Big Antler News!

Tahoma, our five-year-old moose that lives in Rocky Mountain Wild, has lost his antlers. No, he didn't misplace them!  He shed them for the winter – on Christmas Day. His new look has prompted a number of questions about moose antlers from our guests, which we will be answering today!

Tahoma shows off his 2012 antlers.

Mature male moose shed their antlers in the winter and grow a new set in the spring. The new set only takes three to five months to fully develop, with a surprising growth rate of up to one inch per day! Each set of antlers grown will be larger than the previous year, so you can pick out older moose by their larger racks. Moose shed their antlers because it makes foraging for winter food easier, and the lack of weight helps conserve needed energy.

Tahoma, just after dropping his rack.

Now that Tahoma has shed his antlers, some guests have mistaken him for a female. You can tell the difference between a cow moose and a bull moose in a number of different ways, even after males shed their antlers. The bell, or the skin that hangs down from their necks, it is significantly larger in bulls. You can also distinguish a cow from a bull by looking at the color of their noses – males have black noses, while females usually have reddish-brown noses.  And at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we don’t have a female moose. The moose you see here will always be good ‘ol Tahoma!

Tahoma's first antlers (front) compared to this year's antlers (back).

All of Tahoma’s antlers are kept for demonstrations and education. It’s amazing to see how much bigger each set is than the last.  How much do Tahoma’s 2012 antlers weigh?  Take your best guess on our Facebook page contest, beginning 12/28, for a chance to win a moose plush animal and four admission tickets to come see Tahoma! Visit www.facebook.com/CMZoo by 01/07 to submit your entry. The winner will be announced on 01/10.

A Winter Safari too Good to Miss

Thousands have made Electric Safari a holiday tradition, but for those of you who are new to the event, we’ve created a top-five list of activities you will not want to miss. Even if you’ve attended before, you might discover something new. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be warming the hearts of families with the 22^nd year of Electric Safari, running nightly through January 1, 2013, from 5:30-8:30pm, with the exception of Christmas Eve. For those looking to avoid crowds, try visiting during the week.

Here comes…animal fun!

Animals are always the stars of Electric Safari, and presentations by our animal keepers will enhance your visit. If you’re here during the week, try to catch Wednesday’s 7:30pm enrichment demonstration. You’ll see our African lions rip into stockings filled with goodies from Santa – goodies lionesses love, including food and perfumed boxes. Friday through Monday at 6pm, watch the elephants at their featured demonstration. You might see them tear bark off logs using their feet (Kimba’s specialty) or watch them move barrels around with their trunks to get at hidden treats. With multiple keeper talks and demonstrations each night, your favorite animal is sure to be featured in a whole new light. Nightly schedules are available at the front gate.

Santa and Mrs. Claus are coming to town. 

St. Nick and Mrs. Claus will be spreading cheer and granting wishes in Safari Lodge every night through Sunday, December 23. After delivering millions of gifts around the world, Santa deserves a big thank you. This year, children can share their gratitude with Santa and Mrs. Claus when they return from the North Pole - only for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo guests. Don’t miss the opportunity to teach kids about the sprit of giving, receiving and saying, “Thank you, Santa” on Saturday, December 29.

It’s going to be a blue (red, yellow, white and purple) Christmas.

We have OVER ONE MILLION LIGHTS. But we didn’t stop after stringing lights around trees. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s horticulture staff designed and built more than 40 one-of-a-kind animated animal sculptures. All your favorites are back this year, and be sure to look for new ones, mainly in Encounter Africa. Our favorite is the new “elephant pushing over an apple tree” sculpture.

The fire is so delightful.

As you stroll around Electric Safari, take a moment to warm up by one of the fires. Share your favorite holiday memories with your family, or simply listen to the sound of the crackling fire. The warmth of the fire mixed with crisp mountain air will engulf you in the sprit of the season. If you still need some extra warmth, stop into the Grizzly Grill and purchase a fresh-baked holiday spice cookie and a cup of hot chocolate.   

See it from the Mountain!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo offers spectacular views of the city from all over our mountain side. The new sky bridge to the elephant barn and the path in front of the Grizzly Grill offer great views. For the more adventurous, the view from the top of the Mountaineer Sky Ride is a sight you cannot afford to miss. On your flight up, look down into animal exhibits, get a new angle on the Zoo lights and see the splendor of Colorado Springs and beyond. Pick out your favorite city landmarks – the Broadmoor, downtown and maybe even your own neighborhood. Don’t forget to bring your camera.

Lights, campfires, animals, jolly old St. Nick. A winter safari too good to miss. Come celebrate the spirit of the holidays at Electric Safari with our Cheyenne Mountain Zoo family! For more information visit: www.cmzoo.org/ElectricSafari.

