COLORADO ZOO WELCOMES NEWEST ANIMAL, A BOBCAT LOADER
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was one of the fi rst customers to take possession of a new 500-frame-size loader. Employees depend on their Bobcat® loader to help maintain the mountainside zoo and complete projects associated with animal exhibits.
One of the newest wild animals at the Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo is white with a streak of orange and has four wheels. Unlike the other animals at
the zoo it’s not alive, yet it packs
plenty of power. It’s a new Bobcat S570 skid-steer loader.
Scott Myers is responsible for the day-to-day horticulture and grounds maintenance department at the mountainside zoo, located in Colorado Springs, Colo. Its total area includes more than 140 acres and more than 800 animals representing more than 200 species. Myers and his staff take care of small and big projects alike, often operating a Bobcat skid-steer loader and attachments.
Myers says a generous donor provided the zoo’s fi rst new Bobcat skid-steer loader several years ago. Ever since, the zoo purchases a new Bobcat loader each year through a rollover program
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with its dealer, Bobcat of the Rockies, in Colorado Springs.
M-SERIES IMPROVEMENTS The new M-Series S570 replaces a familiar and popular S185 skid-steer loader, and Myers points out that he and his operators noticed a variety of changes almost immediately.
“The new cab-forward design and improved visibility are huge for us because we’re often working in tight situations,” he says. “The better visibility gives us a 360-degree view from inside the cab. Some of our smaller pathways that we take the Bobcat loader on are about 6 feet wide, and there are no problems getting through. The maneuverability makes it a perfect machine for us.
“Inside the cab, it seems like everything is right at my fi ngertips and it’s defi nitely more comfortable. I can sit in the machine all day and I’m comfortable. It’s quieter and keeps the operators and me cleaner. You can feel it when you shut the door; it’s like a pressurized cab.”
Open to visitors 365 days a year, Myers and his crew are expected to have the zoo in top shape every day, including removing snow during winter. He says his operators often spend many hours inside the machine to clear snow from up to 70 percent of the zoo.
“The enclosed cab with heat is excellent,” Myers says, “and it makes all the difference when you’re plowing snow. We have a V-blade and bucket for
Horticulture specialist Scott Myers fi nds many uses for the zoo’s Bobcat S570 skid-steer loader and attachments, from digging holes to transporting landscape rocks, and snow removal in winter.
WORKSAVER SPRING 2013
bigger snowfalls, or the angle broom for lighter snow. With the Bobcat loader, we’re done clearing snow by noon. If we didn’t have the loader, it would take us a day and a half to clear the snow by hand.”
Keeping paths clear of debris is a year- round effort. A Bobcat sweeper attachment and loader provide the means to effi ciently keep paths clean, while operators are protected inside the cab.
“We use a gravel/salt mix during winter, and once the snow melts, the gravel needs to be removed,” he explains. In the summer months, operators use the sweeper to remove dirt and debris, too. “It gets pretty dusty, but inside the air-conditioned enclosed cab, the operator stays clean and comfortable.”
MAINTENANCE MADE EASY Properly maintaining the loader is a top priority for Myers, who says he appreciates the easy access to routine service items behind the redesigned M-Series tailgate.