Colorado Zoo Babies, produced by Denver-based RMPBS, features the story of the birth and hand-rearing of Umande, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Western lowland gorilla whose mother would not care for him.

The creatures living in Colorado's two largest zoos are a popular attraction for people around the state. Each year, zoo babies are born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Denver Zoo, but some of their mothers aren't able to nurture them. These babies are then entirely dependent on human "parents" - zoo professionals who are experts in hand-rearing the tiny animals until they are ready to rejoin their own kind.

This careful and dedicated work at these Colorado zoos becomes part of an international mosaic, Species Survival Plans (SSP), under the guidance of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSP programs strive to help ensure the survival of wildlife species by scientifically managing the breeding of an animal species in North American AZA zoos. The objective is to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining, managed population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. Continued survival by preserving genetic diversity is the goal of all SSPs.

Another Cheyenne Mountain Zoo story highlighted in the documentary concerns three African lion cubs, Kiota, Tamarr and Akili. Though being raised by their lion parents, the genetic importance of these cubs to the African lion SSP means constant monitoring by Zoo staff. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo General Curator Tracy Leeds comments, "The adult parents, Elson and Angie, were both wild born in Africa, making their genetics very valuable to the captive population of African lions in North American zoos."

This special documentary tells the stories of some very special zoo babies, who are the hope for the future of their species. This Rocky Mountain PBS original documentary is narrated by Executive Producer Cynthia Hessin. -- www.cmzoo.org