NEWS
New BioPark home for cheetahs opens to the public
'Running Wild helps our guests see wildlife through a new lens,' ABQ BioPark director says
Published
Julian Higdon’s 9- and 10-year-old sons were looking at three cheetahs inside the ABQ BioPark Zoo’s new Running Wild: Cheetahs & More habitat on Thursday morning when one of the boys issued a challenge.
“I can ride them,” he said.
“(But) they can run 60 miles per hour,” Higdon said.
“We can ride them on the freeway,” the boys replied.
BioPark Zoo Director Brandon Gibson said the 8-year-old cheetahs are named “the Bean brothers: Pinto, Garbanzo and Borracho.”
Their old home had 4,000 square feet of space and closed in 2024 so it could be redone. Now, after a $2.4 million project — funded by a voter-approved ⅛-cent gross receipts tax — the Bean brothers have 14,000 square feet to roam around in, according to BioPark.
“We all know the iconic cheetahs for their famous speed, but they are much more than just fast,” Gibson said during a Thursday news conference about the new habitat. “Unlike the other big cats, cheetahs hunt during the daytime and they climb small hills and use their sharp vision to locate prey — and then it’s off to the races. And for the BioPark cheetahs, now they have the opportunity to showcase those incredible behaviors.”
The cheetahs aren’t the only animals enjoying the new space, however.
Running Wild includes Dash, a blind snow leopard who navigates by sound and memory, and Ben, an Andean bear, “who climbs confidently with three paws,” according to the zoo. Visitors can also say hello to several new residents: Ruckus and Maxi, the bobcats; Goose and Acacia, the white-nosed coatis; and 4-month-old fennec foxes Rocket and Comet.
“Running Wild helps our guests see wildlife through a new lens,” Gibson said in a news release. “Through habitat improvements and new interpretation, we’re highlighting traits like speed, strength, endurance, and behavioral flexibility, and building deeper connections that support our conservation mission.”
After the news conference, over a dozen people were walking down the new habitat when they saw a mountain lion playing with a ball. Some took photos with their phones while kids pointed them out to their parents and smiled.
Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.
