Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's next act is looking up
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Giraffes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Photo: Doug Merriam/MCT/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Dave Ruhl is taking over Cheyenne Mountain Zoo just as the 100-year-old institution prepares to unveil a sky-high vision for its future.
Why it matters: The leadership change comes before the zoo's September centennial and the debut of a $40 million giraffe center — its biggest new attraction in years.
State of play: Ruhl became president and CEO in June, succeeding Bob Chastain, who led the zoo for 20 years.
- Ruhl joined in 2020 as vice president of operations and most recently executive vice president.
- His zoo career dates to 1998, with previous stops at the Toledo Zoo and Palm Beach Zoo.
The big picture: He's inheriting an institution on a roll.
- More than 842,000 people visited last fiscal year.
- This summer, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo became the first zoo to earn back-to-back inspections from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums — in 2021 and 2026 — with no cited concerns.
Zoom in: Ruhl's fingerprints are already all over the zoo's splashiest new attraction.
- He worked alongside Chastain on the design, construction and finances of the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe, which opens to the public at 9:30am Sept. 15.
By the numbers: The project gives the zoo's giraffes — and their visitors — a lot more room to roam.
- A 12,000-square-foot barn nearly triples the giraffes' previous indoor space.
- Their outdoor habitat is 25% larger.
- They'll have 11 feeding zones, up from three.
- Visitors can meet giraffes from different heights and angles.
The intrigue: The design is choose-your-own-adventure for giraffes — a one-of-a-kind setup.
- Large doors let the animals move between indoor and outdoor areas.
- Inside, they can choose from different temperatures, foods, surfaces and quiet spaces.
- A translucent roof brings sunlight — and moonlight — into the barn.
What he's saying: "What excites me most is that it won't feel the same every day. Every visit will offer something a little different, and I think that's what will keep people coming back," Ruhl said.
Flashback: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has come a long way from Colorado Springs entrepreneur Spencer Penrose's private menagerie, which started with a bear he received as a gift in 1916.
- Penrose formed the Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society in 1926.
- In 1938, he deeded the zoo as a nonprofit public trust.
What's next: Ruhl is looking beyond the centennial celebrations.
- The zoo is developing a strategic plan and a new physical master plan to guide its second century.