Winter Storm Jonas dumped around twelve+ inches of snow at the zoo on January 22 and 23, 2016. Zoo staff worked hard to prepare for the snowstorm. As always, all of our animals have access to heated barns or shelters as necessary. However, due to the extremely cold temperatures and snow, we added additional bedding and kept many of the animals inside their barns and shelters for the storm.
Some of the animals enjoyed playing in the snow like Nitro and Elsa our Snow leopards. The Mishmi takin is native to the eastern Himalayas and is built for snowstorms. The takin’s long nose has large sinus cavities that warm up cold air as the takin takes a breath!
Kumbali and Kago also LOVED playing in their first snow. You can watch the video below.
Melanie, Eva, and Iris (left to right) are staying warm inside the giraffe barn along with the rest of the herd.
We also want to give a HUGE shout-out to our amazing and dedicated staff. Our keepers are working twice as hard in the snow to clean enclosures, distribute food, and provide our animals with warmth and necessary care.
