Asha, a 32-year-old critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, welcomed a baby boy on July 21, 2025. Both seem to be doing well! The baby is hitting lots of gorilla baby milestones, including clinging tightly to mom, nursing regularly, mouthing Asha’s solid food, practicing head and limb control and making focused eye contact.

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Goma joined a tightly bonded group of females after coming from a bachelor group, and with time, introductions, and strong social bonds, the troop became a cohesive group. Though inexperienced, Asha helped Goma learn how to breed and he became a first-time dad on July 21, 2025. It’s exciting to see how far Goma has come and the important contributions he continues to make to his species.

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In Primate World, there is an abundance of excitement from members, guests and Zoo staff, as everyone hopes to catch a glimpse of 32-year-old Western lowland gorilla mom, Asha, and her one-month-old baby. You can see just how special it is for someone to see a gorilla infant for the first, second or third time. I get it. I feel that excitement, too. The birth of a gorilla baby has always been a highlight of my career as an animal keeper, and I have been lucky to work with six gorilla babies over my career. Still, I think daily how amazing it is that my talented teammates and I get to experience this every day.

Working with Asha throughout her pregnancy and seeing her be a wonderful caring mother is incredible. But, that is not the whole story playing out directly in front of everyone. The animal care team is also watching Goma, the group’s silverback.

Goma makes this particular gorilla birth extra exciting for me because he is a first-time dad! I have worked with many silverbacks, but Goma is the first one I have cared for that has integrated into a family group after spending the majority of his life in a bachelor group.

Bachelor groups are normal social groupings found in wild gorillas. Bachelor groups can also be found in some zoos. Goma, along with his brother, joined a bachelor group at a young age. When he arrived at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in 2016 to be the silverback of the family group, following a recommendation from the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, he lacked experience with adult females. It was a challenge for him as he learned to interact with the females of the group.

It took some time, but with the help of the animal care team and the female gorillas, Goma assumed his role as a silverback. He leads the group as their protector, and knows where they are at all times. One of the ways he has recently exhibited his protectiveness is by patrolling the outdoor habitat and barking at construction cranes he can see across the Zoo. The female gorillas also show their respect for him by moving out if his way as he approaches.

Another gap in Goma’s knowledge was his lack of experience with infants. Now, at 34 years old, he is experiencing one for the first time as a new dad, and that makes me smile. We are observing a bachelor silverback join a family group, learning the skills necessary to lead that group and now learning how to be a father. This is a huge accomplishment for Goma.

His behavior has been spot-on. He is quietly looking after Asha and the baby, respecting her position, but always closely in case they need him. On the baby’s second day, Asha and baby rested near the window while guests focused on the baby. What I observed was Goma sitting close by watching over them, keeping his eye on the guests. Prior to the birth, Goma would have been resting as well. But on this day, he sat vigilant for hours while she slept.

Asha is helping Goma learn appropriate skills. She is strong and confident and allows him brief moments to be close to the baby and her. At first, when he reached out to touch the baby she was quick to let him know one brief touch was enough. More recently, she has let him touch and smell the baby’s head. His approaches towards them are kind of sweet, as he appears gentle and careful near them.

For me, it has been a joy to see Goma’s growth as a father run parallel to the baby’s development. I’m very much looking forward to the day Goma and his son start playing together. I think that will probably be one of the most special days of my career. Until then, I will enjoy watching Asha bond with her newborn as Goma continues to learn his new role as a father.

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“Many of the lowland forests and swamps that Western lowland gorillas call home are also sources of deposits of coltan, a mineral used in manufacturing cell phones and other electronics,” Nicole Chaney, CMZoo conservation manager, says. “Due to the ever-increasing demand for cell phones across the world, the destruction of this critically endangered species’ habitat for mining purposes has unfortunately increased.”

The good news is that coltan is recyclable. To reduce the need to mine for coltan in these vital gorilla habitats, CMZoo can collect and send old cell phones to be recycled at a specialty recycler.

Every single day, members and guests can place used devices in the recycling box near the indoor gorilla viewing area. CMZoo sends those devices to ECO-CELL, an organization that recycles phones, tablets, smart watches, Bluetooth devices, GPS devices, e-readers, digital cameras, handheld gaming systems and their accessories.

If guests are unable to visit, they can drop electronics off at the Zoo’s admissions plaza, and the Guest Experience team will bring them to be recycled.

