E-waste Recycling Event a Success!

We had a FANTASTIC event this past weekend with Blue Star Recyclers! With the help and donations of our guests, fans, and followers we collected 4,419lbs of e-waste and kept 2 tons of reusable waste out of the landfill. The Zoo also raised almost $500 to directly support the care and maintenance of our animals. Thank you Colorado Springs! Look for upcoming events like this on our Zoo Events page.


Our own Ashton Strobridge (left) worked directly with Blue Star Recyclers and Andy O'Riley (right) to make this event happen!

New Lemurs at the Zoo...OH MY!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s animal family recently grew by two, with the addition of male ring-tailed lemurs Hank and Stewart in Monkey Pavilion. The pair moved here from Pueblo Zoo to join fellow ring-tailed lemurs Jimmy and Jabari, and black and white ruffed lemur Ozzy. Hank, age 5, and Stewart, age 4, both have the signature ring-tailed lemur tail – very long with vivid black and white stripes. The easiest way to tell them apart is by looking at their size. Hank is smaller, weighing in at about five pounds.



You can see Hank and Stewart on exhibit, but they haven’t moved in with the rest of the lemurs yet. They are currently going through what we call the “howdy” process, getting to know their new roommates a bit better before they share the same exhibit space. A mesh door called a “howdy” separates Hank and Stewart from the others so they can see and get used to each other. It takes time, though, and you might see them “stink fighting” as a way to establish territory. They have potent scent glands on their wrists, which they rub on their tails and wave in the air in an attempt to outstink the others.

Lemurs are primates, and are related to monkeys and apes. In the wild, they only live on the African island of Madagascar. Black and white ruffed lemurs are critically endangered and ring-tailed lemur populations are decreasing, mainly because of habitat destruction due to farming and logging.

Introduce Your Pre-schooler to the Amazing Animal Kingdom

Preschool Zoo Discovery Programs

What a great way to introduce a youngster to the amazing animal kingdom. Your child and their favorite adult learn about a variety of topics through stories, crafts and experiences with our animal friends.

Ages: 3-5
Time: 10-11 A.M.
Cost: $35.75 MEMBERS
$45.75 NON-MEMBERS

Cost includes all three classes (for one child and one adult). When registering, please choose Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays with your theme.

For more information or to register, call 633-9925 ext. 127 or visit www.cmzoo.org.




Creature Features
Wednesdays: January 12th, 19th, 26th
Thursdays: January 13th, 20th, 27th
Saturdays: January 15th, 22nd, 29th
Many of our animals have made it on the big screen by starring in the cartoon movies we know and love. This month, we will explore some of these animal stars that live right here at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!

Howl, Hiss, and Honk
Wednesdays: February 2nd, 9th, 16th
Thursdays: February 3rd, 10th, 17th
Saturdays: February 5th, 12th, 19th
There are many different sounds made in the animal kingdom. Join us for a class of exploration, as we try to identify what different sounds animals make. You and your preschooler will have a blast making the sounds of some of their favorite animals!


It is Easy Being Green!
Wednesdays: March 2nd, 9th, 16th
Thursdays: March 3rd, 10th, 17th
Saturdays: March 5th, 12th, 19th
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and everyone is getting ready to wear green. In this class, we are going to explore the color green by learning about some of our green animals as well as learning about some fun ways to live green everyday!

1, 2 Count the Zoo
Wednesdays: April 6th, 13th, 20th
Thursdays: April 7th, 14th, 21st
Saturdays: April 9th, 16th, 23rd
There are a number of animals that live here at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Bring your preschooler to the Zoo and we will make counting fun as we do a number safari counting the animals around the Zoo.

New Mexican Gray Wolf...the Introduction

The two Mexican gray wolves were introduced for the first time earlier this month and it went GREAT! They follow each other around, lots of prancing and play-bowing. Also calmly standing together looking in the same direction "on alert." The new female "Weeko" is from California, she first started to explore the exhibit by herself a few days before the introduction. She was staying towards the top of the exhibit when by herself. As soon as they were together she seemed comfortable going where ever Masadi would go.