Jumbe’s Journey to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we love announcing new additions to our animal family, so we’ve had a lot of fun this week talking about Jumbe, the black rhino. But it prompted a question for some – exactly how do you transport a 2,658-pound animal nearly 900 miles?

Jumbe’s journey started at Caldwell Zoo in Texas, another Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited facility. A special crate was made just for him and placed in his enclosure. He was trained to shift into the crate and was given special treats whenever he went in. After several positive experiences, he was ready for his road trip from Texas to Colorado on the back of a flatbed truck.  

Jumbe (pronounced joom-bay) arrived at his new home in the elephant barn around midnight on October 10 to excited staff and four very curious elephants. Take a look at the photos to see Jumbe’s first steps out of his travel crate and onto Cheyenne Mountain Zoo ground.

Since his arrival, Jumbe has settled in nicely. His keepers report that he has a very calm demeanor – which is unique for a young male rhino. He often spends his days pushing around a boomer ball, tossing a tire in the air, snacking on willow branches, and napping after a eating his breakfast of alfalfa and grain.

Your first chance to catch a glimpse of Jumbe is during Electric Safari – which runs Friday, December 7 - Sunday, December 9 and Friday, December 14 - Tuesday, January 1 from 5:30 - 8:30pm nightly (except Christmas Eve). This will also be your first chance since construction began on our new $13.5 million Encounter Africa exhibit to see four lovely elephant ladies enjoying their new barn. Don’t miss out!

For more information about Electric Safari, visit: www.cmzoo.org/ElectricSafari.

For updates on the completion of Encounter Africa, visit: www.cmzoo.org/EncounterAfrica. 

What's New at Electric Safari?

Electric Safari is less than two weeks away, and the Zoo is buzzing with excitement about this year’s event. The event will boast over one million lights, Santa through December 23, keeper talks all 21 nights, select animal exhibit viewings and the big reveal of the new elephant barn! If your eyes just widened because this is the first you are hearing the BIG BARN NEWS you’d better keep reading.

For the very first time, the new elephant barn (and the four lovely elephant ladies inside) will be accessible to the public – only during the evenings of Electric Safari! This will be your only chance to see the girls and their new indoor home until later this winter.

Curious about what you’ll encounter during the Electric Safari Elephant Barn opening? Upon entering the Encounter Africa area, you will experience the sheer size of African elephants with four life-sized sculptures. Proceed to the sky bridge, which will give you stunning views of the city on your way to the viewing area of the elephant barn.

The new elephant barn is 2/3 the size of a football field, giving our four elephants lots of space for training and enrichment. During Electric Safari, you might get to see an elephant splash herself in an elephant-operated warm-water shower, play in her sand stall, or use her trunk to eat carrots, cabbage or fruit out of a life-sized enrichment tree built specifically for our barn.

We know everyone has missed seeing the elephants, and Electric Safari is your chance to visit the Zoo and once again admire the size and beauty of our four African elephants. Electric Safari runs Friday, December 7 - Sunday, December 9 and Friday, December 14 - Tuesday, January 1 (Electric Safari closed Christmas Eve) from 5:30 - 8:30pm nightly. For more information about Electric Safari visit: www.cmzoo.org/ElectricSafari.

Need a reminder of who is who? Read more about each of our four elephants here: http://cmzoo.org/exhibitsAttractions/encounterAfrica/animals.asp.

Gratitude Turkey Treat Jar

Do you need a project for your kids to do while you are cooking your Thanksgiving feast tomorrow? We’ve got the perfect project for them - a gratitude turkey treat jar! Thanks to the Toddler-Approved blog, this project will repurpose some of your recyclables, while helping your children learn about the sprit of gratitude and giving thanks this holiday.

Materials Needed: 

·         Glue

·         Candy

·         jars with lids

·         colored cardstock

·         scissors

·         markers

·         googly eyes

Directions:

1. Grab your leftover Halloween candy or any small treat that will fit inside your jar. 

2. Fill up your jar with treats. 

3. Draw some feathers.

4. Cut out the feathers. (This is a good scissor-skills activity for little ones.)

5. Make sure that your jar is FULL and the lid is on tight!

6. Brainstorm what your child is thankful for, or the people they are thankful for and what they like to do with that person. Write their answers (or have them write their answers) on the feathers. 

7. Add some double-stick tape to the back of the jar and start sticking the feathers on. Make sure to have their thankful words all facing the same direction. 

8. Use some glue and add on a beak, googly eyes and a wattle. (If you do not have googly eyes, you can cut out eyes with white paper and use a black marker to color in eyes.) Let everything dry.

9. Review all of the things that your child wrote on the feathers together. Deliver your turkey treat jar to a person they are thankful for, and have them tell them why they are the recipient of their jar.