Winter at the Zoo


I learned a few lessons from going to the zoo the day after a Colorado snowstorm:

  1. Nobody else is crazy enough to go to the zoo when it's below zero (with windchill) and there's snow on the ground.
  2. Over half of the zoo gets closed down due to the weather.
  3. There's a good chance you can get in for free!

Entering the Zoo


I pick up my friend Jeremy from his parent's house, and I drive us over to the zoo. I was going to go to the zoo by myself, but Jeremy insisted on coming with me. I am driving a small Chevy Cobalt, and it's really struggling in the snow. We probably should have taken Jeremy's Subaru Tribeca. The car gets stuck a few times on the way to the zoo, but does this deter me? Absolutely not.


We arrive at the zoo, and we go up to the gate. Jeremy walks quickly ahead of me, and I have a feeling that he is going to insist on paying for both of our admission tickets. The ticket counter girl, clearly surprised to see us there, tells us that there is no admission fee today due to so many of the exhibits being closed. She hands us a map with blue highlighted lines showing which exhibits are open, and which ones are not.


Jeremy lead the way, having been to the zoo before. This is my first time here, and I find the sculptures around the zoo to be very interesting. Apparently they are not permanent, but are part of a temporary art exhibit. The sculptures are made out of trash, with the message essentially being to be less wasteful, and recycle/upcycle more.

A large snow-covered bird sculpture stands among bare winter trees in a snowy landscape.

Outdoor Animals


It is very cold. We find that there are a few zebras standing outside.


We also find that the Amur Tiger is lounging outside, just laying in the snow. Silly tiger.


Otherwise the only other animals that seem to be "out" are the peacocks, who are free to roam within the zoo.


Jeremy is a very patient man. He stands there, quietly, or tells me about memories he has of coming to the zoo when he was a kid, while I snap photos in the freezing weather. After we discover that we have found all of the animals who will be outdoors, we head towards one of the indoor exhibits.

A snowy winter scene showing tracks and mounds in deep white snow.
A cat peers through snow drifts in front of a weathered wooden surface.
A female wild turkey stands in fresh snow beneath bare winter branches.

Indoor Animals


The red pandas are very active, which is new for me to see. They are running all around their indoor exhibit on the tree branches. There is one red panda sleeping on a branch with their legs hanging down, and I think to myself, "That's more like the red pandas I have seen before."


Jeremy and I walk through the cold weather to the Wild Cat exhibit. I am pleased to see that there is a leopard visible, and the leopard is actually quite close to the glass. We then walk over to the giraffe house. The giraffes are quite amusing. They are behind a tall gate, but they keep leaning their heads over it, as if to look down at you with their adorable faces.


Jeremy and I walk as quickly as we can between the giraffe house and Tropical Discovery (a reptile exhibit). Here I get to take photos of a variety of creatures including fish, reptiles, amphibians, spiders, and some tropical plants.

A bear walks along a tree branch at night in a dark forest setting.
Close-up of green tropical plant leaves and an unopened flower bud.
A green iguana rests on a branch surrounded by yellow-tinted foliage.
A purple orchid flower blooms among dark green leaves in low light.
Colorful fish swim in an underwater aquarium scene with illuminated coral displays.
A Komodo dragon rests on a rocky surface near murky water.
A red-eared slider turtle rests on a rocky surface in warm lighting.
Close-up of a young alligator resting on a wooden log.
Black and white image of a leopard emerging from darkness.

After the Zoo


After the zoo, Jeremy and I go to Cherry Creek Mall, where we eat some Johnny Rockets. Then I take him home.


It was a short, yet fun adventure!