Electric Safari 2011

Pasta for Christmas?

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the zoo
Not a creature was stirring, not even Tamu.
The stockings were hung by the exhibits with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

According to a tradition traced back to 1820, Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, his nine reindeer and many elves. Each year on Christmas Eve, Santa and his elves pack the sleigh for a worldwide adventure, leaving toys for all of the good girls, boys and yes, even the animals here at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

On Christmas morning when the keepers arrive, there are two special packages awaiting them. The packages aren’t for the keepers though; they are for the animals. A special food package may hold elk or deer hide, animal legs or even pasta to cook, and a large gift box (yes, it’s wrapped) is full of special items, including:

-         Burlap bags for the apes to use as toys. The bags usually end up over their heads at some point, mimicking what they would do with a large leaf in the wild.

-         Peanut butter & jelly is the favorite of most animals here at the zoo. The keepers will spread it on the walls within an animal’s exhibit or place it on a razor board (a hard plastic board with holes) and allow the animals to pick it out of the holes.

-         Sugar-free Gatorade or Kool-Aid is used to make ice treats for the animals adding a little flavor to their water.

-         Jell-O is given to all areas of the zoo for a special treat. Due to the red coloring, we stay away from cherry or strawberry flavors. We don’t want visitors to think our animals are injured.

-         Coconuts are given out to numerous animals including the primates, and they are the porcupine’s favorite treat.

-         Cereal is a great training tool, and rumor has it the animals love Raisin Bran.

-         Spices and perfumes are sprayed randomly in an animal’s exhibit to ignite their senses. When the animals approach the new scent, it is very intriguing to them and makes for a sometimes comical reaction.

These presents are used throughout the year for animal enrichment. In the wild, animals would spend many hours a day trying to find, collect and eat food.  At the zoo, they obviously don’t have to work quite as hard to “earn their living” but still have a lot of adaptations and energy that they need to use.  This is where enrichment comes in.  The items listed above are used for activities which provide mental and physical stimulation, with the goal of promoting species-appropriate natural behaviors in the animals under our care. We identify specific behaviors, such as foraging or grooming, and create toys or activities to encourage that behavior.  These activities challenge our animals’ bodies and minds to keep them active and engaged.
If you are interested in playing Santa Claus to the animals, check out the “Wish List” on the Electric Safari event page.  The list includes the items we are currently accepting. Plus, when you bring an item during Electric Safari, you’ll receive discounted admission.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! 

Zoo Doo What?

A quick holiday breakdown: the New Year begins in 39 days and Christmas is in 32 days. Do you have your shopping done? And, Thanksgiving is followed by the one day of the year more people pay attention to the ads than we have animals in our zoo...Black Friday.

Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year. It’s estimated the amount of Black Friday shoppers will increase from 212 million last year to 224 million this year, spending an average of $385 per person. On-line sales are predicted to increase from $648 million in 2010 to $705 million this year.

But, these stats don’t help with the one person you don’t know what to get. Everyone knows a “person who has everything.” Not even the millions of ads, available 10 days before Black Friday, are helping with the gift ideas for this individual!

Don’t worry there’s no need to panic or run to Wal-Mart at 10:00pm on Thanksgiving Day. There is a solution right here in your own backyard. Just like Santa, we have been busy at the zoo (even the animals!) preparing gifts for this holiday season. Below is a list of our top five zoo gifts available today.

-         Zoo membership - Enjoy the zoo 365 days a year, a gift shop discount, discounts on zoo events and much more. There are five membership levels from which to choose, starting at $64.25. A zoo membership can pay for itself in as little as two visits!

-         Adopt-An-Animal – Have you always wanted to adopt an animal but just don’t have room for an elephant in your backyard? Each adoption gift directly supports the care of our animals, and with it comes a variety of special benefits only adoptive parents enjoy. There are six membership levels, starting at $30.

-         Zoo Doo – You’re probably picturing something and you are right - - it is what you’re thinking, animal poop. From our yard to yours, Zoo Doo is made from our big cat feces and is sold by the point. Gardeners swear by this all natural, deer deterrent to protect their plants and trees. 

-         Animal Art – We do have some pretty impressive artists at the zoo and, no, they aren’t on the staff. They live here. Art is available from the orangutans, elephants, ponies, and penguins. Everything from an original masterpiece to a more trendy “paw” print is available.

-         Behind-the-Scenes Tour – Go behind the scenes with a group of up to four friends or family members, for an up-close look at our incredible animals. Choose from our big cats to the animals in the African Rift Valley or design your own.

There are four ways to get your hands on one or more of these awesome gifts;

-         Visit http://www.cmzoo.org/supportZoo/donationProgram/gifts.asp

-         Ask a zoo team member the next time you’re here to visit.

-         Call 719-633-9925

-    Visit our zoo store – “Zoo to You Gallery.” The store is new this year and located at 214 1/2 North      
      Tejon Street in Colorado Springs - across from Acacia Park, next to CJ Kard.

Store hours:

December 3: 10am – 6pm

December 4^: 12pm – 5pm

December 7^: 4pm – 8pm

The holiday season is a time for giving, so why not purchase a gift that gives back to a great cause?