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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.
Follow Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn for updates on our incredible animals!
@DenverZoo in the Wild
After several weeks of anticipation, we are thrilled to announce that our African lion cubs have officially been named! Drumroll please... 🥁 🦁
We’re pleased to introduce our male cub, Guion, and our little lion ladies, Alpine Lily, Olive and Poppy! Their names were thoughtfully chosen through meaningful conversations with their Animal Care team, who have worked tirelessly over the past several months to ensure the cubs’ wellbeing, along with special contributions from two incredible families who support Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
Our cubs are growing bigger by the day and are quite the rambunctious bunch. Most recently, they’ve been spending time in the primary habitat of Predator Ridge, delighting lion fans with their playful exploration and boundless curiosity.
Visit the link in our bio to read more!
Jasiri has arrived safe and sound! 🦒🧡
Our five-year-old reticulated giraffe, Jasiri, has officially arrived @cheyennemountainzoo for a temporary stay in support of giraffe conservation efforts. He recently took a smooth road trip down south and is settling in nicely with his new care staff and herd members!
This move is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Giraffe Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative program that helps ensure a healthy, genetically diverse giraffe population across accredited zoos.
We’re thrilled to see him off to such a great start and can’t wait to welcome him back later this year.
📸: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Our Rodeo Queens paid us a special visit today! 👑🦒
They kicked things off by meeting Sloan, our ambassador sloth, then headed out for an up-close encounter with BB and Thorn the giraffes and Opal the zebra. It was a day full of amazing animal moments and unforgettable smiles. Thanks for stopping by and sharing the love for wildlife with us!
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#DenverZooConservationAlliance #Rodeo #NationalWesternStockshow #SavingWildlifeTogether #Hoofstock #Sloth #Zebra #Giraffe
Our kudu herd just got a little bigger, and a whole lot cuter! Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the family, a sweet baby girl born to lesser kudu Eleanor on January 5!
This little one is bonding with her mom Eleanor, big sister Lizzy, half-sister Elphie, and Auntie Betty the gerenuk (or our “lessest” kudu). She can be spotted outside, following Lizzy and Elphie around, weather and temperatures permitting. Lesser kudu are a caching species and like to hide, so be sure to look for her in corners of the yard or even in the tree protection on the east side of the yard!
In the meantime, meet this calm and confident kudu in our latest Baby Bulletin, presented by @intermountain.
Photo Credit: Assistant Curator of Hoofstock Jordan B.
