The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a zoological park located southwest of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Cheyenne Mountain in the United States. At an elevation of 6,714 feet (2,046 m) above sea level, it is the highest zoo in America. The zoo covers 140 acres, 40 of which are in use. The zoo houses more than 750 animals, representing nearly 150 different species, with more than 30 endangered species. The zoo was ranked the #4 best zoo in North America in 2018 by USA Today. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. History Business man Spencer Penrose was given a gift of a bear in 1916 which inspired him to collect animals. Animals were housed at Penrose's Broadmoor Hotel until a monkey bit a hotel guest. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was founded in 1926 to house the collection of exotic animals. In 1938, Spencer Penrose incorporated the Zoo as a non-profit public trust to the people of Colorado Springs. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and does not receive local or regional public tax support. On August 6, 2018, the zoo was hit by fast-moving and unexpected severe weather that brought with it baseball-sized hail. The staff was praised in national media and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for their use of the incident command system to swiftly move animals and visitors indoors. But just as some humans were confused and didn't know where to go, many animals stayed outside in confusion despite having on-exhibit dens as required by the AZA. Three zoo employees were hospitalized following efforts to save animals and guests from the unusually large hail. Several animals were hospitalized as well and five animals including two peafowl, a cape vulture and Muscovy duck died of their injuries. Giraffe herd history Cheyenne Mountain is known for its large and prolific giraffe herd. Two hundred giraffes have been born at the zoo since 1954. When Dobby the giraffe was born at the Denver Zoo in 2017 without the necessary antibodies for survival, Cheyenne Mountain sent banked giraffe plasma from their herd to Denver. The subsequent blood transfusion was successful and Dobby survived. Exhibits African Rift Valley is an African savanna themed exhibit containing African crowned cranes, African lions, African spurred tortoises, cattle egrets, Colobus monkeys, Grant's zebra, griffon vultures, helmeted guineafowl, meerkats, okapis, red river hogs, reticulated giraffe, and rock hyrax. African Rift