Zoo Day at the Capitol: Photos of Wookiee the Sloth and Friends

Animal ambassadors including Wookiee, the Linne's two-toed sloth, and Casper, the sleepy barn owl, made their annual appearance to celebrate Denver Zoo's wildlife conservation efforts.

By Katrina Leibee

March 1, 2024

Wookiee the Linne's two-toed sloth lounging at the Capitol on March 1. Katrina Leibee

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Wookiee, a Linne's two-toed sloth, and some other Denver Zoo friends made an appearance at the Colorado State Capitol this morning for Zoo Day, the zoo's annual celebration of its wildlife conservation efforts. Wookiee is five years old and the brother of Wicket, the Linne's two-toed sloth that was born last January.

Many animal friends joined Wookiee this morning to meet state legislators and other Capitol staff, including Casper the barn owl, Jasmine the Dumeril's boa, Eureka the boreal toad, and Peter the blue-tongued skink.

The animals who spent time at the Capitol today are considered "Ambassador Animals," and they're comfortable with large crowds and interacting with people.

Westword was on the scene to bring you photos.

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Wookiee the Linne's two-toed sloth lounging at the Capitol on March 1.

Katrina Leibee

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It took months of training to get Wookiee ready to interact with the public in a setting like the Capitol. Now that he has been trained, he's an Ambassador Animal, ready to make appearances like this.

Katrina Leibee

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Wookiee enjoys some snacks on March 1 at the Colorado Capitol.

Katrina Leibee

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Casper the barn owl was sleepy at the Capitol this morning.

Katrina Leibee

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Peter is a twenty-something blue-tongued skink. This species can be found roaming around home gardens in Australia.

Katrina Leibee

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Eureka the boreal toad is native to Colorado and can be found in the Rocky Mountains.

Katrina Leibee

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Jasmine the Dumeril's boa enjoyed meeting legislators this morning. If Jasmine eats a big meal, she can go around six months without eating another.

Katrina Leibee

Katrina Leibee is the social media editor at Westword where she’s worked since August 2020. In her role, Katrina oversees and creates strategies for all of Westword’s social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X and LinkedIn. During the day, she can often be spotted at community events or at local businesses filming content. At night, she’s a musician singing her original songs at various Denver venues. Katrina graduated with honors from Colorado State University. While attending school, she was editor of the student newspaper, the Rocky Mountain Collegian.

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