A Mountainous Home for the River Otters at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Written and Submitted by Diane Tomecek

Living on a mountain rising up from Colorado Springs, Colorado is a romp of four male North American River otters, calling the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZ) home.  The first two, brothers Pahapi and Kuuyi (now five years old), arrived in 2008.  The second pair of brothers, Pivane and Enapay (now almost two years old), arrived in 2011. 

Enapay drying off on some rocks

All four otters have Native American inspired names, which connect to the Rocky Mountain region of their origin.  The CMZ believes it is important to select respectful names that are no more than three syllables and have ties to the geographical area where the species originates.  Since there were Native American tribes in the area, the zoo staff thought it was appropriate to use Native American language names.  Interestingly, the names also link back to the otter species.  Pahapi means swim in Shoshone, Kuuyi means water in Hopi, Pivane is weasel in Hopi and Enapay is brave in Sioux. 

As America’s only mountain zoo, the CMZ embraces the mountain-like atmosphere throughout the facility.  In addition to the river otters, the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit, which opened in May 2008, is home to species that inhabit the region, including mountain lions, wolves, moose, grizzly bears and Canadian lynx, just to name a few.   The animals of Rocky Mountain Wild are tucked away into naturalistic enclosures nestled into Cheyenne Mountain giving visitors a true sense of how the animals live in the wild.

Pahapi and Kuuyi, residents of the exhibit since 2008 after arriving from Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas, were introduced to Pivane and Enapay, who came from Minnesota Zoo in 2011.  Following the required quarantine period of 30-days, the two pairs of brothers engaged in a “Howdy-time” through the meshed walls of their den allowing each otter to become acquainted with the scents of the opposing pair. Once in direct contact with one another, they have become excellent swimming pals.

Pahapi climbing down from his elevated perch

The otter enclosure within Rocky Mountain Wild was well planned by staff and architects.  There is a long hill leading to a deep pool, providing the four ample opportunities to enjoy snow-sliding in the winter and mud-sliding in the spring and summer.    The otters also have a very interesting elevated portion of their enclosure, accessible only by a long tree-trunk angled between ground and the perch, giving the otters a chance to practice their climbing and balancing skills.  Within the penthouse is a pool with a clear plastic bottom that allows visitors to view them from below, thus witnessing very different otter behavior than can be seen in typical enclosures that show them swimming from the side or walking on land.

The four otters are fed a variety of items; trout, crab, lobster, freshwater mussels, salmon, tilapia and grouper constitute their protein sources while they receive yams and carrots for their vegetable intake.  Each otter is fed 1.5 lbs. of fish per day.  They are also given a ground meat protein similar to Carnivore Diet used in many other zoos and aquariums.  

Enrichment is vital in all zoological facilities to ensure that the animals are maintaining natural behaviors as well as having an enriched life in captivity.  At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Pivane, Enapay, Pahapi and Kuuyi are enriched through items such as ice blocks, a mounted mirror in their den, sunken seaweed in the pools, donut shaped toys and other items.  CMZ staff also find fallen trees and branches, as well as small boulders, on the lands surrounding the zoo to introduce to the enclosure and give interesting new areas to the otters.   Similar to other facilities, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo engages their resident otters in a “Go Swim” behavior where fish are thrown into their pool and they are told to “Go Swim” to get their prize.

 

Kuuyi

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo hopes their visitors make connections to their animals and spread the message about the importance of habitat conservation and, specifically for otters, clean water.  Staff members are continuously sharing the conservation message with guests.  The Zoo has a zookeeper shadow program, where one can go behind-the-scenes to work directly with a zookeeper and help care for their favorite animal.  Kids’ birthday parties are also a big hit!  Here, children can encounter their favorite animal in a way regular visitors cannot.  Specifically with the otters, a child having a birthday gets to throw food to the otters.   These are just two of a myriad of programs the zoo offers to visitors interested in learning a bit more or having that once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is open 365 days a year from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. in summer months, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. all other months.  Check the zoo’s website (www.cmzoo.org) for specific hours on holidays.  

Otter News extends its sincere appreciation to zoo staff members Roxanna Breitigan, Jake Jachim, Katie Borremans and Erin Hobson for their time and assistance during the interview as well as facilitating our tour.