Penguins get snow days too!
During a recent snowfall, the Saint Louis Zoo decided to take some of their penguins on a special field trip. King penguins Ethel and Elliot, and gentoo penguins CJ, Oshie, Linus, Sunny, Double, and Trouble all took part in the snow day festivities, following keepers out of their exhibit and into the flurries.
The Saint Louis Zoo luckily captured footage of this adventure. The first leg of the excursion was all about enjoying the fresh snow itself. Video of the field trip shows the penguins waddling through the white stuff and staring up into the flakes.
Gentoo penguins and king penguins were the perfect participants for this activity since both birds are native to Antarctic regions and are built for the cold.
After taking some time to feel the snow on their feathers the penguins decided to visit some of their bear neighbors who have exhibits near their home — an indoor exhibit called the Penguin & Puffin Coast.
"Through the cooperation of our bird and carnivore animal care teams, our penguins were able to get up close to see the polar and grizzly bears. The penguins willingly approached. These penguins reside indoors at Penguin & Puffin Coast and are given the option to participate in spontaneous winter walks that are enriching for the birds. The walks are not pre-scheduled and do not occur on any regular basis." the Saint Louis Zoo posted about the field trip on their Facebook.
Penguins weren't the only Saint Louis Zoo residents to enjoy the snow, the facility also posted a video of their river otters gleefully sliding around the fresh snowfall.
"The fun-loving river otters are made for this kind of weather — they have thick, oily fur to repel water and keep them warm. And when they're done 'tobogganing' they can snuggle up in their nice cozy dens," the zoo wrote along with the clip on Facebook.
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