Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in the running for Best Zoo in North America, voting ends next week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is in the running for "Best Zoo in North America" in the USAToday's 10Best Readers' Choice awards. Currently, the zoo sits in third place, but it's not too late to vote and help the zoo's chance at winning first!

In addition to being nominated in the "Best Zoo" category, the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit is up for "Best Exhibit in North America."

Rachel Wright with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo explains that the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit shows off wildlife native to the Rocky Mountain Region.

"We’re nestled on the side of Cheyenne Mountain, so the setting itself is really natural," says Rachel.

"We can provide great homes for animals who are native to the rocky mountain region -- like Atka here. He’s an Alaskan moose.”

According to the CMZ website, the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit "opened in the summer of 2008, appropriately hugging the highest elevations of CMZoo’s developed mountainside acreage. The area is home to a pack of endangered Mexican wolves, four Canada lynx, two North American porcupines, two bald eagles, two grizzly bears, three mountain lions, three river otters, a family of turkeys and a flock of wood ducks."

Last year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted the 4th best Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in North America, and the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit was voted #2 Best Zoo Exhibit.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo aims to set itself apart by making every guest experience inspiring. It says the best way to do this is by safely limiting the barriers between the public and the animals, giving people a chance to make a genuine connection to the wildlife.

"We believe that individual connections really help people feel inspired to take action to protect our animal wild counterparts, and that’s what it’s really all about," says Rachel.

People can cast votes once a day, every day, through 10 a.m. on Monday, May 24. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo asks visitors to share the link to vote "far and wide."

You can vote once a day, every day, for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo until Monday, May 24th.
Rankings will be announced on Friday, June 4.

Click here to vote for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for "Best Zoo."

Click here to vote for the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit for "Best Exhibit."