Frances, or Frannie, was born earlier in 2026 to mom Fern and dad Howard, the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance announced on Monday.

Frannie is an eastern or mountain bongo, which is one of the largest species of forest antelopes. Eastern bongos can grow up to 4.5 feet tall and 10 feet long and usually weigh between 460 and 900 pounds.

According to zoo officials, are much less common than western bongos and are only found in the mountain forests of central Kenya, near Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare Range. Frannie’s large ears are an evolutionary adaptation that helps bongos have sharp hearing.

Known for being shy and reclusive, . Conservation experts estimate there are fewer than 100 mountain bongos living in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

As she grows into her ears, Frannie will also grow smooth, hollow, lyre-shaped horns like her parents, which can grow up to 2.5 feet long.

and her family in their habitat, which is across from the elephants and McGrath Family Amphitheater.

The rare baby boy was born Sunday after seven hours of labor and is doing well, said Matthey Lenyo, the zoo’s curator of primates and carnivores. The baby, who has not yet been named, weighs between three and four pounds.

He is the first male orangutan to be born in captivity in the United States in 2026. No males were born in the U.S. in 2025, Lenyo said.

The baby’s father, 18-year-old Jaya, lives at the Denver Zoo but has not been introduced to his offspring.

Hesty, who was born at the Denver Zoo in 2010, has not needed human assistance with nursing or caring for the baby, Lenyo said. She is a first-time mother.

“She’s doing it all,” he said. “That’s the best case scenario.”

Hesty’s life had a difficult start after birth and required help from the animal care staff before she was reunited with her mother. So her caretakers prepared for a similar situation.

The orangutan care specialists to have the baby, using positive reinforcement to convince her to cooperate with testing and other needs. They trained her to hand a stuffed animal through a specially designed crate in case something went wrong, Lenyo said.

Hesty’s baby, however, has not needed human assistance, according to .

“It’s important to know that’s what orangutans do,” Lenyo said. “They have a natural instinct and they learn from other females.”

Unlike Eirina, another orangutan at the zoo, Hesty did not have extreme morning sickness that required daily cups of tea.

Hesty traded her placenta after birth for her favorite treats so the zoo’s veterinary staff could examine it for any signs of health problems, Lenyo said.

Hesty is known among zoo staff and visitors for the long, swooping bangs that hang over her face. The zoo frequently posts portraits of her on its Instagram page.

Lenyo said the new mom managed to maintain her fashionable locks during childbirth.

“Even during labor, she looked beautiful,” he said. “Her hair was everywhere it needed to be.”

It’s too early to tell whether her son will share that trait.

“We see some little blond sideburns,” Lenyo said. “We are very curious to see what he looks like when he grows up.”

The zoo will wait until mid-June to introduce the baby to the public. The exact timing will depend on when Hesty is comfortable with it. The zookeepers will also follow Hesty’s instincts before introducing the baby to the other orangutans at the zoo.

The zoo is seeking the public’s help in choosing between three names: Rambutan, Oka or Jamartin.

live in the rainforests and swamps on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. There are fewer than 14,000 in the wild.

The Denver Zoo said goodbye to its longtime black rhino resident, Rudisha, on Tuesday as the animal’s “chronic health conditions” continued to worsen, according to zoo officials.

Rudisha, the 32-year-old rhino fondly known as Rudy, was born at the in 1993 and moved to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance in 2016 from the , according to .

Rudy has been the sole occupant of his Denver Zoo habitat for roughly a decade, “enjoying his golden bachelor years,” zoo officials said.

“Over that time, his curious personality and strong connections with staff, volunteers and guests have made him an important part of the DZCA family and a fan-favorite among our community,” . “Whether he was resting in the shade of his habitat, expertly shaping and styling his horn to his liking, playfully jogging alongside his care team or leaning in for scratches behind his soft rhino ears, Rudy shaped our community in immeasurable ways.”

Rudy’s animal care specialists said the rhino was “one of those animals you meet once in a lifetime” — sweet, patient and playful, according to statements included in the announcement.

The team said they’ll remember him for leaning against his yard’s cables to ask for scratches, for showing the importance of slowing down and remembering the little things, for his mood-lifting spirit and for his periodic “zoomies.”

Rudy entered end-of-life care in early May for age-related mobility challenges and chronic health issues, like arthritis and Iron Overload Disorder, . That disorder causes iron to build up in vital organs, leading to liver disease, lowered immunity and other complications, officials said.

The median life expectancy for black rhinoceroses in human care is 20.2 years, according to . On average, rhinos live 30 to 35 years in zoos, according to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.

Friday. Denver’s biggest public park, City Park, took a hit in April after a suspected arsonist torched its historic bandshell, where the annual, free music series Jazz in the Park takes place on summer Sundays. Never fear: the park has plenty of supporters, including at this year’s City Park Day 2026, a collaboration between a dozen community organizations and nonprofits.

