for komodo dragons. Guests are fascinated by him, which gives keepers an avenue to educate about the species.

Found only in Indonesia, komodos can grow up to 10 feet long and 300 pounds, classifying them as the heaviest lizards on Earth. There are 3,000 to 5,000 komodo dragons in the wild. Poaching, human encroachment and natural disasters have driven them to an endangered species status.

To learn more about komodo dragons and to wish Boudreaux “Happy 10^th Birthday,” stop by the Aquatics building at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. 

Why isn't anyone hibernating at the Zoo?

During our first animal science class we were taught that bears hibernate. So, it’s only natural that our Rocky Mountain Wild grizzly bear keepers keep getting asked, “Why are Digger and Emmett still awake?”

It’s a great question!

The purpose of hibernation is for an animal to conserve energy when food sources are limited, thus it is associated with winter months. Before going into hibernation, grizzly bears go through a period called hyperphagia, meaning they eat in excess. Some bears will gain up to 400 pounds in preparation for hibernation – Digger and Emmitt naturally gain between 100-150 pounds in the fall. After the first substantial snowstorm of the season, wild grizzlies will enter their dens and remain in hibernation until late winter or early spring, when food sources become more abundant. They’ll occasionally have periods of time in the winter when they will wake up, move around and even go outside. This type of hibernation is sometimes referred to as false hibernation. 

Grizzly bears that have a consistent food source in the winter, like Emmett and Digger, do not have to hibernate at all. Keepers report that they are hardwired to go through seasonal behavior changes, though. Right now, our grizzly boys are experiencing a phenomenon called “torpor.”

Torpor is a period of time when bears have lower body temperatures and lower metabolism. They are sleepier and have less of an appetite. In the summer, Digger and Emmitt eat 20-25 pounds of food everyday. Right now, they are eating 10 pounds of food daily. While they normally love eating meat, fish, romaine, celery, carrots and bear chow, keepers report that they will leave portions of food and naturally start to lose weight during the winter months.

Our grizzlies are a little more sluggish these days, but they still are fun to watch.

“Sometimes in the morning they want a few more hours of sleep,” said Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild Keeper. “But, even in the winter, the problem is trying to get them to go back  into their den at night.”

Zwicker reports that another fun “gearing-up-for-winter” behavior to watch is Digger stepping up his den digging in the yard. “It’s always in a new place, and I think he feels like it’s never quite done. This year, it’s under a log near the trout pond. Every night he has to dig to just the right point before he’ll come into their building.”

During snow storms, it’s fun to watch our grizzly bears play in the powder. The unique experience often makes them hyper-active – the exact opposite of hibernating.

A Resolution to Reuse

“I resolve to teach my child to reuse!” Make 2013 the year your family learns to find creative ways to repurpose recyclables for some creative projects. It’s a fun resolution that will help make a difference for our planet. Using “trash” for creating projects is inexpensive, fun and educational. Get your thinking caps on, take a look around and start designing your next conservation project.

Need a little inspiration? We have a few simple ideas to get you started.

Project one: Postcards

Use your child’s favorite empty cereal box for postcards!

You will need:
- 1 empty cereal box (or more)
- Markers

- Postage

Directions:
1. Take the empty box and cut it into 4”x6” pieces.

2. Divide the card in half with a marker. Write the delivery address on the right side. Let your child fill the left side with a fun note or picture for their grandparents, a relative or friend.

3. Put on a stamp, and drop their postcard in the mail!

4. Finally, place any leftover box pieces in the recycle bin and voila, you’ve taught your child how to reuse (and recycle).

Project two: Binoculars from Toilet Paper Rolls

Turn those toilet paper rolls or paper towel tubes into binoculars. This project uses minimal craft supplies, and if you’re resourceful, you won't have to buy anything.

You will need:  

- 2 toilet paper rolls or a long paper towel tube, cut in half, for each pair of binoculars
- Other reusable items to decorate their binoculars:

* Fabric - like old blue jeans
* Newsprint or other recycled paper

* Old buttons

* Crayons or paint
- Glue or use 2 twist ties to join the tubes
- String, shoelace or leftover ribbon for a neck cord (optional)

Directions:
1. Start by letting your child decorate their two tubes anyway they want!

2. Help your child secure their tubes together. This can be done in one of two ways. The first would be to simply glue the two tubes together. Use clothespins or binder clips at the edges to hold together while the glue dries. The second is to secure the tubes together with twist ties. Poke two holes in each recycled tube, about a ½ inch from the edge, on both ends of the rolls. Join the two tubes, using the twist ties, by lining up the four holes and twisting the ties inside the tube. Tuck any leftover ends out of the way.

3. If you want to include a neck cord, recommended only for older kids, poke one hole in each tube on the outside edge of the binoculars about ½ inch from the edge. Slip a string, shoelace or ribbon through the outer two holes for the neck cord. Make sure it's long enough for kids to take the binoculars on and off easily.

4. Take your children on a nature walk and have them tell you what they spot with their new binoculars!

Project 3: Imagination Diorama!

Take any recyclables you have and give them to your children to create a nature scene. They might cut out a milk carton for a tree, use old newspapers to create a mountain scene or make egg carton animals. You never know what they will come up with using the items you give them for materials – let their imagination be their guide for their new art creation.

Teaching children to reduce, recycle and REUSE is important for protecting the future of our environment. Make it your New Year’s resolution to spend time teaching your family about ways to repurpose old to create new; your plan makes a difference!