giraffes

Everyone who knows me, knows I LOVE animals! For my birthday, I wanted to pet the giraffes and feed an elephant!

I have fed the giraffes once before, but Cheyenne Mountain Zoo recently completed their addition, Encounter Africa! It provides a huge, safe barn with a splash stall for hot days, as well as a large yard with nature, play toys and water.

They now allow you to feed an elephant! I have been wanting to do this for SO long! It was a short experience, unlike with the giraffes whom you could stand there and pet and feed for hours. But I am so glad I did it!

Like many, I am NOT a fan of animals being confined in a zoo! However, there are zoo’s out there who treat their animals as best as possible. Having a zoo provides not only education about animals, but an opportunity for people to fall in love with them and work to protect them in the wild. If we didn’t know anything about these animals or have the ability to see them close up, we would be disconnected and not as compassionate about their valuable lives and conservation. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a non-profit organization that gives proceeds to other organizations working hard to preserve these animals and prevent such things as poaching.

Here are some resources:

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: www.CMZoo.org
The Elephant Sanctuary: www.Elephants.com
World Wildlife Fund (helps stop poachers): WorldWildlife.org
Save the Elephants: www.SaveTheElephants.org