Meet the Penguins at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Most of you know Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private, four cute penguins living in the Central Park Zoo, who were made famous by Dreamwork’s Madagascar movie in 2008. These penguins have created quite a name for themselves and they even have their own show on Nick.


Cute and cuddly…that's exactly what they want people to think. Why? Because this 4-some of placid-looking penguins are actually an elite strike force with unmatched commando skills and a secret headquarters. Their mission? To maintain order in the zoo!

We have our own elite force at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo! Instead of just 4, we have 11 “cute and cuddly” African penguins that can be seen daily in the Aquatics building.

Roxanna Breitigan, Animal Care Manager and our own African Penguin Quarters for Conservation champion, called these little guys “the ultimate hoarders” at the Zoo.



Sobe, male, 12 years old
Sprocket, male, 12 years old
Murphy, female, 16 years old
Jess, female, 30 years old
Mogley, female, 10 years old
Fudge, female, 24 years old
Colorado, male, 17 years old
Sally, female, 10 years old
Decker, female, 12 years old
Tasselhoff, male, 10 years old
Joe, male, 12 years old



They all have different personalities and behaviors, but the keepers and staff tell them apart by the colored bands that are on each penguin’s leg.

Size: 23-25 inches tall; 5-9 pounds
Diet: Small fishes, such as pilchard, anchovies, horse mackerel and sardines
Range: Africa’s coastal waters and islands, from Namibia through South Africa

Habitat
The Southern coast of Africa is where you will find the majority of the African Penguins. There are 24 known colonies of them around this continent. There is no place else on Earth where this species of penguin is found in the wild.

Predators
Sharks and fur seals hunt penguins in the water. Seagulls, mongoose and cats prey on nesting penguins and their offspring.
Due to the unique patterns of black and white, the African Penguin is less likely to be found by predators in the water during their own hunting efforts. The dark back makes it difficult for birds of prey to see them from above while they are swimming, and the white underbelly prevents water predators from easily seeing them from below.

Relatives
There are 18 penguin species. African penguins are closely related to the Humboldt, Galapagos and Magellanic penguins.

Reproduction
The African Penguin do not have a set breeding season, however, the majority of their breeding takes place in early February.

Family Life
African penguins breed in huge, noisy colonies. They lay two eggs in
burrows, bowl-shaped depressions dug in the sand, which protect the eggs from
the sun. Like all penguins, they form tight pair bonds, and both parents incubate
the eggs and feed the chicks for 2-4 months.

Vocalization
African penguins are also known as jackass penguins, because they make a
sound that is very similar to a donkey's bray. They make this sound in order to interact and communicate with other members of their colony. Watch a video below of our penguins vocalizing.




African Penguin Conservation
African penguins are in danger of extinction. Major reasons include depletion of their food from overfishing, climate change and pollution from incidences such as oil spills.

The South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) works to protect and rehabilitate South Africa’s seabird populations. Quarters for Conservation funds support their efforts to rescue, hand raise and release orphaned and abandoned chicks back into the wild. Learn more at www.Sanccob.co.za.

It is estimated that the African Penguin can live 10-15 years in the wild (they can live up to 30 years old in captivity). This isn’t very long given that they don’t mature sexually until they are from 2-4 years of age. In the past 35 years the number of them has dropped from 1.5 million to less than 150,000.

In Africa, the eggs from these penguins are a very common source of food. Due to many people living in poverty in this area there aren’t any controlled efforts or laws prohibiting it. As a result many of the eggs are removed before they have the chance for the young to develop.

Another problem is that their natural habitat continues to be destroyed. More than 19,000 of these penguins were killed due to an oil spill in 2000.

Do You Love Our Penguins?
Get involved by voting for Penguins in our Quarters for Conservation every time you come to the Zoo. You can also adopt a penguin at the Zoo!

You and your family can also do an animal encounter with the penguins and meet them one-on-one, up-close and personal!