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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has record attendance year
Posted: 06.08.2012 at 12:45 PM
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo officials announced Friday they had a record attendance year in 2011-2012.

The zoo had 607,000 visitors between May 2011 and April 2012, about 33,000 more than the previous year. Officials said the record attendance can be credited partially to record-breaking spring break crowds in March.

Roughly 60 percent of visitors to the country's only mountain zoo are from the Pikes Peak Region.

Because of the record attendance, the zoo, which was recently named a top 10 zoo in the U.S., was able to collect $130,500 in fundraising for its Quarters For Conservation campaign, designed to assist with ongoing conservation programs. Money comes from memberships, education program fees and $0.25 from each admission.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo news
Zoo's overnight camps 
Cheyenne Mountain in top 10 
Endangered species 

Visitors are given a token upon admission to vote for the project they most want to see supported. This is how they voted in 2011-2012:

Help raise and protect wild African penguins: $15,955.77
Help save wild Amur leopards and tigers: $15,716.92
Help protect wild orangutans and their habitat: $10,018.76
Help release wild African vultures in Namibia: $9,358.11
Help rescue amphibians in panama: $8,911.93
Help release gibbons back to the wild: $7,472.02

This year, visitors can vote to:

Help protect Colorado migratory birds
Help save African elephants and black rhinos
Help release wild African vultures in Namibia
Help rescue amphibians in Panama
Help raise and protect wild African penguins
Help protect wild orangutans and their forest habitat

The zoo has raised $464,000 since the program began in 2008.

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