DES MOINES, Iowa — Recent winter weather brought a first look at snow for the youngest animals at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.
For Taro the snow monkey, who was born in June, it was a first look at his namesake.
Zoo officials say he wasn’t quite sure what to think when he got his first look at the more than ten inches that fell. He stayed close to his mom, Anika, at first.
Taro and Anika are Japanese Macaques, a primate adapted to colder climates. They have thick fur coats and compact bodies that help protect them from the elements. Nicknamed snow monkeys, the Japanese Macaques in the wild will bask in the sun and even look for natural hot springs to soak in to stay warm in the winter…