Make your own edible vulture vomit!

Vulture vomit may seem like an unlikely topic for a blog, but it’s actually a very important aspect of vulture survival. It will also be a popular learning experience at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s celebration of International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in African Rift Valley. The purpose of the event is to educate guests about the plight of vultures around the world and the important role that they play in the wild.

Vultures are vital to the health of ecosystems around the world. They are scavengers – eating the wounded, sick and discarded carcasses. Their strong stomach acids are corrosive and prevent disease from spreading. During their meal time, a vulture can eat up to one quarter of its body weight in meat. That is the equivalent of a human eating 30-50 pounds of food at once! Eating so much can make flight difficult, so if threatened, they will vomit to lighten their body weights. The regurgitation may also distract predators so the vulture can escape.

During International Vulture Awareness Day, guests participate in many fun activities, but a favorite is eating vulture vomit. If you are unable to visit the Zoo during IVAD, celebrate at home by making your own vulture vomit. (Disclaimer: We do not recommend you eat 30-50 pounds at once.)

Here are two of our staff’s favorite edible vomit recipes:

Hippo-Flavored Vomit

•  Melt a 8 oz. bag of dark chocolate baking chips
• Smear on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper
• Sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts onto the chocolate and lightly press in
• Sprinkle finely chopped dried cherries onto the nuts and chocolate and lightly press in
• Let cool, then eat and enjoy

Zebra-Flavored Vomit

• Separately melt 4 oz. of milk (or dark) chocolate baking chips and 4 oz. of white chocolate baking chips and pour into two separate baking sheets lined with parchment or wax paper
• Mix Rice Krispies into each type of chocolate
• Lightly mix in the white chocolate with the milk (or dark) chocolate until it looks like stripes
• Let cool, then eat and enjoy

Releasing Wyoming Toads into the Wild

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of only nine zoological and government facilities that breed the Wyoming toad, a species classified as extinct in the wild. This year we are the only breeding facility that will be holding back tadpoles for future wild release and letting them develop safely for one year in a captive setting – a program and study being called “Head Start.”

“The goal of the Head Start program is to increase the survival rate of the Wyoming toad upon reintroduction into the wild,” Jeff Baughman, Lead Conservation Highlands Animal Keeper, said. “Tadpoles have to overcome a lot of hurdles – finding food, being preyed on, metamorphosing into toads and then hibernating before winter. Our hope is that releasing one year olds will increase the survival rate of the species in the wild since they won’t have as many hurdles.”  

Most institutions involved in the captive breeding program don’t currently have room to expand their housing facilities needed to keep extra toads for one year. Our Zoo was able to add additional housing for 200 toads for the Head Start research project. The remaining 2,244 tadpoles born at the Zoo this year were released near Laramie, WY in June. A follow up assessment of the species was made in the area in July.

“Two other professionals and I conducted the wild release of tadpoles this year,” Baughman said. “For the first time ever, we monitored the released tadpoles for two weeks. We watched for predators, dispersion and evaluated water quality in an effort to learn more about tadpole behavior – something we still don’t know much about.”

The team went back to a separate release location near Laramie, Wyoming in July to attempt to locate Wyoming toads from past years’ releases.

“Since 2008, we’ve been very methodical in our observation and counting of theindividuals found in the wild,” Baughman said. “We use the same number of people, walk the same grid and count for the same amount of time. This year we were able to locate several over-wintered toads, a few over one year old and two mature toads (over two years old). It was a more positive outcome than we’ve seen in past years.”

After June’s release and July’s observations, Baughman is excited to see if the Head Start program will yield more survivors in future assessments.

In the early ’90s, Wyoming Toads were declared extinct in the wild and only a small captive population remained. In 2004, our Zoo joined the effort to save the species through captive breeding for reintroduction to the wild. Since joining the effort, 7,359 tadpoles from our Zoo’s breeding program have been released to their native territory.The species is still classified as extinct in the wild due to the population being unable to successfully sustain themselves thus far due to ongoing challenges in their habitat.  

To read more stories from The Waterhole, or to keep up with the latest news, events, and behind the scenes happenings at the Zoo, sign up to receive e-newsletters: http://www.cmzoo.org/aboutZoo/pressBox/waterhole.asp.

Be “Beary” Aware During Outdoor Adventures!

Next weekend, Sat., Aug. 24 and Sun., Aug. 25, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will host our 25th Annual Teddy Bear Days event from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. During Teddy Bear Days, kids receive a special $5.25 admission price and can participate in our Teddy Bear Clinic. They can also watch demonstrations featuring our three bear species. One of the most popular demonstrations is located in Rocky Mountain Wild, where our grizzly bears, Emmett and Digger, teach guests a thing (or two) about camping with wildlife in mind!

