Chimpanzees at Maryland Zoo Are Loving Their ‘Snow-Covered Wonderland'
We're almost halfway through winter now, and many of us are ready for warmer weather and sunny days. Others are enjoying the wintery cold and snow. ABC News shared a video on Friday, January 26th of some chimpanzees enjoying a snow day at the Maryland Zoo, and it'll definitely make you smile!
The video starts by showing us a few chimpanzees venturing out into the snow for some play time and a snack in the 'snow-covered wonderland'. While they were free to roam around and frolic in it, it seems what they really wanted to do was eat it! It also seems like they didn't want to get their little feet wet, and instead chose to climb around on the cage instead.
They didn't seem to mind the snow at all! I like the one who walked out with a chunk of snow in its mouth - I bet they don't get that treat too often! There weren't many comments left about @ABC News' video - which surprised me - but my favorite came from @Ant who said simply, "Snow cones"!
Related: Chimp's Reaction to Seeing the Sky After Being Kept in a Cage Her Whole Life Is Incredible
Protecting Chimps from the Cold
One of the people that commented on the video was angry because the snow isn't part of chimpanzees' natural environment. Obviously, the zoo wouldn't have shared the video for the world to see if they thought the chimps were in danger. And while they may not be used to living in the snow, according to Project Chimps, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia, chimps can acclimate to the snow and cold much like people do. And some of them love it!
Some of the 59 chimps that live at Project Chimps are not interested in going out to play in the snow. They will stay in where it's warm and snuggle into their nests. Others like to venture out into the cold, and when that happens, the sanctuary make sure that there are places for the chimps to go to warm up when they're ready to come in. The cold may not be an environment that they're used to, but they do enjoy the change of scenery, and some are curious enough to want to go out and check it out for themselves.
While chimps don't make good pets (they're crazy strong and dangerous), they are one of the animals that many people label as their favorite since they're so similar to humans. Chimpanzees are considered endangered, which is why zoos and sanctuaries provide safe places from them to live and thrive. According to a study in Nature Communications, like people, chimps are very adaptable to different environmental and climate conditions, so it's not surprising to see them in the snow.
As long as they are given ways to warm up after a snow filled adventure, there is no reason that they can't be given opportunities to check it out - although they seem to enjoy snacking on it more than playing in it!
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