First Snowfall Of The Year
December 16, 2020
Turpentine Creek is currently a winter wonderland for both our big cats and people! The beautiful Ozark Mountains got between 3 ½ and 6 inches of snowfall on Sunday! The snow blanketed the Refuge, giving the big cats a bunch of fluffy, white natural enrichment to enjoy for a few days. In the past, Turpentine Creek has gotten feet of snow at a time, but over the past five years we have been sorely lacking in snow. Each year we have gotten only a dusting that has melted in hours, but this first snowfall of the year covered the ground and has stuck around for days afterward.
Tigers love the cold, they tend to be the most active in the cooler months. This snow day was particularly enjoyable to them since not only did they have a nice cool day but also fluffy white snow falling from the sky and collecting on the ground. Many of our tigers romped, played, jumped, pounced, and stalked in the snow for days! Some tigers were extra feisty chasing habitat mates through snow piles. Our white tigers got a little extra camouflage for a few days and took the opportunity to stalk team members.
Although the snow slowed down our human tasks, we enjoyed taking a little extra time to watch the animals play in the snow. It was a sight to behold and a wonderful feeling to see the animals having so much fun.
Winter is typically our slowest time of the year, even though it is the most active time for tigers. Because the snow made our tour path impassable, we had to suspend tours for two days. Please consider donating the price of an adult admission of $25 to help us make up for the lack of visitor income for those two snow days.