Check out our NEW Palm Oil Crisis Blog

Check out our NEW Palm Oil Crisis Blog! Become a follower today to track our team who is currently in Indonesia! Read journal posts, stories, and updates, and see some of their amazing pictures and videos!

ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be observing Endangered Species Day on Friday, May 21, 2010 with some special presentations at select animal exhibits and habitats. They will lead up to the observance by highlighting different animal conservation programs each day of the week. These conservation programs are all included in the Zoo’s “Quarters for Conservation” initiative that Zoo guests support with 25 cent votes each time they visit. Most presentations run from 11 am to 2 pm, but it is suggested that guests get schedules at the Zoo front gate when they arrive.

The schedule for presentations during the week is:

Tues., May 18
Wild African Vultures
Wild Orangutans and Their Forest
Habitat / Palm Oil Education


Wed., May 19
Snow Leopards
Panama Amphibian Rescue Project


Thurs., May 20
Wild Amur Leopards
Wyoming Toads
Bat Conservation
Asiatic Bears
Mexican Grey Wolves


Fri., May 21
South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds
Black-footed Ferrets


Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people young and old to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions that people can take to help protect our nation’s disappearing wildlife and last remaining open space.

Protecting America’s wildlife and plants today is a legacy we leave to our children and grandchildren, so that all Americans can experience the rich variety of native species that help to define our nation.

Started by the United States Senate, Endangered Species Day is the third Friday in May. Every year, thousands of people throughout the country celebrate Endangered Species Day at parks, wildlife refuges, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, libraries, schools and community centers. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is proud to be a part of this important observation.

Meet Stuart… the NEW Goeldi Monkey at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Lola's got a new man!
A tall dark and handsome a new Goeldi's monkey, has moved in with Lola. Well actually he is not very tall, but he is dark and handsome. His name is Stuart and he is quite the little guy. Stuart and Lola spend a lot of time together grooming each other and sleep curled up together. You may be wondering what happened to the other two Goeldi monkeys - Lola's son and daughter, Javier and Poloma - have moved on to new adventures at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. Stuart is enjoying exploring his new home and will often kick the sloth (Chalupa) out of her hammock, which is quite a feat.

Goeldi’s monkeys, also called Callimicos, look like marmosets and tamarins but they are different! They are in their own group. They are located between 1 degree north and 13 degrees south latitude in the northern Amazon forests, and can be found in southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, western Brazil, and northern Bolivia. They inhabit areas of the Amazon rainforest that have patchy canopy cover and strong undergrowth.

They are vertical climbers and leapers. They leap from one tree, turn in flight, and grab their target. They can leap a distance of 13 feet without losing height. This is a very silent method of travel, disturbing little vegetation as they move. Goeldi’s monkeys exhibit extensive social communication through vocalizations, scent, facial, and body language. Vocalizations include long distance cries that are effective over 100 meters and ultrasonic sounds.

We hope Lola and Stuart will become a breeding pair in the coming year. Come visit the new couple at the Monkey Pavilion.

M.O.M (Missing Orangutan Mothers): Celebrate Mother’s Day at the Zoo with the Orangutans at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Photo by Tracey Gazibara

Orangutan mothers and babies have an incredibly close relationship. Baby orangutans don’t have a support network around to give them the many lessons of finding fruit, building nests and other survival techniques. Their mothers teach them everything about survival in the forest before they set out on their own.
Because of the growing demand for palm oil, and irresponsible forestry practices, more and more orangutan mothers are being killed every year in Indonesia. Their rain forest homes are literally being wiped out to make way for palm oil plantations… leaving hundreds of helpless orphans. Some of the lucky ones end up at Nyaru Menteng– which is operated by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. The Center is now home to nearly 650 orangutans– the vast majority of them young orphans in need of love and care.
Mother’s Day is the perfect day to bring awareness to the plight of these beautiful red apes and to encourage people to help protect them.

Mother’s Day is the perfect day to celebrate and pay tribute to M.O.M.– Missing Orangutan Mothers

Schedule of Events:
12 noon – Orangutan show
1:30pm – Orangutan painting demo
2:30pm – Orangutan enrichment


Orangutan Painting

10am-3pm:
• Coloring & word search for kids
• Help make orangutan enrichment
• Make an orangutan nest
• Learn about orangutan conservation

For more information about the M.O.M program please visit the Orangutan Outreach website.
Read more about the Palm Oil Crisis on our website.
For more information visit www.savetheorangutan.org online.

Other Mother’s Day events at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo:
• Join us for a Mother's Day weekend Mother and Daughter WildNight sleepover, Friday, May 7!
• Ignite your wild sides with "Mother, May I?" Family Program for the whole family, Saturday, May 8!
• Learn more about the delicious Mother's Day Brunch offered on May 9th, reservations are required.
• Need a special gift for Mom? Discover our Unique Gifts page filled with wild gifts that give twice!

Visit Redapes.org

White Cheeked Gibbon Moved to Texas

Tangra, our white cheeked gibbon, left Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to move to Brownsville, Texas on April 29, 2010. She lived in the Monkey Pavilion and had been doing some amazing training for the Monkey Pavilion shows with our Animal Behavior Specialist, Megan Sanders. Tangra will have new friends and maybe even a mate at her new home in Brownsville at the Gladys Porter Zoo. If you are in the neighborhood in Texas, be sure to "swing by" and see her!