Monday, February 09, 2009

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Jake's second stop of the day, was the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. This zoo is literally on the side of a mountain and has some breathtaking views of Colorado Springs. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was founded in 1926 by philanthropist Spencer Penrose to house his growing collection of exotic animals. In 1938, after substantial development, Penrose deeded the Zoo as a non-profit public trust to the people of Colorado Springs.

Click here to see the zoo on the map of places we've been.


Jake's favorite exhibit at the zoo was the Mountain Lions. This exhibit allows you to get up close and personal to the big cats. Jake enjoyed this exhibit so much that he went back for a second look. When he arrived, he discovered that there was not a single Mountain Lion to be seen. Rachel who is one of the zoo keepers, explained that it was feeding time and all of the Mountain Lions had been moved inside temporarily so that food could be placed in the enclosure. When Jake explained that he really liked the exhibit, Rachel invited Jake on a short behind the scenes tour of the Mountain Lion enclosure. There he met Kaya and her three brothers who share the enclosure with her. Rachel explained that today is actually fasting day for the mountain lions. Today they only get bones to eat, because in the wild they would not be able to eat every day. After the bones were placed in the enclosure, the cats were let out of their cages and immediately attacked the bones. It was very cool to watch.
The zoo also has 20 giraffs and a family of lowland gorrillas. The day was a little windy, but Jake enjoyed his visit to the zoo and looks for ward to the next visit.

If you would like to see some additional zoo pictures, click on this link.

Other Colorado Springs Attractions
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