“We have been so impressed with our guests this year, especially,” Nicole says. “Last year, guests recycled 221 small electronic devices at CMZoo, and this year, we have already sent 250 to be recycled – and we have more to send.”

Every visit to CMZoo is conservation in action, because every visit and every membership contributes to the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program, which has raised nearly $6 million for conservation efforts around the world. Visiting Asha, Goma, Kwisha and the baby gorilla in Primate World helps people form connections with gorillas, and by taking advantage of this free recycling service, guests can make a direct impact to help save wild gorilla habitats.

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Of the many gorilla aspects to observe and adore, it’s worth taking a minute to focus on their noses. Conservationists do the same for scientific purposes.

“All of our gorillas have very different noses, so in addition to their other distinguishing features, we can identify them that way,” Ashton Asbury, Primate World animal keeper, says. “Being able to identify them here at the Zoo helps us track their qualities of life, health, social interactions and more. In the wild, conservationists use this method to identify wild gorillas, too.”

Each gorilla has a unique nose, just like humans. While there are other ways to identify gorillas individually, noses were efficient identifiers for conservationists who were often observing from afar or via photos and videos.

Wild gorilla research has been documented since the 1950s. Using consistent identifiers, like noses, helps researchers learn more about each individual long-term, which reveals how gorillas socialize and move through wild places. With information about how gorillas use habitats, conservationists can present data that helps support policies that protect the habitats gorillas need to survive.

As gorillas mature and naturally move out of their initial family groups to join other groups, conservationists noted their noses to identify and continue observing them in new groups.

“Once they have fully developed, gorillas’ nose shapes typically stay the same,” Ashton says. “Their body shapes and sizes and hair colors may change with age. Because they move between social groups, it’s not as dependable to rely on comparisons with other gorillas to identify individuals.”

By identifying individual gorillas, conservationists can track family dynamics, group movements, diets, migrations and even life spans – all foundational information that still benefits gorilla conservation efforts and care for great apes in human settings.

At CMZoo, gorilla fans can easily tell the gorillas apart by comparing their sizes, hair colors and more. Identifying Asha is especially simple now, because she’s the gorilla carrying an adorable baby! But, their noses are worth appreciating, too.

• Asha’s nose is heart-shaped. In between her nostrils is a U-shaped indent. She’s also identifiable as the shortest adult gorilla in the group.

• Goma’s nose is also heart-shaped, but he has a strong line between his nostrils. Goma is the largest gorilla in the CMZoo troop, and he has grayish-silver hair on his back.

• Kwisha’s nose is longer and her nostrils are more upright than Asha’s and Goma’s. Kwisha has brownish-red hair on her head, and she’s the ‘middle sized’ gorilla at CMZoo.

• So far, the baby’s nose is heart-shaped, like his parents’, but his nose is still developing.

Next time you’re in Primate World at CMZoo, test your gorilla knowledge and see if you can identify the adults by their noses.

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Keoki is starting to bond with her care team and has already shown interest in training — especially if cherries are on the menu! She will gently take pitted cherries from her care team and make soft cooing sounds while she eats them. One of her favorite spots in her new home is a hammock high up in her habitat, which her care team now calls her ‘throne.’ From there, she likes to watch guests down below.

Inside scoop: A male lar gibbon will soon be joining Keoki in Primate World! Stay tuned for updates.

The arrival of Keoki and the male gibbon support the Gibbon Species Survival Plan, helping to manage a diverse and healthy population in human care while inspiring gibbon preservation for their wild counterparts. Lar gibbons usually live in small family groups made up of a bonded pair and their offspring.

Lar gibbons, also known as white-handed gibbons, are endangered primates native to the tropical forests of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. Similar to orangutans, lar gibbons are impacted by unsustainable palm oil production, which has led to deforestation and the loss of their natural habitat. When produced sustainably, palm oil is the most productive edible oil available. Oil palms – the trees that palm oil comes from – produce four to ten times more oil than alternatives like soy, olive, canola and coconut. Switching to these alternatives would cause even more deforestation in tropical areas.

Luckily, you can help save their rainforests from the comfort of your own smartphone. Download the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) free mobile smartphone app, PalmOil Scan, from the Apple App Store or Google Play today. Next time you go shopping, just open your app, scan a product’s barcode, and see how that company ranks. If they haven’t committed to sustainable palm oil, consider instead supporting a similar company that has. This app was developed under the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA) and is managed for North America by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. PalmOil Scan is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Download the app today and learn more at cmzoo.org/palmoil.

