Preschool Classes: It's Never Too Early

What a great way to introduce your little guy or gal to the amazing animal kingdom in your own backyard! Our discovery classes teach children about a variety of animals and related topics through stories, crafts and up-close experiences. Class sizes are kept small to ensure that each child receives attention.

In September the theme is: Black and White All Over

Many different types of animals have these very simple colors covering their body. Join us for a fun-filled class where we will explore some of the black and white animals that live right here in our Zoo and learn together why these animals are not more colorful.

Watch this video on the FOX21 Morning Show to see our own, Nicole Mantz, and Callie, our California King Snake who will be featured in the September Black and White All Over preschool class.



Some of the upcoming themes are: “Things that Go Bump in the Night”, “All in the Family”, and “Wild Winters.”



For preschool dates and times please click here.

To register for a class, call 719.633.9925, ext. 127. Classes may be canceled if minimum sizes are not met.

“MOMMY, I WANT A PONY!” - All About Our Ponies, Rides, Shows and Camps

How many kids do you know that have asked for a pet pony at one time in their life? While Ponies can be amazing companions they are also a lot of work.



A pony is a small horse (Equus ferus caballus) with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds of ponies. Compared to horses, ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails and overall coat, as well as proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, thicker necks, and shorter heads with broader foreheads. On occasion, people who are unfamiliar with horses may confuse an adult pony with a foal, which is a young, immature horse.

Ponies are generally considered intelligent and friendly. The pony originated from original wild horse prototypes that developed small stature due to living on the margins of livable horse habitat. These smaller animals were domesticated and bred for various purposes all over the Northern hemisphere.

Ponies were historically used for driving and freight transport, as children's mounts, for recreational riding, and later as competitors and performers in their own right. During the Industrial Revolution, particularly in Great Britain, a significant number were used as "pit ponies", hauling loads of coal up from the mines.

Pony Rides
Children are invited to ride the ponies daily at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (see seasonal hours online). Each pony and rider is individually led by a wrangler around a circular trail, nestled in Rocky Mountain Wild, just south of The Lodge at Moose Lake. It's an old west adventure they'll never forget.

Rides are only $5 each
Buy a frequent rider card for $20—and get 5 rides instead of 4!



Note: Riders must be old enough to sit up in the saddle and hold the reins unassisted, although parents are permitted to walk along beside their cowpoke. And we'll ask that every rider wear a helmet, just for safety sake.

Pony Behavior Shows
Our Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Pony herd has joined together with our Animal Care Staff to remind us all what it takes to have a pony pal of your own. Everyday at 2:15 p.m. at the Pony Ride area, near the entrance to Rocky Mountain Wild, our keepers and ponies will perform in their natural behaviors show.



Pony Camps
Want your kids (Ages 5 to 130 pounds) to learn what it's like to take care of a pony? Have them join us for pony camp to find out. It's a great way for kids to get close to the Zoo's pony herd with a wrangler at their side. Kids will learn important equine skills and how to groom, feed and ride ponies during this fun two-hour long camp.

Dates and Times
Sundays through Wednesdays - rain or shine
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Cost: $25.25 - per day Members or non-members
$81.00 - 4-day weekly session Members or non-members

For questions or to register for Pony Camp by phone, call 719-633-9925, ext. 127, or e-mail edprograms@cmzoo.org.

Kid-safe Ponies Wanted! View details.

Animal and Plant Database on Zoo Website

Did you know that you can access ALL of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo animals and plants that live on grounds through our online database?

The database includes each and every animal and plant who lives here in Colorado Springs at our mountain zoo. You can search through the following lists for your favorites:

Amphibians and Reptiles


Birds


Fish


Invertebrates

Mammals


Plants


When you click on the animal or plant you are searching for you will be able to read all about that species: habitat/range, characteristics, behaviors, reproduction, and conservation, along with where they are located at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Check out the complete database for yourself.

Mongolia Snow Leopard Update

Since Megan Sanders, our Animal Behavior Programs Manager at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, returned from Mongolia last year she has continued working with the Snow Leopard Trust in an effort to save some of the last remaining wild snow leopards in the world. Here is the latest update from Megan:

I have attached the latest GPS map of the snow leopard locations in Mongolia!



The most exciting set of locations have come understandably from Zara, the lone female we have managed to follow so far. She is already covering an area larger than 200 sq. km.

Another amazing dynamic we are following is the overlap between Aztai and Khavar. There is greater than 90% overlap of home range sites between these two males, which is exciting and informative.

For more than two decades we have known that snow leopards use home ranges that overlapped extensively. Unlike many other solitary felids, this even holds true for males. We long suspected that their elaborate scent and sign marking system evolved, at least in part, to allow males avoid one another while using almost identical spaces. As we continue to follow these intricate movements and interactions of our collared cats, and ultimately their offspring, we will hopefully better understand this unique social system that seems to allow cats to live in close quarters yet avert aggressive interactions. That alone is something we could have never done even 5 years ago before the advent of GPS-satellite phone collar technology.

Right now there is a big push to protect important snow leopard habitat from mining permits. The Tost Mountains is where I traveled while I was in Mongolia and where the research camp and the collared cats reside. Below is a little update on some of the actions that are being taken by SLT staff to try and save this important habitat.
Mining currently threatens landscapes used by herders and wildlife in Mongolia. Because the majority of the Tost Mountain range was designated for mining, Bayara, our Mongolia Country Program Director, led community meetings in the Tost Township that resulted in a unified effort by the community to exclude the region from mining and declare it a People's Protected Area.

Of course I always love to plug my Q4C project (Quarters for Conservation)! :) The exciting thing about this year is that funds will be directly supporting Mongolian communities in developing and implementing their own conservation action plans. This will create a broader on the ground conservation force who is actively invested in, looking out for and spreading awareness about snow leopards and the threats that face them.

YAY SNOW LEOPARDS!! Man I wish I was out there collaring some cats! :)

Meet the Gorilla Troop at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

When: Daily, 11:00 a.m.

Where: Primate World

What: Get acquainted with the zoo’s Gorilla troop. Get the inside scoop while our Animal Care Staff share what makes our Gorillas and their wild counterparts so special.

In Primate World, you can see the great apes face-to-face at our indoor glass enclosures. We invite you to observe our western lowland gorillas outdoors in their natural mountainside habitat and meet each of them during the keeper talk and demonstrations each day.

Who you may see:

Rafiki (male, silverback), 26 years old
Roxie, 34 years old
Juju, 30 years old
Asha and Kwisha, both 17 years old
Tumani, 3 years old



Receive Animal Show Text Messages!

Receive the day’s animal shows right on your phone via text message. Simply text “Zoo + day of the week” to 839-863. For example, “Zoomonday” or “Zoosaturday.” It’s a quick and easy way to make sure you don’t miss a single animal show! Standard text message rates apply.

Watch this behind-the-scenes video of the gorillas being fed!