The 5-8 p.m. event on Friday, May 29, takes place at City Park Pavilion, just across from the bandshell site, and features a performance from a scaled-down version of the Denver Municipal Band, ice cream from My Kings, face painting, live-animal ambassadors from Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, park rangers demonstrating the Goosinator (a humane, anti-goose device), and various tables for local orgs. And if you have Victorian garb? You should wear that, too, organizers said.

Cars can enter at Montview and Colorado boulevards, and the parking lot north of the Pavilion is ADA accessible, with RTD bus service on the 20 and 40 lines.��It’s free to attend at City Park, 2001 Steele St. in Denver. Visit for more information.

Denver Fringe Festival No. 7

Opens Thursday. The wide-ranging, experimental and always-surprising Denver Fringe Festival returns for its seventh year, Thursday, June 3, to Sunday, June 7, with more than 80 shows from Denver and national artists. Those range from comedy and drama to world and regional premieres of new works, including short plays, opera, dance, queer storytelling, clowning and magic, live music, improv and more. (There’s even a “one woman, one dog” show, “Yama,” which we’d like to see.)

Events take place across Denver and Aurora at venues such as Rise Comedy, Hope Tank, The People’s Building, Ratio Beerworks, The Truss House, Savoy Denver and more. A full festival pass is $95, with individual shows varying in price, including some free ones. Pick them up online (see below) or at the Fringe Hub at Ratio Beerworks at 2920 Larimer St.

Want more? There’s a free kickoff party at the MCA Holiday Theater at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 3 (RSVP on ), and the KidsFringe events June 6-7 also include free shows. See a full list of titles, times and venues at .

CinemaQ returns to Denver Film

Friday-Sunday. The slate of themed film fests from Denver Film, the nonprofit home of the Denver Film Festival, continues to impress with events focused on women, the AAPIP community, silent films and more. This week’s focus is CinemaQ, the LGBTQ-themed event from director and founder Keith Garcia that celebrates its 18th year of new and exciting titles from queer filmmakers on diverse topics.

It opens on Friday, May 29, with “Leviticus,” which blends “psychological horror with a sharp critique of intolerance,” organizers wrote. There are also shorts programs, on-site talent for Q&As and post-screening discussions, the free “SaturGAY Morning Cartoons and Cereal” and more. It runs Friday, May 29-Sunday, May 31 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver. Festival passes are $85 and screenings are $16 per person at . See the full schedule at .

Dolphins come to life on IMAX

Open now. IMAX is a selling point for films such as “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” but it started as an educational and exhibition tool. Those types of films are still arguably the most worthy IMAX experiences, at least when you can find a legit IMAX theater — which the Denver Museum of Nature & Science fortunately has.

Its latest 3D IMAX film, “Call of the Dolphins,” injects some gorgeous imagery and science into its Infinity Theater with the nonfiction survey of dolphin life, taking viewers “beneath the ocean’s surface for an up-close exploration of how dolphins live, play and interact — both with each other and with us,” organizers wrote.

Tickets are $7-$10, on top of museum admission, which ranges from $21 to $26 per person. 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver. For details and daily showtimes, call 303-370-6000 or visit .

A team of animal care specialists on duty quickly arrived to help move the expectant mother, Rain, indoors to better monitor her. The zoo has animal care specialists on around the clock.

Later that evening, Rain gave birth to a healthy male calf. Boots, the dad, and the rest of the buffalo herd welcomed the newborn.

The calf’s name wasn’t released. His birth on May 11 marks an exciting addition to one of the few Cape buffalo herds found in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, zoo officials said in .

Zoo employees report that Rain is proving to be a calm and experienced mom and that Boots is keeping an eye on his first calf. Weather permitting, the new addition might soon be out with the rest of the herd.

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“All three giraffes traveled safely, and the moves went smoothly from start to finish,” the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance . “…Our dedicated animal care team is closely monitoring everyone to help ensure an easy transition as they continue to settle in.”

Jasiri, a 5-year-old breeding bull, temporarily moved to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs in January to support conservation efforts for reticulated giraffes, according to the Denver Zoo.

Several female giraffes at the Colorado Springs zoo were recommended for breeding under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species survival plan, but Khalid — the zoo’s former breeding bull — died in 2025 at 17 years old, Denver officials said.

Species survival plans “ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied AZA population,” .��Program officials monitor populations at AZA-accredited zoos and carefully match animals for breeding.

As of Wednesday, Jasiri had officially returned to the Denver Zoo. He was joined by Panya, an 8-year-old female giraffe from Cheyenne Mountain who arrived in Denver on a breeding recommendation, according to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.

