2 Colorado Zoos Among The Best In The Nation: U.S. News

COLORADO –Now that the weather has warmed up, thoughts in Colorado turn to wildlife. Even if you can't get up to the mountains to spot a misbehaving bear, two zoos in Colorado have been recognized for their conservation and educational standards.

That was evident in a new U.S. News & World report, which named Colorado zoos among the 30 best in America.

Here’s what the report said:

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs started out as a private exotic animal collection of Spencer Penrose but but has been praised for evolving into a "noted educational facility." The zoo features 170 species, including Instagramable petting wallabies a chance to feed lettuce to giraffes.

The Denver Zoo started when someone gave the mayor of Denver a black bear. But by 1918, the property "transformed to become the first institution with naturalistic habitats designed to promote animal welfare," U.S. News said. Visit the zoo and you might see new animals like Tobias, the new male lion, or Tonks, the baby aye-aye, (a rare Madagascar lemur). Or you might catch a glimpse of "Baby Ruth" the 2-toed sloth and her new sibling and mother Charlotte in the zoo's Bird World Exhibit. You might also want to visit the two new bachelor elephants Jake and Chuck at their Toyota Elephant Passage bachelor pad.

Other zoos that made the list: The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, Arizona.

The Alaska Zoo, which has rescued abandoned and injured animals, features a facility dedicated to teaching visitors about climate change, the report said. It also promotes bear conservation.

Being named one of the 30 best zoos in the country is no small feat. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a nonprofit that represents such facilities across the globe, there are 215 accredited zoos and aquariums in 45 states and Washington, D.C.

Those accredited organizations contributed more than $22.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Related: 'Tonks' The Baby Aye-Aye Makes Appearance At Denver Zoo

Related: Hailstorm Kills 2 Animals, Injures 14 People At CO Zoo