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Summer is here and the fun in the sun has begun! As the temperatures rise and the days get hot, we keep cool however we can—a dip in the pool, frozen treats and plenty of shade. Our wild and wonderful animals are no different, except they rely on our care to beat the heat.
As the heat rises in Colorado, the challenges for our Animal Care team who look after 2,500+ animals continue to grow. Our staff is working hard at finding new ways to keep our animals cool during the hottest months of the year. Air-conditioned indoor spaces are available to cool off, but unsurprisingly, our wild animals do want to be outside—and we want that for them!
From fans and misters to ice machines and blood popsicles, our Animal Care Specialists are dedicated to coming up with creative ways to keep our residents comfortable in the heat of the summer while also providing fun and beneficial enrichment.
Check out these three unique ways our Animal Care Specialists help keep our animals extra cool and comfortable all season long!
Blood Popsicle, Anyone?
Our Animal Care Specialists love coming up with creative ways to keep our tigers cool in the summer heat, including making meat and blood popsicles!
Popsicles made of frozen blood and meat may not sound appetizing to us, but our big cats sure do love them, especially because they provide mental stimulation. A donation of $100 can provide our tiger with her favorite “bloodsicles.” Sounds delicious…at least if you’re ChloJo!
Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Three Hyenas in a Tub!
Who’s up for a cold plunge? Our spotted hyenas, Ngozi, Kelele and Tavi are—and don’t forget the bubbles! Treat our hyena pack to a sudsy spa day with a nice, cold bubble bath to clean up and cool off. Bubble baths also serve as enrichment, as hyenas like to hide things in water and come back to them later. Our Animal Care staff hides fun items for the pack to find and ups the challenge level by making the items hard to see. Whenever the suds come out, the pack gets extra excited to play! For just $48/month you can provide tubs of bubs for our spotted pack of three. If you’re a big fan of bubble baths, we’ve got some well-pampered hyenas who totally agree.
Throw Shade at Our Flamingos
Because wild animals want to be outside as much as possible, shade is the gold standard for keeping animals cool when the summer sun is hot. While our Horticulture team continues integrating trees into new and current habitat designs, some of our habitats require unique shade solutions, like a custom shade sail. These shade sails require concrete caissons, structural steel for poles, the shade material and installation. Installing custom sails is a big-ticket item at $65,000 a pop, but every little bit helps! Keep our flock fabulous and donate any amount today.
As a non-profit organization, your donations continue to provide world-class care for all our animals, including keeping them extra cool and comfortable all season long.
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@DenverZoo in the Wild
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Flavio, our beloved Argentine boa and well-known participant in our Animal Ambassador program.
After months of intensive treatment, ongoing evaluation and close collaboration between his Animal Care and Veterinary teams, the difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize Flavio on August 28.
Flavio had been receiving treatment for an abscess near his cloaca since April. Despite daily wound care, pain management, close monitoring and multiple surgical interventions, our teams were ultimately unable to get the infection under control. Over time, the infection progressed to sepsis and began affecting multiple organ systems, including his kidneys and liver. More recently, changes in Flavio’s behavior indicated that his condition was continuing to decline and his quality of life was being impacted.
This decision was not made lightly. Flavio’s dedicated teams exhausted all treatment options, and euthanasia was determined to be the most humane choice to prevent further suffering.
While we are heartbroken by this loss, we are especially grateful for the incredible impact Flavio had as a member of our Animal Ambassador program. He helped positively shape perceptions of snakes, giving countless guests, students and community members the opportunity to connect with and better understand these often-misunderstood reptiles. His calm, gentle nature made him a wonderful ambassador for his species and his presence left a lasting impression on everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him.
Flavio was truly a special snake and he will be deeply missed by the many people who knew and cared for him. We’re grateful that he was part of our Animal Ambassador family and for all the connections he helped create between people and wildlife. We invite you to share your favorite memories or photos of Flavio in the comments below. ❤️🐍
Go WILD this fall with two Adult Nights! From exclusive new beverage tastings and animal experiences to Halloween-themed entertainment and live music, there`s something for every kind of party animal.
🍻 The Watering Hole Adult Night: Don`t miss our NEW 21+ experience on September 24 featuring beverage tastings, live entertainment, and unique after-hours Zoo experiences. Sample beverages from 13 local partners, including non-alcoholic options, while enjoying live music, a silent disco, animal demonstrations, Zoo expert talks, lawn games, trivia, carousel karaoke, and more.
👻 Monster Masquerade Adult Night: This fan-favorite 21+ Halloween celebration returns on October 29! Dress to impress and enjoy a complimentary canned drink (non-alcoholic and gluten-free options available), plus a costume contest, trivia, tarot readings, carousel karaoke, live music, a silent disco, festive photo ops, and animal experiences throughout the evening.
Get your tickets now before they sell out! Link in bio.
You and your bestie just trying to make it through the week...
In this photo, ring-tailed lemurs Michael and Dwight are displaying their species` iconic sunbathing behavior. Each morning, ring-tailed lemurs sit upright on their haunches, with legs and arms spread out and forearms resting on their knees, exposing the undersides of their limbs to the sun to thermoregulate. Since they`re highly social animals, touching or holding onto each other while they bask also helps reinforce and strengthen social bonds. ☀️🫶💛
Rex has been waiting all year for #IguanaAwarenessDay! 🦎
At DZCA, we`re proud to be home to several incredible iguana species, including Rex the rhinoceros iguana, our Endangered Fiji banded iguana, and our Mexican spiny-tailed iguanas.
These living legends face serious threats from habitat destruction, the pet trade, and invasive species. Responsible pet ownership makes a real difference. Be mindful about the animals we welcome into our homes and remember you can always come visit ours instead! 🦎
Photos: Volunteer Photographer Jo Ashton
#IguanaAwarenessDay #DenverZooConservationAlliance #TropicalDiscovery #SavingWildlifeTogether #Iguana
