In Honor of Earth Day…Create a Wildlife Habitat

Bringing Wildlife into Every Day.

To share our passion for animal, plant and habitat conservation, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo developed a program for creating wildlife habitats throughout the city. It will enable you to practice, and benefit from, conservation actions in your daily life.

There are aesthetic, environmental, educational, economic, psychological and sociological benefits for all of us from creating these urban wildlife habitats. Wouldn't it be nice to…
• Pass a schoolyard and see children outside counting nests?
• Hear a hummingbird feeding outside as you sit in the doctor's waiting room?
• Increase the value of your property because of the wildlife present?

All these things and more are possible if we create functional areas that support wildlife.

Our goals are:
• To educate you on the needs of various types of wildlife.
• To help evaluate your site and situation to determine which aspects are present or absent.
• To develop together a plan of action to create a habitat.
• To expand on those efforts to unite neighborhoods and communities to create contiguous swathes of wildlife habitat called habitat corridors.

See all the details and find all the information you need to create a wildlife habitat in your yard on our website.

The Ducks are BACK on Moose Lake!

At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo we have 3 pairs of ducks (both a male and female) that live at Moose Lake in Rocky Mountain Wild. Common Pintail, North American Wood Duck, and Hooded Mergansers are the species. This winter our lake froze over, and the islands floating in the water were frozen in place. Although the ducks were doing okay, we were concerned that the local fox population would be able to walk out on the ice and potentially run off with the ducks. For the ducks’ safety, the decision was made to take them up to the vet clinic for the winter. In the vet clinic we have an area of protected holding that is outside so they could stay acclimated to the temperatures, but be safe from predators.


Our ducks moved back to Moose Lake a few weeks ago (end of March) and are very happy to be back in the pool! All of the males are sporting their courting plumage. They look beautiful!

The Merganser male, Bodo, was being especially territorial when he moved back to the lake. He was chasing Spruce, the male Wood Duck out of the lake, and our Zoo Keeper staff felt it would be best to take the Wood Duck pair (Spruce and Maple) back to the vet clinic for a bit. We anticipate that Spruce and Maple will be back at the lake sometime soon, but for now you can see our Mergansers and Common Pintail pairs swimming and playing on Moose Lake.


Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Ducks
Male Wood Duck - Spruce
Female Wood Duck - Maple

Male Merganser - Bodo
Female Merganser - Sissi

Male Pintail - Granite
Female Pintail - Marble

Tahoma, the Moose, Antler Watch 2010

Fan Photo by Juliana Vigil

Did you know that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has a moose? His name is Tahoma and he is in the process of getting his new antlers. We thought you might like to know a little more about it since we receive so many questions everyday.

Moose live in the northern parts of America and Eurasia. The biggest moose can be as high as seven feet at the shoulders and weigh over 1,300 pounds. The males have broad, palm-like antlers up to six feet across and the rack can weigh up to 90 pounds.

Tahoma dropped his antlers mid-January 2010. This was a bit earlier then we anticipated because he dropped his first set in March the previous year, but moose drop their antlers anytime from January to March so he was in the normal range. About mid-March Tahoma's new antlers started to grow. The grey spots where they were growing was very warm to the touch, and it seemed like everyday the bumps were getting bigger. Many people thought that the grey caps covering his antlers were something that the Zoo had put on him, but actually it’s a natural part of his body and the process of creating a new rack. It is now spring, and Tahoma’s antlers are well on their way. They are about 4 inches long! They are covered in velvet and are approximately 2 inches wide.

This will be Tahoma's third rack. We are very excited because in the third year, the palm shape starts to show in the antlers. We are excited to see how his third rack turns out and just how much bigger it will be versus the last two years.

Moose are the largest of the elk family, and like deer, moose they drop their antlers every winter and start to grow a new set in the Spring. Only male Moose, called bulls, grow antlers which they use to defend territory and attract the female moose, called a cow. While the antlers are growing they are covered with a soft brown covering called velvet (it even feels like velvet!) that provides a blood supply to the fast growing antlers. Inside the growing rack looks a bit like honeycomb but once fall comes and the antlers are done growing the inside will start to harden, the blood flow to the antlers will start to be cut off and the moose will start to rub the velvet off. Tahoma rubs on the trees in his exhibit in order to remove the velvet. It is definitely a sight to see!


Tahoma's antlers continue to grow and change everyday. We will keep you posted on as they grow and form through the summer months. Stop by Rocky Mountain Wild to see Tahoma up-close and check out our keeper talks daily to learn more! Be sure to post your pictures of Tahoma in our fan photos on our facebook page.