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Funded by CMZoo’s annual Members-Only Conservation Vote, Motus tracking devices help researchers uncover owls’ incredible migration routes from Central America through the U.S. and Canada. This season, the team banded a fledgling after witnessing its very first flight and collected vital biological data to monitor health and population trends.

These owls face threats from habitat loss and human impacts, making member-funded conservation efforts essential to helping Colorado’s forests and flammulated owls thrive for generations to come.

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CMZoo’s Giraffe Center Makes Impressive Progress and Nears Pivotal Deadline

The International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe is getting taller, and this week, construction teams celebrated the arrival and placement of the first steel beams. Finalizing the steel structure of the Giraffe Center this fall is pivotal. To open on time in 2026, teams are working diligently to beat the deadline – before winter weather presents new challenges.

Visitors can already see some of the beams in place from the guest parking lot. From the top of the concrete walls, already in place, the beams will elevate the building to its highest point, about 35 feet above the top of the concrete walls.

The $40 million dollar project, funded through Zoo revenue and donations, will increase the herd’s outdoor space by 25% and expand their indoor space with a 12,000-square-foot giraffe barn.

It’s hard to believe, but the Zoo’s African Rift Valley habitat, home to the Zoo’s iconic 15-member giraffe herd was built more than 20 years ago. In that time, giraffe professionals have learned a lot about providing world-class care. Home to the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe (the Giraffe Center), established in 2022, CMZoo is recognized as a leader in the professional field of giraffe care. This exhibit will reflect that expertise. The Giraffe Center is a concentrated effort to connect giraffe experts and to expand educational programs to improve and enrich the lives of giraffe in human care throughout the world.

The new giraffe barn is all about choice for giraffe and guests. Giraffe will have opportunities to interact with guests in new and exciting ways, and engage in enriching activities in their habitat independent of keepers and guests. The goal is to fill each giraffe’s day with positively reinforcing activities, such as exploring new spaces, munching on leaves and twigs or taking advantage of some quiet time. With a large herd of giraffe that has various preferences and different personalities, the habitat will be filled with meaningful choices. For example, it will have 11 feeding zones, in comparison to the three zones available in their former exhibit.

The giraffe barn will have an ETFE roof that will flood the interior space with natural light. This innovative material is low maintenance and fire- and hail-resistant. This lightweight material is used in sports stadiums, airports, and some European zoos to create visually striking and functional spaces. The clear roof that will cover the giraffe barn and gift shop will be the largest of its kind covering an animal exhibit in North America. It will bring the outdoors inside on cooler days, keeping guests and giraffe comfortable in Colorado’s 300 days of sunshine.

The relocation of the Zoo’s main road is making room to expand the giraffe yard to the west. The expanded yard will have additional spaces for giraffe to discover, and includes a new feeding tower to encourage giraffe to navigate the hills of CMZoo for the first time. The larger, more geographically diverse yard will provide the herd with new space to explore, contributing to their overall well-being. The giraffe herd will have expanded outdoor space and their barn with natural floors and fresh air, provided by giraffe-size garage doors – and guests can feed them from each location.

For more information, and to be part of something BIG, visit cmzoo.org/giraffeproject.

Explore Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun with a Limited-Time Guided Jeep Tour

Through Sun., Aug. 31 only, CMZoo members and guests can see Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun in a new adventurous way — by guided tour in a 4×4! This summer, the Zoo partnered with El Pomar Foundation and Adventures Out West to improve experiences for visitors to the Zoo and to Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. By reducing vehicle traffic in the Zoo, Zoo guests share the road with vehicles less frequently. Instead of driving themselves to the Shrine, Shrine guests can sit back and enjoy the views — all while learning about area wildlife, history, geology and more!

Once guests reach Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, they meet a Shrine tour guide and explore the unique structure, learning about the incredible legacy of Spencer Penrose, who founded the Zoo in 1926, and catching stunning views of Colorado Springs, North Cheyenne Cañon and Garden of the Gods from Cheyenne Mountain.
  • Scenic Rides to the Shrine are available Tuesdays through Sundays from 9:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
  • Price: $5 per seat
  • The full experience lasts about 1 hour, including the Jeep tour (up and down) and around 35 minutes to explore the Shrine.
  • Scenic Ride to the Shrine tickets are limited and may sell out. Advance reservations are not required, but they are available at cmzoo.org/ride.
  • The Shrine is closed on Mondays and most holidays.
  • Daytime tickets to the Zoo are required to gain entry to the Scenic Ride to the Shrine pick-up area, near Grizzly Grill and the play hills.
  • Reserve Scenic Ride to the Shrine tickets for the same day as your Zoo visit.
  • Book Scenic Ride to the Shrine tickets at cmzoo.org/ride.
  • Questions? Call our partners at Adventures Out West at 719-578-0935.