The move reunited Panya with her previous herdmate, BB, who was relocated from Cheyenne Mountain to Denver in 2022.

Jasiri and BB’s 1-year-old calf, Thorn, who was born at the Denver Zoo in March 2025, has been permanently moved to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to join the Colorado Springs herd, zoo officials said. Thorn was the .

“While these changes may feel bittersweet, they play a vital role in giraffe conservation … and moves like these are carefully planned with each individual’s well-being in mind,” . “We’re excited for what����ap ahead for our herds and for the continued impact these efforts will have on giraffe conservation for years to come.”

Ted Laszlo, the president of Denver-based Vertix, said he had been negotiating with the zoo for months, with offers to fix problems associated with a $19 million sea lion habitat that was completed last year and opened in June. In fact, he said he believes the zoo still owes the company and 25 of its subcontractors $800,000 for their work

“The exhibit opened 10 months ago, and we’re still waiting to get paid, so unfortunately our response will have to come with a counterclaim,” Laszlo told The Denver Post on Thursday. “These are not change orders or amounts in dispute. These are agreed-upon sums owed to Vertix and our subcontractors.”

The zoo filed suit on March 17, alleging that Vertix and Barker Rinker Seacast Architecture (BRS) breached their contract by providing substandard work and materials that have led to leaks, rust and broken pumps in the Schlossman Shores habitat, which is home to five California sea lions. The zoo is seeking unspecified damages in Denver District Court.

Zoo officials said the money owed to Vertix is being withheld for the reasons laid out in the lawsuit — namely, Vertix’s alleged unwillingness to fix its mistakes.

“As stated in the complaint, under the contract, DZCA may withhold or offset any amount due to Vertix if Vertix refuses to correct its work — which is what has occurred here,” zoo spokesman Jake Kubié said. “It is imperative that the sea lion habitat be built in a manner that will stand the test of time.”

Vertix has worked on multiple projects at the zoo since 2020, starting with an African penguin exhibit that greets visitors at the entrance. Laszlo said. The company has also built or worked on a flamingo habitat, an African crane exhibit, and the renovation of Lighthouse Pizza (now Cafe Costa). One of its most high-profile contracts was the $7.8 million, open-air Down Under wallaby and kangaroo habitat, which opened in 2024.

Zoo officials acknowledged those projects, but drew a distinction between those and the current one.

“Each project stands on its own and is built with different project managers and subcontractors. DZCA has not sued Vertix on other projects at this time,” Kubié said. “This lawsuit is not about past projects; it����ap about this one, and the items that need to be corrected for the benefit of the sea lions.”

As a longtime donor, Laszlo said Vertix is ultimately a supporter of the zoo’s conservation and education mission, which makes the organization’s lawsuit even stranger to him. In the days leading up to the suit, he said Vertix’s vice president, Brady McQuinn, met with acting zoo CEO Cristal Torres DeHerrera, “and we thought we had a solution to the issues they presented.”

He added that “we stand by the exhibit. … It’s fantastic, and anybody who visits can see it’s a high-quality exhibit.”

The habitat, called Schlessman Shores, was supposed to be a state-of-the-art facility for the zoo’s California sea lions when it debuted in June 2025, complete with “a deep saltwater pool, sunny rocky shores, and immersive underwater views — all designed to support natural behaviors and create unforgettable guest experiences,” zoo officials .

The new habitat was also supposed to save 8 million gallons of water per year with newly efficient back-end systems. The former California sea lion habitat, Northern Shores, opened in 1987 and had not been updated in nearly 40 years. The two-year construction timeline meant the zoo’s five sea lions had to be housed elsewhere during that time.

However, zoo officials are now citing dozens of problems with the completed habitat, which is already dangerous, unsightly, and a waste of resources, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on March 17 in Denver District Court. They’re seeking unspecified damages from Colorado companies Vertix Builders and Barker Rinker Seacast Architecture (BRS).

“We are committed to resolving this matter as efficiently as possible, and to ensuring the habitat stands the test of time and meets the agreed-upon intent to provide our animals with a high-quality environment,” the Denver Zoo Conservation Foundation Alliance wrote in a statement provided to The Denver Post.

The complaint includes four separate claims, with two each against Vertix and BRS for breach of contract and breach of warranty. The lawsuit includes claims that BRS’s design failures resulted in construction delays and additional costs to “raise the pool, curbs, skimmers and to revise the beach area,” as well as failures in the design for the sump pump, pool, and barriers. BRS also failed to specify appropriate caging and metal hardware, resulting in rust, the zoo claimed.

“DZA made known to BRS the presence of these errors, omissions, and deficiencies,” according to the lawsuit. However, BRS failed to correct or resolve the problems, “which fall below the standard of professional practice.”

