Latest news with #CMZoo
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomes baby penguin
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A fluffy new baby has been welcomed to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) this month, marking a milestone in conservation of a critically endangered species. The newest addition to the zoo, an African penguin chick, made its grand debut and hatched on April 8. At just 22 days old, CMZoo said the chick now weighs 983 grams – up 901 grams from its first weight of 82 grams on April 11. That's an average of 41 grams per day. 'This little one is an important ambassador for African penguins,' CMZoo said. 'In 2024, African penguins were officially uplisted to 'critically endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with the number of wild breeding pairs falling below 10,000. If current trends continue, these charismatic birds could be extinct in the wild by 2035.' CMZoo said guests can keep an eye (and ear) out for the chick in the penguin building in Water's Edge Africa. While it's usually snuggled in the nest, guests might see it wriggle out, or hear it peeping. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
CMZoo mourns passing of 22-year-old giraffe
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) is mourning the passing of one of its beloved giraffes, Mahali, who was the second-oldest giraffe in the nation. According to CMZoo, Mahali was humanely euthanized on Thursday, April 10, due to age-related decline. At 22 years old, CMZoo said Mahali was the second-oldest male reticulated giraffe in Association of Zoos and Aquariums facilities in the country. 'Mahali changed the way we think about caring for aging giraffe,' said Rick Hester, CMZoo animal behaviors curator. 'It's not often you have the opportunity to work with a male giraffe this old, and once we understood each other, we could try all sorts of accommodations to help him age comfortably.' According to CMZoo, Mahali helped zoo staff further their education in caring for an aging giraffe, as some things that worked for other giraffes didn't work for Mahali as he got older. 'Mahali had special needs, and what worked for the rest of the herd wasn't working for him as he aged, so we worked to find the right nuance for Mahali,' Hester said. 'When we were together, we were really focused on each other, and Mahali responded well for many years.' Through training and specialized care, CMZoo said it got many extra years with Mahali, allowing him to continue socializing with his herd, eating well, and greeting guests of the zoo. Some of that specialized care came in the form of orthopedic shoes glued to his hooves to help him move around. CMZoo said thanks to Mahali's dedicated team, he spent many of his golden years enjoying quality health and happiness at the zoo. 'He had a great last day,' said Jason Bredahl, CMZoo curator of animal environments and former giraffe animal care manager. Jason was present for Mahali's entire life, the zoo said. 'He went out into the yard with an enthusiasm we hadn't seen in a few days. He soaked up the sunshine and ate lettuce and tree branches while socializing with his herd and our guests. We're proud of the 'bonus years' we've been able to give Mahali, and we're grateful for all the guests he has inspired and animal welfare he has taught us. It's always hard when we know it's time to say goodbye, but it's also our final act of compassion and stewardship for our animals.' CMZoo said Mahali was the first giraffe calf born in the zoo's current giraffe barn, hours before Mother's Day in May 2003. As the Zoo makes progress on its giraffe habitat expansion and a new 12,000 square-foot giraffe building, giraffe staff say they will take the lessons Mahali taught them to their new giraffe center, and share with keepers around the world through the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe's workshops, information sharing and consultations. 'Mahali's legacy will live on in every giraffe that gets to live old well,' the zoo said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
CMZoo remembers gorilla who recently passed away
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Wednesday, April 9, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) shared that recently, Roxie, a 48-year-old female Western lowland gorilla, was humanely euthanized, due to age-related decline. CMZoo said Roxie was an icon, as the zoo's longest living resident. Roxie was born in 1976 and was a constant on the mountain for generations of staff and visitors. Roxie was well known throughout the gorilla care community because she was the fifth oldest Western lowland gorilla in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). According to CMZoo, although Roxie did not have children, she was important at the CMZoo, playing a key role in the cohesiveness of the troop at CMZoo. Roxie was the 'cool aunt' to 32-year-old gorilla Asha, often playing and wrestling with her when she was a baby. She also helped 32-year-old Kwisha settle in at CMZoo when she was not accepted by her mother at another zoo, and she moved to CMZoo at 8 months old. Roxie was instrumental in social support, leading Asha and the troop one step closer to future offspring by helping Goma, a silverback, learn his place in the troop. CMZoo said Roxie's confidence around Goma helped him learn how to lead female gorillas with respectful dominance. Helped, in part, by Roxie's calm and gentle leadership, the other female members of the group followed her lead and learned to embrace him. 'She was the first gorilla we ever saw have a tickle fight with Goma,' Ashton Asbury, Primate World keeper, says. 'Goma and Roxie shared a special relationship. She gave him grace and reacted calmly to his natural displays, which helped the troop's level of calmness during some of those introductions, but she also banded with other females to help him learn limits.' CMZoo said Roxie was known for her playfulness and excitability. Even in her older years, she would beat her chest, clap, and make happy gorilla noises when she saw her keeper preparing to train with her. Gorillas are extremely intelligent and social. After she passed, Roxie's care team moved her back into the space with her troop, so they could say goodbye and understand her absence. CMZoo said the loss of Roxie will likely be felt by the CMZoo gorilla troop, Asha, Swisha, and Goma, as much as the humans who cared for her. CMZoo keepers are asking for the public's support to honor Roxie by recycling small electronic devices at CMZoo. Coltan, a mineral used in cell phones and other electronics, is part of the cause of habitat loss for Western lowland gorillas, as many of the West African lowland forests and swamps that these animals call home are also natural deposits of coltan. CMZoo said coltan is recyclable, and by donating old electronics, valuable supplies of coltan can be used for future phone production. Guests can donate electronics to CMZoo admissions, or there is a recycling collection bin near the gorillas' indoor dens at Primate World. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
