Español
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
We had a blast showing JUSTB around Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance! 🫶🦥🐘🦒🔥
Geonu, Siwoo, Sangwoo and Bain got to meet a few of our animals behind the scenes, bring True Heart to our elephant habitat, enjoy a sneak peek of our Glowing Wild lanterns and learn more about our work.
Catch JUSTB tonight, April 15, at the Roxy Theater, and don’t miss DZCA`s final Glowing Wild K-Pop Night on April 18!
@justb_ig_official @geonulife @_s.w_oo @sang_wooo @6a1n @theroxydenver #justb #denverzooconservationalliance #denver #denverevents #kpop #snowangel #TrueHeart #geonu #siwoo #sangwoo #bain
✨ See the Zoo in a whole new light! ✨
You may have spotted our 175+ colorful lanterns during your daytime visit, but the real magic begins after sunset. As night falls, Glowing Wild transforms Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance into an immersive, illuminated wonderland. 🌙🏮
Watch as these iconic displays transition from day to night and experience the glow that has everyone talking. But don’t wait! This fan-favorite event is only here through May 10!
Mark your calendars for these special themed nights:
🎶 K-Pop Night – April 18
🍻 Adult Night – May 7
Experience the real Glowing Wild after dark! Check the link in bio.
Presented by @tianyuartsculture
#GlowingWild #DenverZooConservationAlliance #DenverEvents #ThingsToDoInDenver
Our resident raccoon sisters, Pecan and Cashew, celebrated their 5th birthday today! 🦝
To mark the occasion, their Animal Care team decorated their yard with special enrichment, including an ice cake filled with pineapple juice, cherries, coconut, and crickets, as well as “monster boxes” packed with veggies and biscuits.
Stop by Harmony Hill to learn more about these incredible raccoons and their rescue story. You just might fall in love with them too! 🐾
Photos: Assistant Curator Katelyn S., and Animal Care Specialists Ellen S., and Hannah L.
Our very own Stephanie Reaves is hitting the pavement for the Colfax Half Marathon, and she’s running in support of Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance!
For Steph, running is all about staying strong, finding balance, and building healthy habits, and just like people, our animals thrive by staying active (our flamingos’ enrichment walks are a perfect example! )🦩
✨ GIVEAWAY ALERT ✨
Want to join the race? We’re giving away a FREE registration code (bib) for the full Colfax Marathon!
Here’s how to enter:
1️⃣ Comment your wildest animal running pun 🐆
2️⃣ One winner will be randomly selected from the comments
📅 Giveaway opens April 13 and closes April 15
📩 Winner will be notified via DM from our official DZCA account on April 15
Let’s run wild, Denver! Check out the link in bio for more information
@runcolfax
#DenverZooConservationAlliance #SavingWildlifeTogether #HalfMarathon #DenverMarathons #Run #RunningEnthusiast #Flamingos
