Training a Herd of Giraffes

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is well-known for our giraffe herd. People are excited to feed the docile giants face to face – currently there are 19 roaming the Zoo’s African Rift Valley. Everyday at 2 p.m., guests can also take a front-row seat to watch our giraffe training program in action.

Cooperative husbandry training helps animal keepers care for the giraffes. This may seem like technical “zoo-speak,” but basically it means that our animals are trained to be willing participants in their own care. This willing participation means safer and less stressful procedures for both humans and animals. Much of this training is focused on hoof work, because just like fingernails, hooves grow. It is important that they get trimmed regularly.

“In zoos, eighty percent of giraffe anesthesia is done to address foot problems,” Dr. Liza Dadone, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Head Veterinarian, said. “Anesthetizing a giraffe is dangerous. The animal training that the keepers are doing is taking out the need for that high-risk anesthesia for our herd.” 

In March, animal keepers chose two giraffes to start foot training, Lakish and Mahali. They were presented with a sturdy wooden box and were given voice commands (left or right). As the giraffes learned to place a foot on the box, they were then given a second command, “touch.” Animal keepers would then touch their foot. Eventually, the giraffes’ training progressed to the point where they would present their foot on the box, curl their foot up and hold it in that position, while a farrier (hoof specialist) trimmed it. Currently 12 of our 19 giraffes present their feet for regular farrier work, x-rays or laser therapy.

“It’s truly amazing how far we’ve come in just a short amount of time,” Amy Schilz, Head Giraffe/Lion Animal Keeper, said. “A number of people are really surprised at how smart giraffes are, and how quickly we can cooperatively capture husbandry behaviors.”

In addition to hoof work, the animal keepers also work with the giraffes on shifting, targeting their nose to a tennis ball, cooperative blood draws, neck stretches and standing still on a scale. One female, Msitu, is even trained to allow keepers to conduct an ultrasound test on her. This is how the veterinary team and keepers knew she was pregnant with our newest giraffe calf, Emy, born on August 1.

“All of our giraffes are given the opportunity to train,” Amy said. “Even Emy, who is only two months old, has started target training.”

All of the giraffes are trained with positive reinforcement – meaning when a giraffe chooses to participate in training they are rewarded with giraffe crackers and other healthy giraffe treats. If they don’t want to participate that day, they can choose to simply walk away. Amy also explained that each giraffe has a different training regimen and that each giraffe responds to different cues, verbals and techniques.

“It’s like a puzzle,” Amy said. “That is the fun part for me, figuring out what each giraffe is going to respond to.”

In addition to cooperative husbandry behaviors, the three giraffe animal keepers work on capturing some of the giraffes natural behaviors (like sticking their tounge out or bowing for water) on a training cue. Next time you are at the Zoo, check out our giraffe herd’s positive reinforcment training  in African Rift Valley.

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.

Boo at the Zoo Checklist

Thousands of excited families are planning their trick-or-treat adventure to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo on October 18-20, 25-27 and 31. To ensure you won’t miss any of the merry-not-scary activities, we've made a Boo at the Zoo checklist!

1.  Wear layers - Colorado weather can be warm one minute and chilly the next - wear layers so you can stay toasty warm during Boo at the Zoo.
2. Wear comfortable shoes – We are America’s only mountain zoo, so don’t forget to coordinate your comfy shoes when you’re planning your costume.
3. Bring a bag – We will have Spooky Treat Stations set up around the Zoo with plenty of candy for everyone (made with sustainable palm oil, of course), so don’t forget to bring your reusable bag to hold all your treats. If you forget, we’ll have bags available at the admission gate for $2.
4. Bring a flashlight – We have minimal lighting around the Zoo in keeping with the theme, so little ghosts might like a little extra light when trick-or-treating in the night.
5. Catch the stage show – Don’t miss the animal/keeper performance of “So You Want to be a Zoo Keeper?” at the Lodge at Moose Lake nightly at 5:25 p.m., 6:25 p.m. and 7:25 p.m. Be sure you’re prompt – the show involves free-flight birds, so late arrivals will not be admitted.
6. Save room in your belly – Candy isn’t the only delicious treat at Boo! Elson’s Place will have sweets like hot chocolate and waffles, Grizzly Grill is a great place for a family dinner and The Overlook will be serving up some upscale delicacies.
   
7. Superheroes like to soar – The Mountaineer Sky Ride will be taking little superheroes and their families to the top of the Zoo during all seven nights of Boo! Opt for the Boo/Sky Ride combo ticket at the admission gate to save $2 per person. The last ride up is at 8 p.m., so plan ahead.
8. Don’t miss the animals – Select animal exhibits will be open, including giraffes, The Loft, Monkey Pavilion, Encounter Africa and Aquatics. Plus there will be two animal demos nightly – 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The lions, elephants, hippos, monkeys, meerkats, black rhino and giraffes will receive pumpkins, crepe-paper ghosts, bug-filled gourds and more during enrichment times. Check the online schedule (www.cmzoo.org/boo) to know what animals are featured during the night you attend Boo.
9. Renew or Purchase a membership – Zoo members get a special admission discount of $5 per person. Don’t forget to renew or purchase your membership prior to Boo at the Zoo (Zoo memberships are not available for purchase or renewal at Boo.)
10. Arrive with enough time – In addition to trick or treating, animal demos and a stage show, Boo at
    the Zoo also has a Lighted Pumpkin Patch, Haunted Fun House, Ghoulish Graveyard, Boo Carousel and Pirate Cove. Make sure you arrive with enough time to see and do everything – Boo hours are from 4-8:30 p.m. each night with the last admission sold at 7:30 p.m.

For more information about Boo at the Zoo, visit www.cmzoo.org/boo. Boo at the Zoo is sponsored by Larry H. Miller Toyota, Liberty Toyota of Colorado Springs, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs Pediatric Dentistry and Sam’s Club. 

Raising Funds for Down Under Improvements

The Zoo takes pride in making continual exhibit improvements for the animals. Therefore, it’s no surprise that before the dust settled on Encounter Africa, plans to improve the Australia exhibit were already underway.

The Australia upgrade project will include some new exciting features. To start, the wallaby walk-through will be improved, and a new off-season space will be added so guests can enjoy the wallabies in an indoor winter yard.

Though they aren’t Australian, our alligators have been officially “adopted” by this part of the Zoo, and everyone hates seeing them leave for the winter. A new building for a new species of alligators for the Zoo – Chinese alligators – will keep them at the Zoo year-round. Educational elements in the new space will also explain the differences between alligators and their Australian counterparts, crocodiles.

The new, improved Budgie Buddies exhibit will still offer guests the thrills of a free-flight aviary, but the space will be remodeled and improvements will be made to ventilation and plumbing.

Throughout Australia, guest pathways will be widened, allowing for better accessibility and less crowding through the exhibit.  

In addition to the improvements to the down-under animal habitats, the renovation will allow us expand our educational outreach animals’ living quarters in the basement of our Scutes Family Gallery building.  

Now that the renovation plans have been put on paper, the next step is fundraising. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a non-profit that does not receive any tax support. We rely on donations to improve and build new spaces for our animals. If you would like to contribute to the future improvements of Australia at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, contact Kelley Parker at 719.633.9925 ext. 164 or for more information on the project, visit: http://www.cmzoo.org/aboutZoo/ourFuture/australia.asp. 

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.