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October 25, 2022
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO
4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
“The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a zoological park located southwest of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Cheyenne Mountain in the United States. At an elevation of 6,714 feet above sea level, it is the highest zoo in America. The zoo covers 140 acres, 40 of which are in use.” - Wikipedia
I think I may have just found my favorite zoo, and to think I almost skipped it because I was skeptical about how good it would be. The zoo’s unique layout, being built into the side of a mountain, was just one of the intriguing things about it. The animal enclosures, for the most part, just seemed more natural than a lot of zoos. For example, a lot of zoos try to incorporate large boulders in their design, but most look manmade. Here, the boulders were real, and it might have been my imagination, but the lions just seemed more comfortable scaling the real thing.
I loved the huge herd of giraffes, the African elephants, the grizzly bears, and the Rocky Mountain goats. There were impressive indoor facilities housing the giraffes, elephants, hippopotami, penguins, and apes. There was a lot of uphill climbing, as one might expect on a mountain, but it didn’t seem excessive and I only remember having to rest once, after climbing the three-story tower leading to the grizzly bear viewing area (but there were 20-somethings that had to rest also, so I didn’t feel that bad).
I definitely recommend this zoo if you are in the area. I know I will visit again if I am ever anywhere close.
Okapi
A young Red River Hog
Just a part of giraffe exhibit.
Lots of people were feeding the giraffes.
Slender-Tailed Meerkat
African Lion
The view if you tire of looking at the animals.
African Elephant
Pelican
Guinea Pigs
American Alligator
A young Hippotomus
Western Lowland Gorilla
Western Lowland Gorilla
Chuckwalla
Bornean Orangutan
Hoffmann's Two-Toed Sloth
Veiled Chameleon - staff person held food about 8 inches away and the chameleon grabbed it with his tongue.
Pallas' Cat. Seen these at a couple other zoos, they never look happy.
Amur Tiger
The tower up to the Grizzly Bear viewing area. The elevator wasn't working.
Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear
Mountain Lion
Mexican Wolf
Alaskan Moose
Rocky Mountain Goat