The animals at the Houston Zoo got a rare chance to frolic in the snow this week, leading to scenes of exotic adorableness.
A winter storm blanketed the Greater Houston area with as many as six inches of snowfall starting early Tuesday morning, including the highest single day snowfall recorded at George Bush Intercontinental Airport since 1973. Overall, it was the third-greatest snowstorm in Houston history, minus the 1895 storm that predates modern recording. Worries about dangerous road conditions shut most of the city down.
But at the Houston Zoo, 66 keepers stayed on site to make sure that the menagerie was well taken care of. Not only did the animals weather the, well, weather in safety, zoo keepers caught several of them frolicking in the snow.
One particularly happy resident was Teddy, the zoo's three-year-old Asian elephant. It was his first time seeing snow, and on a video shared by the Houston Zoo, he can be seen running at top speed through the powder as a keeper laughs and chases behind him. Despite being the closest living relative to the legendary wooly mammoths of the last ice age, Asian elephants rarely encounter snow even in the wild except at the extreme north of their remaining territories. Teddy's wonder is understandable.
The zoo's California sea lions seemed to enjoy the frosty temperatures. Their usual habitat in the Galapagos exhibit has 60 degree water year round, making it a veritable oasis of relative warm compared to the snow-drenched land parts of the enclosure. Sea lions, like all sea mammals, have a thick layer of blubber that insulates them from the cold while swimming. It also kept the zoo's population lively even as the snow fell.
However, the zoo continued to take serious consideration for each animal's comfort.
"Each animal at the Houston Zoo receives specialized care tailored to their species' needs, ensuring they remain comfortable during colder months," a press release from the Houston Zoo reads. "All animal buildings, barns, and nighthouses are equipped with heaters and designed to withstand extreme weather conditions."
About the only animals who did not seem happy with the snow day was the pride of African lions. One female, Mattie, can be seen in footage gingerly walking through the snow with an expression that can only be described as "over this." Lions, like the Asian elephants, do not see much snow on the African savannah and even less in the swampy heat of Houston, and would evidently prefer to keep it that way.
Photo by Houston Zoo
Lisa the Amur leopard.
