Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Address:	4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, USA
Phone:	+1 719-633-9925
Site:	cmzoo.org
Rating:	4.7
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Thoroughly Disappointed

When we arrived we were ecstatic, we were never more ready to see a Zoo. (& we have been to plenty) when we walked up over an intercom they were playing information about the Zoo and their "Wildlife Conservation" efforts. We purchased our tickets, were handed tokens to decide which animal to help conserve. Upon full entrance you see the stations where you can decide which animal to help, we decided to wait until we left. The first animal you basically come upon are the Giraffes, there is an insane number of Giraffes in this coral where TONS of people are freely feeding and petting the giraffes, the only person who is there to monitor this is inside a bubble cutting lettuce for those who would like to feed the giraffes. I feel like having lots and lots of people swarming the giraffes all at once could be a recipe for disaster..also it seems like a lot of uncontrolled feeding. Moving forward you see smaller zoo animals- then the big cats. Which was pretty sad to watch the female lion pace back and forth at her enclosure door the whole time..we decided to move forward. We came upon the monkeys- I could not see a single one of them..the monkey missing his hand was hiding up against a wall by his enclosure door and his mate wasnt even in the indoor enclosure..that was odd to me because reading their sign it says the two have become inseparable. The long haired monkeys werent in their enclosure when we arrived to them- or so we thought..they too were hiding up on a balcony faced away from anyone who might want to look at them- obviously not wanting to be bothered so we went to move on when we saw one of their siblings or buddys with his/her face pushed against the gate looking worse than any animal on the aspca commercials. He/she didnt want to be in their enclosure any longer- it was more than obvious. The saddest part though was the elephant enclosure- IT IS WAY TOO SMALL!!! If you have to separate your elephants one to an enclosure so that they can have room then YOUR ENCLOSURE IS NOT BIG ENOUGH!!!! Elephants live in packs having them separated is probably why theyre distressed. We walked over the bridge between the two VERY SMALL enclosures and our eyes landed on an very distressed elephant- she was swaying back and forth constantly, even when we turned around in the middle of the zoo because we couldnt take looking at how depressed these animals were, she was still in the same spot swaying and looking so sad. When we asked employees why she was swaying, they LIED!! They said "it must just mean shes happy and enjoying herself", and my favorite response with immediate guilt in it "All of our animals are happy and taken care of" then he shuffled away so quickly. Being pretty well educated on what was going on with that elephant I went to get my tickets refunded, after being lied to twice and after strolling through THE MOST DEPRESSING ZOO IN HISTORY, I couldnt take that place any longer. When managers finally met me up front they told me the real reason why the elephant was swaying-- shes an ex circus elephant and has been through a lot. Okay makes sense- but then why is she in an enclosure BY HERSELF? Dont you think her mental state might improve with an actual elephant herd around her?? Why would you put these animals into an enclosure way too small for them knowing its too small for more than one elephant and its not like you guys have only one or two elephants- you guys have SIX!!!! Now lets talk about water sources- seeing them empty for the most part was upsetting- the Asian bears had a big drop off where I assume water is supposed to be with a pipe that is not closed off or covered, should the bears fall off the drop off in their enclosure they might get hurt. Not to mention their water source was puny as heck and it wouldnt be enough water for a single horse...and also not full at all. The elephants water source was the worst it was just a simple waterfall with a basin at the bottom smaller than the circuse elepant itself. This place needs to be reevaluated by its accrediting bureau!!!!!

A Private User

First the good - this zoo definitely has some unique animals like an Okapi and a Tapir. There was supposed to be a monitor lizard but apparently it died. The staff were very polite and helpful and made a good impression. Unfortunately, there were 7-8 exhibits that were closed, most of which are their main attractions! Using their map as a guide and noting the signs, here is what was missing: the tigers, the black bears, the elephants, the African lions, the alligators, the red river hogs, and the beavers. The signs at the exhibits varied from "Exhibit Closed" or "Exhibit Unavailable until Summer", yet NOTHING was said about the closures before we paid which seems unethical. A simple notice at the admissions desk would have been nice, or even something on their website. Additionally, this zoo has a serious problem with good ventilation in their buildings. Many other families (including us) did not go into some of the smaller animal exhibits (birds, etc) because the smell was so bad at the doors. There was one building in particular (the Aquatics building) which was absolutely nauseating. A note for families - this zoo really is built into the mountain and there is a lot of walking up and down steep inclines. The paths are all paved, but it was still challenging at times. My father-in-law would not be able to visit because he has weak muscles in his legs, so if you have middle aged parents I would exercise caution. In the end, it was a good family outing. My recommendation is that you call ahead and specifically ask if any of their exhibits are closed, and if so, which ones. You dont want to pay $40-$60 (depending on family size) to go in and find out that many favorite animals are not available.

Zoo Connoisseur

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is certainly one of the most unique zoos in the county! Its scenic location offers impressive views of the Rocky Mountains, downtown Colorado Springs, and the Great Plains. When visiting, be prepared to walk up and down very steep slopes as the zoo is built on the mountainside. The highlight of a day spent here is the herd of reticulated giraffes. Visitors walk along a raised platform in order to come face to face with these amazing animals, and even feed them for a small fee. In 2012, the zoo finished renovations on an old building previously housing reptiles and birds, and renamed it the “Scutes Family Gallery”. This exhibit puts an interesting twist on reptiles by displaying them in a modern art gallery setting. A few exhibits at the zoo are still in need of improvement, however. The hippopotamuses live in a very outdated enclosure with very little enrichment. In addition, the old Bear Grottos and Monkey Pavilion need replacement. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo continues to make updates and improvements to the animal exhibits. After roaming the zoo, visitors can drive two miles up Cheyenne Mountain to Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, an 80 foot observation tower from which the Pikes Peak summit and the red rock formations of Garden of the Gods can be seen. A trip to Colorado Springs would not be complete without a visit to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!

Kandra Asarias

Im a big fan of this zoo. Weve been zoo members for two years now and even had our sons 4th birthday at the zoo. The exhibits are great and for the most part, the zoo staff is wonderful. The events they host at the zoo are exciting. Its very easy to see why they are one of the best zoos in the country. My husband even adopted one of the Hippos for me for a Christmas present. I, however, am not a fan of how they do their memberships. We pay a great deal to enjoy our time at the zoo and we never fail to spend a lot of money there on our few trips a year. I inquired about changing a person on our membership since my husband would no longer be local to the area due to a deployment and not be able to take advantage of the membership. To try to recoup some of the fees I asked to add our exchange student we are hosting to our membership since he will be here and we plan to be at the zoo quite frequently. I am his legal guardian through his time here so Im not quite sure why I couldnt add him nor was the zoo very specific on why I couldnt. Its a bit disappointing. I completely understand them not wanting to change parties frequently but the response I received back was short with no reasoning on why I couldnt change out parties. I do not anticipate renewing our membership come September.