Come see the Zoo at the 2010 Festival of Lights!

Join us for the 26th Annual Colorado Springs Festival of Lights



When: Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 5:50 p.m.

Where: The Festival of Lights Parade will start at 5:50 p.m. in downtown Colorado Springs at the corner of Tejon and St Vrain Street, and will proceed south on Tejon to Vermijo Avenue.

What: The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is excited to again participate in this wonderful Colorado Springs tradition. Don't be late and keep your eyes open for the Zoo Mobile in the Festival of Lights!

How Did HONOVI & YAZHI Get Their Names?

Many Zoo members and guests have asked, “How did the goat kids get their names?” Roxanna Breitigan, Animal Care Manger, has the answer:

The female’s name, Yazhi, means “little one” in Navaho. Because she was always small and petite, the name seemed to fit. The male’s name is Honovi, which means “strong” in Hopi. His keepers noticed he was a fighter during the first months of his life when he was a bit ill and injured. Both names come from Native American languages and fit the goat kid’s personalities.

Previously, guests could view the two kids in the “middle” tapir yard. Since then they have moved to the Rocky Mountain goat exhibit to live with the rest of the herd. Yazhi and Honovi have also been weaned off of bottles of milk and now eat grains and alfalfa. You can see the entire herd of Rocky Mountain goats during regular Zoo hours.

Uhura the Movie Star

November 18, 2010 was a sad day at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Uhura, a twenty year-old female in the Zoo’s famous reticulated giraffe herd, was euthanized.

Uhura was accidentally bumped by a herd member. This caused her to lose footing and fall down a slope that acts as a natural barrier between the giraffes and guests.

Read the full note on our facebook page.

Uhura was featured in the PBS "Nature" special called "Tall Blondes" back in December 2006. There are 2 parts on our YouTube page.

Watch them here to see Uhura and learn more about reticulated giraffes.

Emmett & Digger: Enjoying the Winter After Undergoing Surgery

Emmett and Digger, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild grizzly bear pair, are happily swimming in their exhibit again. You’d never know they underwent surgery just a few short weeks ago, taking turns on Zoo veterinarian Dr. Liza Dadone’s makeshift operating table for a neutering procedure.

You have probably met Emmett and Digger before, but as a reminder, they both came from a Montana Fish and Wildlife facility in 2007. The boys were about 2 years old and were considered nuisance bears in the wild.

Emmett and Digger, both around 5 years old now, recently started exhibiting natural behaviors that were more aggressive with each other than their normal play routine. This behavior is consistent with their age, but the boys still ended up with a few bites and scratches.

“Time will tell, but we hope the procedure will help cut down on some of that aggressive behavior,” said Dr. Dadone.

At over 800 pounds each, Emmett and Digger are too big to transport to the Zoo’s vet hospital. Instead, the bears were willingly injected using positive reinforcement, and Zoo staff positioned each bear in their own “bedroom” den for surgery.

The procedure took about 1 hour and the stitches were all internal, so no head cone was necessary! Dr. Dadone used this opportunity to give the bears a thorough examination. She took blood samples, checked their teeth, ears and skin. Both have a clean bill of health and were reunited without hours of their respective surgeries. They were disgruntled by the ban on swimming for several days (they LOVE to swim). They had to make due by splashing around in their water bowls.

Stop by Rocky Mountain Wild daily to visit Emmett and Digger.

Help Safeguard River Otters from Coal Ash

For decades, coal-fired power plants have been allowed to dump toxic coal ash into unlined rivers and ponds, resulting in spills into the rivers and streams on which many wildlife depend.

There are only a few days left to tell the Environmental Protection Agency that we need strong, federally enforceable safeguards against this dangerous threat.

Take action today to help protect river otters and many other wildlife from the dangers of coal ash.

24 Fascinating Blogs for Following Zoo Reform

Just published by Veterinarian Colleges:

There’s major changes going on at zoos all over the world. As global warming chases animals out of their natural habitats, more zoos are looking to care for new animals they never before featured...Learn more about zoo reform with these blogs and articles that are tackling the issue head on.

Read more

Special Membership Discounts...THIS WEEK ONLY!

$10 off NEW Family and higher level memberships! To join, call 719.633.9925 x115, or visit the zoo between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to join at the door. Please note, this discount can’t be combined with other offers/coupons, or on previous purchases, Individual Plus, Third Adult, or the Sky Ride Day Pass.



Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is celebrating the distinction of accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Because the zoo doesn’t receive any tax support to operate, it relies on donations, membership dues, and admissions for funding. Community support is the reason Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is so unique, so we planned a special From the Zoo to You Community Accreditation Celebration to say thank you! Check out SPECIAL DISCOUNTS all week long at the Zoo!

Save Our Species Video

“Species extinction is a global phenomenon that will take global understanding, global efforts and global resources to overcome,” says World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick.


Click here to read more about the Save Our Species (SOS) initiative and conservation grant programs.

Southern Colorado Conservation Awards Winners...including Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Over 200 people attended the Southern Colorado Conservation Awards, which took place at the Antler's Hilton Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs. Four awards were presented.

1. The Stewardship Award went to Dave Van Manen and the Mountain Park Environmental Center, located in Beulah, Colorado, for the Center's far reaching efforts that have imbued an ethic of conservation stewardship in thousands of children and adults.
2. The Friends of Open Space Award went to Reeves and Betsy Brown of the 3R Ranch, also in Beulah, for their diverse roles in protecting important agricultural lands across southern Colorado and advancing the cause of Holistic Range Management.
3. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, in Colorado Springs, won The Innovation in Conservation Award for its pioneering Quarters for Conservation program.
4. Judy Sellers won The Stuart P. Dodge Award for conservation achievements spanning local, state, national, and international landscapes.

Congratulations to all the winners! We really appreciate this great honor and thank the Palmer Land Trust for The Innovation in Conservation Award.

Couldn't make the event? Click here to watch the films featuring this year's award winners. Films produced and directed by Emmy-Award-winning filmmaker, Ginger Kathrens; Makendra Silverman, Associate Producer; Cyd Cohn, Writer and Production Assistant.

Have Your Holiday Event at the Zoo

The Zoo is a venue like no other! Available for holiday parties, company picnics, receptions, family gatherings and reunions, you can rent the entire Zoo or enjoy a selected site. Come out at night to see all the holiday lights as you host your next upcoming party at the Zoo.



Wildthings Catering, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's official caterer, will do all the planning for you! An expert catering staff can create the perfect menu and arrange any rentals you may need.

Visit our website or call 719-314-0970 for more details on events at the Zoo.