January 2009
 
SNOW DAY! - OREGON ZOO ANIMALS ENJOY THE WINTER BLAST
Zoo visitors offered a rare chance to see animals playing in the snow

PORTLAND, OR -- Samudra, the Oregon Zoo's celebrated Asian elephant calf, got his first taste of snow -- literally. Keepers say the newest addition to the elephant herd romped in the snow for nearly a half hour playing with it, rolling in it and, yes, eating it.

After closing for a day and canceling two nights of its popular ZooLights festival, the zoo has resumed regular operations and visitors were rewarded with a rare glimpse of animals enjoying a winter wonderland.

"Our visitors rarely get to watch the animals in the snow" according to Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "It's beautiful up here - many of the animals are especially active in the cold weather."

Besides Samudra taking his first steps in the snow, Yazhi, the zoo's new wolf pup is enjoying the wintry weather. According to his keepers, the young wolf seemed a bit frightened by the weather at first and tried to dodge the snowflakes as they fell. Since then, keepers say, both Yazhi and her pack-mate, the 8-year-old Cheyenne, have been enjoying the cold weather and are spending most of their time outside, even though they have access to an indoor space should they wish to escape the cold.

The zoo's two Amur tigers, Mikhail and Nicole, have been especially active, rolling in the snow and playfully batting at each other. In the wild, Amur tigers live in a region marked by extreme cold and deep snow. The animals are specially adapted to these conditions, with layers of fat to keep them warm and extra fur around their paws that acts as "snowshoes."

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, Oregon spotted frogs and western pond turtles. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561. Oregon Zoo " 4001 SW Canyon Rd. " Portland, Oregon 97221 " 503-226-1561
Samudra and Chendra - Photo by Laura Brown, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo   Samudra - Photo by Laura Brown, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo
 

Left: Samudra and his herd-mate Chendra enjoy a snowy day at the Oregon Zoo after another storm transformed the zoo's Asian elephant exhibit into a winter wonderland. Photo by Laura Brown, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

Right: Samudra, the Oregon Zoo's 4-month-old Asian elephant, romps in the snow with his mother, Rose-Tu, and the rest of the elephant herd. The zoo and ZooLights resumed regular operations Tuesday, after severe weather that forced the zoo to close today and cancel two nights of its popular winter festival. Photo by Laura Brown, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.