Sunday, April 26, 2026

A Visit to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance

In March, the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance visited our community senior group; you can read that post at this link.  A wonderful Outreach Program Specialist, James Garcia, brought four different zoo species to show us and tell us about them. James has been with Denver Zoo for 22 years, most of which have been with "Zoo to You Community Outreach Programs," and he told us we would have a follow-up visit to the zoo to see more in  April, which occurred at the end of last week!


Our Metro District recreation coordinators drove the participating seniors by bus to the Denver Zoo and Conservation Alliance in Denver, Colorado, where we met James and received free tickets to enter the zoo. Then we met volunteer docents, who asked us which group we would like to be a part of -- Reptiles, Primates, Carnivores, or Birds. My husband and I chose the carnivore group.



Please click on the photo to enlarge it.

There is a lot to see at the zoo, and since we were only visiting for a few hours, dividing into groups was a good idea.

Right now and until May 10th, 2026, there is a special, limited-time exhibit at the zoo called "Glowing Wild." The exhibit was an after-dark event all throughout the zoo to take one on a glowing journey inspired by wildlife and conservation. It consists of 60 illuminated scenes and 175 new, larger-than-life lanterns that bring animals and their stories to light, all handcrafted by Chinese artisans. Although we were visiting during the daytime, the lanterns were still beautiful to see! Our docent told us that the exhibit was such a success that it will be returning next spring.

You can see what it looked like at night on this YouTube link.




The day of our zoo visit, the temperature was 80 F (26,67 C).  Many of the animals were resting in the shade.

Addax


We had time to stop and see every animal we passed by.


Our docent told us an interesting story about this group of African Wild Dogs. One was born with a defective hip that required one rear leg to be removed. After surgery to remove the leg and recovery, the dog was reintroduced to the pack. The zookeepers were puzzled to see the dog gaining weight, and they found out that the other dogs were taking care of it and bringing it extra food!





We now found the African lions relaxing in the shade.


They are so majestic!



Please click on to enlarge



Lions in the wild are threatened by development, and their numbers are decreasing





Please click on to enlarge

I found this information very interesting--the Lions, wild dogs, and hyenas rotate yards daily to keep them mentally and physically stimulated.



Four lion cubs were born in the zoo last August and are growing large and thriving! They were fun to watch through a glass window!



Please click on to enlarge to learn more about the cubs.




The cubs' mother, Araali, was taking a nap on a nearby ledge! 





There was a Lego exhibit in the past at the zoo, and this "Leo the Lion" remains from that exhibit. It took 6,408 Lego bricks to build him!







A baby reticulated male giraffe was born at the zoo last March! 

Information from the zoo website:

"This adorable baby boy is the first offspring for both four-year-old BB and four-year-old Jasiri, who joined DZCA in 2022 from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Lee Richardson Zoo, respectively.

This pregnancy was part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Program (SSP), which works to ensure the long-term survival of this Endangered species. The birth of this calf is a significant step in giraffe conservation efforts, helping to maintain a genetically healthy population in human care."



Please click on to enlarge to read these two Racoons' story






You can tell the American Flamingo apart from the Chilean because the Americans are the brightest pink of all the flamingo species


More "Glowing Wild" exhibit lanterns


We only saw about half of the 80-acre zoo in the two hours allotted to us, but we enjoyed our visit. My husband and I have visited the zoo many times in the past--you can see this post from 2015 when we brought our two grandsons for a visit, and see the bears, elephants, primates, reptiles, and birds, etc, in that post that we missed on this visit, as well as the Merry-Go-Round and Train Ride.

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance does wonderful work, ensuring that endangered animals from around the world live long and healthy lives!


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