Moose Feeding and Keeper Talk
When: Daily, 3:15 p.m. (weather permitting)
Where: Rocky Mountain Wild, at moose
What: Let us introduce you to Tahoma, our resident moose.

Go WILD on your birthday at the Zoo!

Celebrate Your Birthday with the Zoo!

Meet some of your favorite Zoo animals at your next birthday party! You and your party can choose to meet an animal up-close with the Beastly Animal Birthday Party, or simply visit the animals yourselves with the Create-Your-Own Zooper Party! You can also choose to spend the night at the Zoo with a WildNight Birthday Party, or even invite zoo animals to your birthday party at home with the ZOOMobile. No matter what you choose, your birthday celebration with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will make your party one to remember!

With these hassle-free parties at the Zoo, you just choose your party package, and we'll take care of all the details, including the Safari Cabin rental, goodie bags, drinks, party plates and utensils—and a carousel ride for you and your guests!

River Otter Party Package

Have you heard about our missing otter, Kitchi? We are now offering River Otters as a new animal theme! Have these playful, aquatic friends help you celebrate your party!

Primate Party Package

Take your party to the primates! This package includes a visit to the Monkey Pavilion for a primate training session, Zookeeper talk and to provide a special treat for the gibbons!

Pachyderm Party Package

Party with the pachyderms. When you choose this package, you'll visit either the elephants or the hippos and see an enrichment demonstration and Zookeeper talk.

Giraffe Party Package

This exciting party includes a visit to the meerkats and world-famous giraffe herd in the African Rift Valley exhibit. Feed crackers to the giraffes and see the meerkats up close during a Zookeeper talk.

Pony Party Package*

Pony rides for all! This western-themed package includes a half hour of pony rides on two ponies picked especially for you—and help from a Cheyenne Mountain Zoo pony wrangler. Plus, the birthday boy or girl will receive a cowboy hat, and all cowpokes will get special badges and pictures to make the memories last a lifetime. *Additional fees apply for the Pony Party Package.

Packages Include:

•Zoo admission
•Safari Cabin rental for the party duration
•A carousel ride for the party group (weather permitting)
•An up-close meeting with a special animal
•A present for the birthday child
•Party favor bags with age-appropriate Zoo goodies
•Drinks
•Plates, cups, napkins, utensils and birthday candles
•Name tags
•A 25% discount at the Thundergod Gift Shop

Animal Presentations

During your party, your Zoo leader will bring out one animal for everyone to see in our new Education Loft! Although we cannot prearrange which animal you'll see, we can usually accommodate requests for "something fuzzy" or "something scaly". Party animals include the ferret, leopard gecko, pancake tortoise, California king snake and others.

Days & Times

Daily from 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
On your party day, your Zoo leader will meet your group at the admissions gate at your scheduled party time. To avoid waiting for latecomers, guests should arrive 15 minutes before the party start time.

For more information and costs please visit our website. To book your party e-mail or call 719-633-9925, ext. 127 TODAY!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO!

Spring Break Camp Huge Success! COMING SOON…SUMMER CAMP!

Spring is definitely here in Colorado! Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and we are only getting small snow storms instead of the BIG ones we saw through the winter…except those two we had over Spring Break! Regardless, Spring Break at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was a huge success. We had a great turn-out for our spring camp this year! Two programs were offered during the week – Predators for ages 6-10 and Jr. Zookeeper for ages 10-15. Over the week, our little “predators” learned about different hunters from big cats to birds of prey. We also made plaster tracks to see how the paw prints differ for various predators. The Jr. Zookeepers were busy learning how to take care of aquariums, making diets (diets are meals with healthy nutrients and vitamins for the animals) in the Loft and talking to almost all of the zookeepers in the Zoo!

SUMMER CAMP 2010
Register Your Wild Ones.
(Ages 4-15)
Summer 2010 Camp registration is open!

Save 10% per additional regular full day camps when you sign up for two or more!

A Wild Summer Experience.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo offers summer camp adventures that share the wonders of wildlife and wild places in fun and exciting ways. Campers meet animals up close, explore the outdoors, interact with zookeepers, make treats for the animals, design cool crafts, and more!

Camp Options (see camp details online):
Full Day Camp (with or without an overnight)
Night Camp
Half Day Camp
Two Week Camp
Special Day Camps
Extended Care

Scholarships
Help a child attend a Cheyenne Mountain Zoo camp by making a donation of $5 or more. Simply note your donation on your registration form—and make a child's camp wishes come true. Application deadline for Summer Scholarship Form submission is May 1, 2010.

Special thanks to Olde World Bagel!
Special thanks to our summer camp sponsor, Olde World Bagels & Deli, each overnight program concludes with a delicious breakfast!