Our Wonderful World of Water.

Our own water-loving animal oasis, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Aquatics building is home to a wide variety of species. But there's never any doubt who the stars are: the Nile hippos.

Nile Hippos

This bachelorette group, Zambezi and Kasai, can often be seen consuming hippo delicacies, playing in their large pool or relaxing in an expansive outdoor yard.

• Check out the hippo program, daily at 2:30 p.m. Zookeepers work extensively with the hippos, training them to respond to cues and providing enrichment activities aimed at helping them stay mentally and physically stimulated. You might even see one demonstrate how much they enjoy getting their teeth brushed!

• Watch the hippos play. Favorite hippo play items include large plastic balls and barrels. With their powerful jaws, a hippo can flatten a 55-gallon barrel to the size of a pancake with a few well-placed chomps. With their massive strength and agility both in and out of the water, it's no wonder that these are Africa's most dangerous mammals in the wild.

African Penguins

Though the hippos often take center stage, the African, or black-footed, penguins also steal some hearts. The penguins' rock dens are built right into the walls of the exhibit, replicating the natural cave nests you'd see in the wild. An adjacent pool provides our tuxedoed friends an opportunity to show off their lightning fast swimming abilities.

Other Species

The aquatics building also houses a fanciful collection of fish living in a variety of tanks. But if hippos, penguins and fish aren't exciting enough, perhaps a Komodo dragon (the world's largest lizard) or a couple of large Burmese pythons will get your blood pumping!

Find out when Aquatics animal shows and talks happen!

For splashing, spraying and soaking, this exhibit's a flood of fun!