The lawsuit also claims Vertix’s poor work resulted in broken sump pumps, areas of water leakage, a falling pipe, exposed metal ties, peeling paint, faulty caulking, rust, and salt water leaching from the habitat’s upper pool into the moat, among others.

Vertix also failed to correct its work after the zoo notified them of the problems, the lawsuit claims.

The zoo is being represented by Tiffanie D. Stasiak and Lisa M. Saccomano of Denver-based firm Kutak Rock.

Vertix and BRS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Throughout April. Colorado isn’t New Zealand, but the state is still one of the largest producers of sheep in the U.S., coming in behind only California and Texas when it comes to the number of animals raised here: 405,000 in 2025, according to the American Sheep Industry Association. That����ap why many chefs and restaurateurs here believe that lamb is one of Colorado’s signature dishes.

As a result, more than half a dozen of the state’s best-known chefs will participate in Lamb Jam 2026 throughout April, preparing dishes priced under $30 and “available on bar, happy hour, or small plates menus,” according to organizers at the American Lamb Board. Participating chefs and restaurants include: Dana Rodriguez of Work & Class, Alex Grenier of Mercantile, Ty Leon of Restaurant Olivia, Zach Warren of Kawa Ni, Erasmo Casiano of Xiquita Restaurante y Bar, Manny Barella of Riot BBQ and Bo Porytko of Molotov. Diners can vote online for their favorites. Get more information at . — Jonathan Shikes

World-class breakdancing

Friday. Break yourself, fools! Some of the best breakdancing you’ll ever see is coming to Denver’s Boettcher Concert Hall this weekend with Red Bull BC One. The event “will bring out top talent and internationally recognized breakers to the city to celebrate its thriving breaking community,” organizers wrote.

“Open to all ages, Red Bull BC One Cypher Denver will see the country’s top B-Boys and B-Girls battle for the regional crown. Composed of prelim winners and wildcards, 16 B-Boys and 8 B-Girls will go head-to-head in 1v1 elimination rounds,” they added. “In the leadup to the event, Red Bull BC One will host workshops and open prelims, giving local breakers the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s best and compete for a spot on the main stage.”

It all goes down at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 3, at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 100 14th St. in Denver. All ages. General admission is $15 via . — John Wenzel

Easter egg hunt

Saturday. One of the metro area’s best family egg-hunts returns on Saturday, April 4, just in time for Easter (which is the next day, Sunday, April 5) at Four Mile Historic Park in Denver with two sessions from 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1:30-5 p.m. “Each session features age-specific egg hunts – including a brand-new adult-only hunt — a magic show and live music. Plus, a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny, tractor rides, Four Mile House tours, croquet, egg rolling contests, egg and spoon races, Tales & Tails story time, face painting, crafts and more,” organizers wrote.

A pre-sale ticket costs $20 for general admission and $35 for the goodies-filled Extra Easter Experience. Prices go up just before the event to $25 and $40, respectively. 715 S. Forest St. in Denver. Call 720-865-0800 or see more details at . — John Wenzel

Glowing Wild

Through May 10.�� Themed lighting displays: They’re not just for the holidays anymore. Take Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s Glowing Wild, which returned for its second showing in mid-March and continues select nights through May 10. (See for full calendar.)

The installation re-creates “the lush forests of Asia to radiant reefs of Australia,” organizers wrote online. “Guests will experience the glimmer of 60 illuminated scenes and 175 new larger-than-life lantern sculptures that bring animals and their stories to light, all handcrafted by Chinese artisans.” See it between 6:30 and 10 on event nights. Tickets are $20 for youths, $28 for adults, and free for kids 2 and under. 2300 Steele St. in Denver. Call 720-337-1400 for more details. — John Wenzel

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance officials announced Hesty’s pregnancy on Thursday and said the baby’s father, Jaya, will also be a first-time parent.

“This is an exciting milestone for the critically endangered species and an extra special moment for us as Hesty was born at DZCA in 2010 and is now becoming a mom herself,” zoo officials wrote in a post on Facebook.

Jaya, who moved to the zoo in 2019, and Hesty have spent time together in the past few years as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums species survival plan.

“While there are always risks with first-time pregnancies, our expert teams are carefully preparing for Hesty’s birthing window and are ready to provide support if needed,” zoo leaders said Thursday. “Hesty required brief assist-rearing as an infant before reuniting with her mother, so our teams are planning for every possibility to give both mom and baby the best start.”

Hesty is in her late second trimester, and her due date is in late May, according to the zoo.

have similar gestation cycles to humans – between 260 and 270 days, compared to 280 days for humans – and usually give birth to a single baby weighing 3 to 4.5 pounds, according to the DZCA.

Orangutans carry around their babies for the first two or three years and continue to nurse them until they are six or seven years old.