November 2023
Dear Friend,
On May 17th two adorable, critically endangered Amur leopard cubs were born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. At the time of their birth, it had been nearly 20 years since leopard cubs had been born at the Zoo. Of course, Zoo staff, members, guests and the community were overjoyed and instantly smitten. The cubs (pictured on the front at three months old) were an amazing arrival, not only because of their undeniable cuteness. The cubs- two males who would be named Basha and Mango- belong to a species that’s widely known to be the rarest big cat in the world. Only around 100 Amur leopards remain in the wilds of Far East Russia and China. Including parents Anya and Anadyr, our Amur leopard family represents four percent of the wild population. Basha and Mango’s births provide hope for the future of their species.
At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we believe that the animals in our care have an important job to do: help people fall in love with them and care about what happens to their wild counterparts. Animals like Basha and Mango play an important role in inspiring our guests to care about wildlife and wild places. (It doesn’t hurt that they’re wild and crazy “toddlers” who are so much fun to watch snuggling, climbing, and playing.)
While the cubs were certainly a highlight of 2023, there were lots of exciting things happening at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
A few other highlights include:
- Being recognized as the #4 zoo in the country by USA Today 10Best.
- Breaking ground on an exciting construction project that includes moving the main vehicle road to decrease the amount of space that vehicles and pedestrians have to share, creating a larger, more accessible front entry plaza, relocating our historic carousel, and more!
- Watching some of our most “famous” babies grow up healthy and strong: hippo Omo is now two years old and weighs over 1,100 pounds, while giraffe Wednesday turned one in October and continues to delight by being her spunky self.
- Partnering with organizations like Tsavo Trust and Wildlife Conservation Society to help save endangered species like elephants, rhino, tigers, orangutans, giraffe, and more.
- Building new exhibits for our Southern ground hornbills and our Von der Decken’s hornbills have helped guests fall in love with these charismatic birds.
- And so much more!
We are so grateful to our friends, members and guests who allow us to do this work on their behalf. Your support means the world to us and allows us to continue to do great things like breed critically endangered leopards, create new ways to inspire a love of the natural world, and give you an experience for a lifetime with every visit.
I hope you’ll consider continuing your support with a gift to our Annual Fund. Every dollar makes a difference and directly supports our work in conservation, education and animal care. Thank you for being part of our CMZoo Family!
Warmly,
Tracey Gazibara
Executive Vice President
For more information
Please contact Kelley Parker, Director of Development at [email protected] or 719-424-7810.