Tips for Camping “Beary” Safely:

• Choose an open site away from dense vegetation, natural food areas, forest cover or natural pathways.
• Avoid messy sites and areas with signs of bears: torn-apart logs, tracks, trampled brush, scat, claw marks on trees.
• Secure all scented items by hanging at least 10 feet off the ground and 5 feet from the tree.
• Restrict all cooking, eating, cleaning activities and food storage to 100 feet downwind from tents.
• Do not sleep outside of your tent or with any "smellables" in your tent, including empty food wrappers.
• Never leave any food scraps or garbage out.
• Wash dishes and utensils immediately - dispose of waste water downwind, 100 feet from sleeping area.
• Always use a flashlight and extra caution when moving around at night.
• Store all food and odorous attractants (including garbage and cooking clothes) in sealed bags or in airtight canister.
• Bear-proof containers for campers are available through the Internet.

During Teddy Bear Days, our animal keepers also use the bear demos to talk about the important difference between encountering a grizzly bear verses a black bear in the wild. If you’re camping or hiking in Colorado, you’re likely going to be seeing black bears. The best thing to do if they become threatening is to stay big, keep your eye on the black bear, make lots of noise and, if they attack, fight back! If you encounter an aggressive grizzly bear, the best thing to do is lie down, cover your neck and do not be threatening to the grizzly at all. Animal keepers agree that whether you are hiking or camping in black bear or grizzly bear country, you should be prepared by carrying bear spray, bear bells and always be bear aware by keeping a watchful eye on your surroundings. 

Our bears can’t wait to see you at Teddy Bear Days next weekend to teach you a lot more about bear care, bear facts and bear safety, but in the meantime be “beary” safe!

Fact source: The American Bear Association

Save the lives of wild orangutans with the NEW Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping Guide App for smartphones!

You can save wild orangutans, and other endangered Asian animals affected by the palm oil crisis, by using your smartphone! This new FREE downloadable smartphone application lists more than 5,000 products whose manufacturers are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Purchasing products from these companies saves orangutan habitat and lives.

"Palm oil is used to make items we consume every day like food and personal care products," Dina Bredahl, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Animal Care Manager and champion of the Zoo's palm oil awareness conservation program, said. "Purchasing products that are manufactured by RSPO member companies is the easiest thing we can do to help endangered wild orangutans." 

Palm oil comes from the fruit of the African oil palm. The majority of this edible vegetable oil is produced inBorneo and Sumatra. When harvested unsustainably it destroys critical rainforest habitat. 

One organization that seeks to implement global standards for sustainable palm oil is the RSPO. To achieve certification, members must meet stringent environmental and social criteria and protect native wildlife, like orangutans, elephants, tigers and rhinos.

In 2011, CheyenneMountain Zoo was the first zoo in the world to join the RSPO. Even before joining, the Zoo created a paper shopping guide that listed RSPO company members. The popularity of the shopping guide led the Zoo's palm oil team in the direction of creating the smartphone shopping guide application.

Make a difference for wild orangutans with three easy steps:

1. Shop smart! Boycotting palm oil is not the solution. Instead, download the NEW Palm Oil Shopping Guide Phone App, and buy products from companies that are members of the RSPO.
2. Speak out! If you don't see your favorite brand in the Palm Oil Shopping Guide, send the company an email to tell them how important sustainable palm oil is.
3. Spread the word! Check out Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's full Palm Oil Resource Kit, and share it with others.

Our Animals Have a Job to Do

They have feathers, fur, scales or shells but they all have one thing in common – they have a job to do, just like the keepers that care for them. Our Zoo’s hands-on animals are called outreach animals, and most of them live in The Loft.

“We have two types of outreach animals,” Jennifer Diaz, Education Interpretive Animal Keeper said. “They are either ‘working’ or ‘handling.’ Only one of our animals, Tiger Lily, the skunk, is both.”

Diaz explains that working animals demonstrate natural behaviors or learned skills. Marty McFly, an American kestrel, flies from one part of The Loft onto a glove. Remmy, an opossum, shows off his climbing skills by lifting himself onto a stump. Handling animals allow hundreds of Zoo guests to get up close and feel their exteriors. Snakes, tortoises and some really cool insects are the most common handling animals.

“All of our outreach animals are personable,“ Diaz said. “They are also animals that want to ‘work.’ We don’t use animals for outreach if it is stressful for them or if they are scared of the experience.”

They are usually well behaved. Lily likes to open the fridge and take out her own snacks, but for the most part the animals in The Loft follow the rules.  

“We use positive reinforcement to train our animals,” Diaz said. “If they don’t feel like training, they simply don’t get a delicious bug or piece of fruit. Most animals really enjoy training time because it means they get food that tastes the best to them.”

Not only do our outreach animals give guests memorable close-up experiences, they are teaching children the responsibility of caring for an animal. Diaz lets selected children help tear lettuce for the lizards, give water to the tortoises, spray down the amphibians or watch a snake eat a mouse.

“Our outreach animals have a very important job to do,” Diaz said. “They help guests get over their fears of species with scales (mostly snakes), put smiles on their faces, leave lasting memories and, most importantly, they help people fall in love with nature and value caring for it.”