There’s something about snowy days that bring out the kid in everyone. I can remember as a kid, I lived somewhere where we got lots of snow every year. If we were lucky enough to have school canceled for a “snow day,” we invariably pulled our sleds out of the sheds and got ready to slide down the big hill in front of our house. Our hill was one of the tallest in town, so there were always lots of kids there. We’d put socks over our hands and mittens over the socks, then slide down that hill all day long, full of energy. Walking up the hill after every trip down kept our blood circulating to keep our toes from freezing off, but even still, at the end of the day, we’d have numb fingers and toes.
As adults, people still love snow, strangely enough. There’s a reason why snow skiing is one of the most popular pastimes in the world. It’s lots of fun and it’s still exhilarating to slide down a big hill or slope, even as adults. Just being out in the snow is fun and refreshing, even if it’s just to take a walk in the snow, throw snowballs, build a snowman, or lie down and make snow angels. As it turns out, for animals, it’s no different. They love getting out in the snow, too, especially if no people are around to interrupt (or ruin) their fun. The footage in the video below is from the winter of 2017 when a rare blizzard hit the state of Oregon.
Animals at the Oregon Zoo were excited about the snow, and likely they were feeling a little energized by the cold air and a clean new landscape. At any rate, they were determined to take advantage of the human-free time to get out and frolic around in the snow. Whether a polar bear or an elephant, these guys were ready to play in their new winter wonderland. The blizzard was in January of 2017, when Portland, Oregon saw a huge snowfall that they’re not accustomed to seeing. A foot of snow fell on the city, paralyzing the local area and closing down several businesses, including the Oregon Zoo.
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Although the zoo was closed to the public, the place stayed busy, of course, because animals still need care. And naturally, there are always video cameras documenting the lives of these beautiful creatures. As it turns out, a zookeeper actually had to ski down to the zoo to see about all of his animals. They were able to play all day outside in the snow with no humans watching them and eyeballing them. Enjoy this rare footage below.
