How did animals and staff at the Kansas City Zoo weather winter storm? Take a look
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium staff enjoyed a unique slumber party as snow blanketed the metro. More than 20 staff members from the animal care and facilities teams slept overnight in the zoo’s brand-new aquarium from Saturday, Jan. 4 to Sunday, Jan. 5.
Their sleepover was about more than just team bonding and waking up in a winter wonderland: Staff chose to remain on site during the blizzard to continue caring for the zoo’s many animals — almost all of whom fare best in warmer climates.
“The animal staff was mainly responsible for going around and feeding and medicating any animals that needed medication the following morning,” said Sean Putney, the zoo’s CEO.
“We didn’t know if we would lose power of have other issues that needed to be addressed. So just having people on the grounds to address those things is important in those situations.”
Luckily, the zoo didn’t lose power during the storm — although it has backup generators on hand in case it ever does. A few members of each animal care team remained on site Sunday, providing food, water and medication to the zoo’s residents while it was closed to the public.
While most employees planned to drive home Sunday before full-on blizzard conditions arrived, Putney said a few chose to sleep over a second night to stay off the icy roads. Backup then arrived Monday morning, when other animal care employees made the journey to the zoo.
How are the KC Zoo’s animals holding up during extreme cold weather?
Every animal at the zoo has an indoor enclosure where they can escape the elements, Putney said. That’s where most of the zoo’s outdoor animals are staying warm until temperatures rise again.
But a few of the zoo’s residents have welcomed the chilly conditions. Polar bear Nuniq spent time outdoors laying in a snow drift, while a video taken by zoo staff shows several sea lions swimming around their enclosure as the flakes fell Sunday.
Indoor animals also got a chance to enjoy some seasonal enrichment. A video posted to the zoo’s Instagram account shows Artie the giant Pacific octopus examining a container full of snow offered by a staff member, then stealing it away to investigate further.
“There’s probably not too many octopi that encounter snow in the wild,” Putney said. “Our staff is really good at thinking about what they can do to stimulate the minds of the animals that live here.”
He added that he also expects the zoo’s penguins to enjoy the winter wonderland outside their building when they resume their outdoor walks on Saturday, Jan. 11, and Sunday, Jan. 12.
The Kansas City Zoo is back open to the public as of Tuesday, Jan. 7. While temperatures are still cold, Putney noted that there are plenty of indoor spaces where guests can warm up and take advantage of low visitor numbers.
“When there are fewer people around, you kind of get some more one-on-one time with the animals that are here,” he said.
Do you have more questions about things to do in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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