Guided Jeep tours are available through Sun., Aug. 31. After Labor Day, Zoo members and guests can drive themselves to the Shrine. Guests requiring wheelchair-accessible vehicle access to the Shrine are allowed to visit The Shrine at no cost by driving their own vehicles to the Shrine. Show your daytime Zoo admission at the drive-in gates to gain admission.

Skip the Parking Lot with Anytime Rideshare Tickets

Is your favorite time to visit the Zoo sold out? Try our new rideshare tickets — they're always available and can be used at any time for daytime admission.

For the past six summers, we have managed our parking lots by limiting capacity to the Zoo. Our goal is to reduce visitors' frustrations with limited on-site parking, and to avoid the hassle of off-site shuttles. Now, CMZoo members and guests can book rideshare Zoo admission tickets at cmzoo.org/rideshare. Arrive at your leisure and show your Uber, Lyft or taxi receipt with your rideshare tickets at admissions.

Rideshare tickets are free for members, and they're $5 less than peak-time nonmember tickets. They can be used any time during normal daytime admission (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. when the Zoo closes at 5 p.m. Early member entry is at 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day).

Visit cmzoo.org/rideshare to reserve your rideshare tickets today! Questions? Email tickets@cmzoo.org.

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I have worked full-time at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for about three years, and I currently work in the Rocky Mountain Wild, Asian Highlands and African lion areas of the Zoo. I always knew I wanted to be a Zookeeper when I grew up, and visiting our Zoo as a kid definitely reinforced that idea! One of the many species (and my favorite species) that I work with are the African lions. There’s one lion in particular that has made a lifelong impact on me: Abuto.

Abuto means a lot to me. I remember visiting as a guest when he first arrived at CMZoo, in 2013, and watching him grow into the very handsome and dignified patriarch he is now. He was one of the first animals I trained with. He has taught me a lot. Abuto is patient and has a great communication system set up so he can easily communicate, “yes, I am ready to train.” or “no, I am not ready” by exhibiting different behaviors.

If he’s ready to train, he’s still, calm and focused. We look for subtle movements, like an ear or tail twitch, that tell us we need to adjust his environment to make him more comfortable – which we happily do! This communication system sets the trainer and him up for success, so you get early wins that build your confidence and a positive relationship with him.

His training is important because it allows us to care for him. Abuto, like many older felines, has kidney disease. We do voluntary blood draws and blood pressure readings on his tail once a month to monitor his kidney levels and other levels and other health factors.

Just like with all of his training, he is in control and gets to make choices. He always has the ability to leave or choose not to participate. For his blood draw behavior, we support him with two trainers. He goes into the training space (we never share space with the big cats for our safety and theirs), where one trainer positions themselves near his head for feeding and communication with Abuto. The other trainer positions at his rear and helps our veterinary team draw the blood from a large vein in his tail. He has a very thick tail. My finger and thumb just barely fit around it when I gently hold it still it for a blood draw! Even though he is 14 years old and dealing with kidney disease, we have been able to prevent it from progressing with diet and medications, and he seems to be doing great.

I have worked with Abuto my whole time at CMZoo, and he really is full of personality. One of my favorite things he does is a ‘stalking’ behavior. When you ask him to come inside for his medication meatball, he will stand behind a wall and very slowly move his head into the doorframe until about half his face is visible. Then, he stands there and stares at you, acting invisible, until he sees that you have a meatball and then he will slowly stalk about five steps up to you, still acting invisible despite being in the middle of the room, and then he quickly runs up to lie down and get his meatball.

Something else that makes Abuto so easy to love is that most of the time while you’re training him, he gets a very serious and focused look on his face and makes very intense eye contact. He is completely ‘locked in’ when we’re training, and he is really smart.

This look is most prominent when we are doing CAB (calm attentive behavior), or his blood draw behavior, but if you ask him to show you his paws or stand up (both important behaviors to gauge his health) he lets his mouth hang open. He also likes to try to catch meatballs we drop down the feed chute with his front paws, and although he rarely catches them, I love that he tries every time.

He is very active in his own health care, and with the two female lions, Lomela and Elsa. He’s a particularly fun dad with Elsa, his daughter. They are very playful together, and often cuddle up for naps.

