While in Colorado to look at some college opportunities for my daughter, I got the chance to visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. Can you imagine my delight 🙂 Animals are my favorite photo models, no matter if big or small. I just love their diversity, their different shapes, behaviors and skills.
I have to admit, I’m sometimes saddened about the situations the animals have to endure in some zoos (with all the cement and small enclosures), but the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is amazing and beautiful.
Being set at an elevation of 6,800 feet along the slopes of a mountain near Colorado Springs the zoo is literally ‘in the mountains’. The enclosures are spacious and match the animals natural habitat. The animals are vivid and spirited. Not one of them was pacing like I sometimes see them do in other facilities.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is part of global conservation programs and participates in more than 30 Species Survival Programs to prevent extinction of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, one of them is the Mexican Grey Wolf, to ensure their future survival.
It was a special treat for me to visit this zoo. I loved to see the bears digging and then taking a nap. The tiger was sunbathing while the elephants took a real bath …
Here are some of my pics
We had a lot of fun watching people feeding the giraffes – they have a herd of 17 giraffes there, and you can feed them with lettuce.
And this huge African bird with the long eyelashes is a Ground Hornbill. It is very curious and we laughed when it followed my daughter’s hand throwing cones in the air over and over again.
And then there were the elephants
tigers
bears
and bald eagles
This cute Canada Lynx kitten came down the hill to look at us. Finally, he decided we were enemies and growled and hissed at us in such a non-threatening-super-cute tone that we couldn’t get enough of it – until his mom yelled for him and he scrambled up towards his siblings.
What do you think about animals? Are you an animal lover? Which one is your favorite?
They are all favorites and you are so lucky to have gone to Cheyenne Mt. zoo. Was the lynx enclosed–hopefully it was.
Thank you, Gloria 🙂
Oh yes, the lynx was enclosed in a great habitat. He was just so cute.