Snow Day

BY CONSERVATION EDUCATION LIAISONS EMILY BOWLING, MICHAEL DAWSON, KERI LAMMERING AND LISA LIDGUS; PHOTOS BY ROGER BRANDT, RAY MEIBAUM, DAVID MERRITT, JOELLEN TOLER AND ROBIN WINKELMAN

The Zoo is home to many animals from cold-weather climates, and they sure enjoy our St. Louis winters. However, plenty of our more tropical animals still enjoy a cold breeze or a snowy day. Check out a few of our favorite examples of both types of animals, and be sure to visit the Zoo this winter and see if you can find these animals enjoying the chilly weather.

Sichuan takin

Few animals at the Zoo love winter more than the takin, a large antelope-like mountain goat. Takin are found in higher altitudes in western China, so they are built for the cold. They have several adaptations to keep them warm that you can easily see when you visit them at the Zoo. Their beautiful golden coat includes a very thick undercoat and is waterproof. Their large nose warms the air they inhale similar to a moose!

Amur tiger

The Amur tiger’s love of cold is all in its name. The Amur tiger is the largest cat in the world. They were once known as Siberian tigers before their wild populations were reduced to the point they are today; they are now only found in the Amur river region in northeastern Russia and China. They’re also the only tiger subspecies that lives in the cold, so they have a few extra features that distinguish them from other tigers. These include a layer of fat (on their flanks and belly), an extra fluffy ruff of fur around their neck, and built-in “snow boots” extra fur on their paws to protect them from the cold snow.

Asian elephant

That’s right, our Asian elephant family often enjoys a brisk, snowy day at the Zoo! While Asian elephants are found in warm and tropical areas, there are still ways they stay warm in our chilly St. Louis winters (with a little help from their keepers). The elephants’ large size helps them stay comfortable in the cold, and sometimes they even enjoy playing in the snow. We also have heaters throughout their outdoor habitats so they have spots to warm up if they need it. Their indoor facility is also temperature controlled, so they have a warm place to go when they need to warm up and dry off.

California sea lion

Surely an animal with “California” in its name would only prefer warm, sunny, summer days, right? Not these pinnipeds! While it’s true they are found in warm and temperate coastal regions, California sea lions still have a few cold-weather tricks up their flippers. Their bodies are covered in short hair, and they have a layer of blubber that keeps them warm in cold air and water. And, we provide a little extra coziness by heating their pools to a temperature that’s comfortable for the sea lions.

Grizzly bear

Grizzly bears are animals well-suited for winter. But, our grizzly bears, Huckleberry (Huck) and Finley, actually don’t do a common grizzly bear winter activity prolonged, deep sleep (called torpor). Wild grizzlies will spend the fall season fattening up so later on they can sleep while food is scarce. So, why don’t our bears do this? It’s simple they don’t have to! We feed our bears year-round so they don’t have a period of no food availability. Now, that doesn’t mean that our grizzlies don’t get a little hungrier in the fall and a little sleepier in the winter, but no prolonged nap time for Huck and Finley (which means more time to play)!

Cabot's tragopan

When visiting the Zoo in the winter, don’t forget to stop by the Bird Garden. You will be surprised to see several bird species enjoying the cooler weather, like our tragopans. These Asian pheasants live in the mountains of southeastern China. They are equipped to handle cooler weather. Their down feathers help trap body heat and keep them warm during our winter months.

White-naped crane

The viewing deck in the Bird Garden provides guests a beautiful and quiet oasis during the crazy summer months, but don’t forget this special place on Zoo grounds in the winter. The elegant white-naped cranes can still be seen walking around and exploring their habitat. These birds are adapted to live in cold places since their home range includes cold regions such as northern Mongolia and southern Siberia. If you stop by the viewing deck in the winter, you may even see this pair engaging in dancing. These birds will use courtship dancing to maintain pair bonding. These dances include jumping, bowing, unison calling and wing flapping.

Sub-Antarctic penguin

If you are looking for the champions of cold weather at the Zoo, look no further than the king, gentoo and rockhopper penguins. They are the only animals at the Zoo whose wild habitat near Antarctica really never gets that warm. These penguins normally reside indoors at Penguin & Puffin Coast, where it is the perfect temperature for them year-round. If you are wondering what that is, it’s around the same temperature as your refrigerator! At our Zoo, winter is “field trip season” for these birds. As this is their season to shine, they are given the option to participate in spontaneous winter walks outside of their habitat, which are enriching for them. The walks are not pre-scheduled and do not occur on any regular basis, but if you’re lucky to be at the Zoo on a winter walk day, it’s a special moment to remember!

Chimpanzee

(and other apes )

Some of the Zoo’s animals, like great apes, only like the cold to a certain extent. Some animals don’t tolerate cold weather in general because their wild habitats rarely, if ever, encounter snow. Keepers are always careful to keep tropical animals in comfortable conditions when harsh weather rolls through town. For apes, keepers give them the choice to go out into their outdoor habitats on winter days when the weather isn’t too bad, but always with the ability to return to their toasty-warm, indoor habitats. But one thing our three great ape species usually love is snow! They are given opportunities to go outside and play in snow or ice piles, and the keepers will sometimes even bring a little snow inside for them if it’s too chilly for the apes to venture out to see it themselves.

So the next time you’re at the Zoo on a chilly day and amid a blanket of snow, these animals’ habitats are the spots to go!