He loves engaging with enrichment items. He recently found a new favorite: a blue ball that he carries around the yard for a while before putting it in a safe spot and moving on with his day. Just like when he was much younger, he is still our ‘toy tester.’ When we get a new enrichment item, we give it to Abuto first because his technique for solving puzzle feeders is to use all his incredible strength and smack it around until he breaks it or food comes out. Our lions get what we call ‘stinky stuff’ multiple times a week, which encourages their important natural behavior of scent masking (rolling in the scent to mask their natural predator smell). These stinky smells range from nicer things like perfume, all the way to pungent elephant poop. For Abuto, the stinkier the better, with the exception of his favorite spice: cumin.

Abuto is a fantastic ambassador for his species, and just by being his wonderful self, he helps us educate people about lions. When he’s interacting with enrichment, we can talk about all the physical adaptions lions have to hunt and what they eat. If he’s rolling in stinky stuff we have provided for him, we can talk about scent masking, and when he’s sleeping, we talk about how lions sleep 18 to 20 hours per day. When people see him up close, we hope they feel connected to him, like we do.

We also point out his nose and whisker pattern to talk about how our conservation partners at Ewaso Lions, in Kenya, use nose and whisker patterns to identify the wild lions that they watch over. Then, we get to tell people about the rest of the amazing work they do, like the Lions Kids Camp and Mama Simbas, which are both projects CMZoo Members have voted to support in the past, through the annual Members-Only Conservation Vote each spring!

We hope the next time they see a lion on television or social media, they’ll think about their experience with Abuto, and they will have a deeper connection with lions as a species.

World Lion Day is Sun., Aug. 10 (the best day ever!) and we are celebrating the African lions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in African Rift Valley. Come visit Abuto, learn about lions in Africa, and get to know Abuto, Elsa, Lomela, and Aslan, at CMZoo!

World Lion Day at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
On Sun., Aug. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests are invited to participate in special lion-themed activities in African Rift Valley.

CMZoo docents will be running booths around the lion viewing areas, including:
– a photo booth
– African lion biofacts
– coloring pages and lion conservation information
– a matching game featuring the CMZoo pride!

Advance tickets are required. If your favorite time to visit CMZoo is sold out, take advantage of the Zoo’s rideshare tickets! Take an Uber, Lyft or taxi to the Zoo with your rideshare tickets, skip the parking and arrive any time. Rideshare tickets are always available at cmzoo.org/rideshare.

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The sisters are difficult to tell apart, even for the keepers who work closely with them. Each tamarin has a microchip, so staff can keep accurate records, but the best way for guests to distinguish them is by their beards. Mattessich tends to have a less groomed beard and Gianna’s beard is typically more kempt.

The bearded emperor tamarin sisters came from another zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in July. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is supporting the Bearded Emperor Tamarin Species Survival Plan by providing homes for the two sisters until they have breeding recommendations.

“They are really outgoing and interested in guests,” Madi Ort, animal keeper in Primate World, says. “They’ll come right over to the glass with such curious energy, and they always want to see what people are holding in their hands.”

Mattessich and Gianna are curious, energetic, adorable and playful! They like to pounce around their exhibit, exploring the perching system and enrichment keepers provide for them. They’re also expert students, and they participate in important husbandry training with their care team.

“They’re eager to interact with keepers, so we’re quickly building trusting relationships with them through training sessions,” Madi says. “They know how to ‘station’ at a specific location, stand on a scale for regular weight checks and get into their crates. We’re currently fine-tuning body presentation training, where we ask them to stand up on their hind legs and reach up, so we can visually check their abdomens and limbs.”

Both sisters are bold, but Gianna seems to be the dominant tamarin of the two. That dynamic could change as the two continue to settle in. Madi says both sisters are confident and comfortable around each other, politely taking turns for training sessions with keepers and sharing meals side-by-side. Still, Gianna employs a little ‘extra.’ Sometimes, she will jump over Mattessich to access high-value reinforcers, like her favorite snacks – bananas, watermelon and tree branches.

“It’s hard to put into words how adorable they are,” Madi says. “They have these big ears, pink noses, wide eyes and precious little hands and feet. They weigh about one pound each, so they’re really small, but normal weight for full-grown emperor tamarins. Plus, they make really cute chirps, almost like birds, when they vocalize. Combined with their beautiful mustaches and markings, they’re just a joy to see.”

Guests can visit Mattessich and Gianna in Primate World right away.

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