A Tribute to Ezzie

On behalf of the education, animal and vet staff, we wanted to let friends of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo know that our North American porcupine, Esmeralda, passed away Monday morning. Early results show her complications may have come from a rupture in her intestine that lead to infection. She was approximately 9 years old.

Ezzie came to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2001 from a zoo in upstate New York. Always referred to as the “dancing porcupine” among guests, she was always destined to be a star. The last few years were spent engaging and inspiring copious amounts of people throughout the community in our outreach programs, Boo at the Zoo Shows and several TV appearances.

A Tribute to Ezzie by Kellie McGregor, Outreach Coordinator and Ezzie's good friend.

One thing I will always remember about Ezzie is the sound that came from an audience when she emerged from her crate to walk up the ramp and climb her stump. It was a sound of utter awe. One child would gleefully say, “It’s a porcupine!” while others would look on, quietly murmuring their amazement. Then when each child would have their chance to approach the cart and tentatively run their hand down Ezzie’s back, you knew that they would remember it for the rest of their life. They had TOUCHED a porcupine! It was always like that. It didn’t matter where we were, Ezzie captured the hearts of everyone she came in contact with.

When I look back on my time with Ezzie, it was a challenging and wondrous experience. Initially, training with her was a puzzle, but once we realized what worked for her, she was a stump climbing star! She taught me so much about animal training and I will cherish every moment I had with her. I loved going into her enclosure to bring her coconut and enrichment. Often when I would enter, she would be sleeping in her special porcupine spot high up in her exhibit. When she realized I was there, she would often come down to see me, “mmm”ing all the way. Sometimes in the winter, it took more coaxing, like a little sniff of the coconut or roses I had brought, but she often came down to see me. Other times, when it was cold, I would climb up to see her. She would eat her favorite coconut or rose treat and let me rub her nose. She had such a sweetness about her. She always enjoyed interactions with her keepers and trainers.

There are hundreds of stories that I could tell about how Ezzie touched my life and others; hundreds of moments that I can recall that made her so special to the Zoo and the community. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with her and share her with guests at our programs. The outreach program will not be the same without her. She was the most amazing creature and we will all miss her!

Please remember Ezzie fondly and enjoy this slideshow of her important work as animal ambassador at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: