Jumbe’s Journey to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we love announcing new additions to our animal family, so we’ve had a lot of fun this week talking about Jumbe, the black rhino. But it prompted a question for some – exactly how do you transport a 2,658-pound animal nearly 900 miles?

Jumbe’s journey started at Caldwell Zoo in Texas, another Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited facility. A special crate was made just for him and placed in his enclosure. He was trained to shift into the crate and was given special treats whenever he went in. After several positive experiences, he was ready for his road trip from Texas to Colorado on the back of a flatbed truck.  

Jumbe (pronounced joom-bay) arrived at his new home in the elephant barn around midnight on October 10 to excited staff and four very curious elephants. Take a look at the photos to see Jumbe’s first steps out of his travel crate and onto Cheyenne Mountain Zoo ground.

Since his arrival, Jumbe has settled in nicely. His keepers report that he has a very calm demeanor – which is unique for a young male rhino. He often spends his days pushing around a boomer ball, tossing a tire in the air, snacking on willow branches, and napping after a eating his breakfast of alfalfa and grain.

Your first chance to catch a glimpse of Jumbe is during Electric Safari – which runs Friday, December 7 - Sunday, December 9 and Friday, December 14 - Tuesday, January 1 from 5:30 - 8:30pm nightly (except Christmas Eve). This will also be your first chance since construction began on our new $13.5 million Encounter Africa exhibit to see four lovely elephant ladies enjoying their new barn. Don’t miss out!

For more information about Electric Safari, visit: www.cmzoo.org/ElectricSafari.

For updates on the completion of Encounter Africa, visit: www.cmzoo.org/EncounterAfrica.