Welcome to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I spend a lot of time at this zoo thanks to an annual family pass. I have discovered that the animals aren't the only things of interest at this zoo, there are many facinating structures through out the grounds.
I am not entirely sure the identity of this building near the entrance of the the zoo so I just call it the caretakers cottage. Each time I visit it is carpeted by a thicker growth of vines.
'My Big Back Yard' is a petting zoo within the zoo which allows visitors some hands on with barn yard creatures. Goats, chickens, turkey and rabbits eagerly greet visitors to their homes.
When I first visited the zoo nearly 12 years ago, the zoo was full of wire and concrete cages and it broke my heart to see the animals pacing back and forth from within their confines. The zoo has undergone amazing renovations but there are still remnants of the old zoo. This cage in particular concerns me. You can't see from this angle, but hiding behind the curtain of overgrowth is our national bird, the bald eagle.
This is one of the newer exhibits, the Asian Highlands. It houses the Siberian tigers, a pair of leopards and a few varieties of bears. The enclosures are open at the top and large glass windows peer into the a natural habitat that includes running streams.
I was trying to get the side of the gift shop breezeway to frame the landscape outside when my son Art ran past. I was finally able to get the shot I wanted, but decided that this accidently exposure was more interesting.
4 comments:
Colorado is looking more appealing to go on vacation :).
Betty
I am glad that zoo's are changing, more animal and people friendly. This would be a great place to visit often. Thanks for sharing this place, and of course you great photo's. ~Deborah
Love you pics. They transport me to so many lovely places/things Thanks.
Sylvia
http://journals.aol.co.uk/sylviam4000/JottingsfromtheSticks
When I worked at a small nature museum in Joliet IL (Pilcher Park), there were about 8 cages. The only animals were ones that had been injured and brought there because they would be unable to survive otherwise. One was a hawk that had been shot, and lost a wing, and was not very healthy as a result. I just wonder if that Eagel has a similar problem? There was also a Coyote that could not be let loose in such a heavily populated area. There were some Racoons also that were very young that were brought there due to some circumstance with the mother. I can not think of any of the others right now, since that was 1974. Your critique on my "Little Lake" matches my thinking. That was how I learned in art school, by listening to others telling me what they liked, and feeling secure to tell another artist what needed re-thinking. Sometimes my work was just plain awful, and my fellow artists would tell me so. That is how I learned, thanks to them and the teachers. ~mark~
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