Although the St. Louis Zoo is a way many “St. Louisans” pass the hot summer days, it also has many winter attractions worth noting.  Even though it’s cold, the Zoo is still up and running and the winter is a great time to see some of the colder weather animals such as penguins and polar bears.

One exciting event happening this winter is the debut of a new Amur leopard cub.  Amur leopards are one of the most endangered animals on the planet, with only an estimated 40 left in their natural habitat in the pine forests of Russia.  The cub, named Anastasia, was born on Oct. 8 and has been with its mom in the Big Cats House for over three months. 

Jan. 26 at 1 p.m. marks the first time Anastasia will be seen by the public.

Also, a new exhibit called the Zootennial exhibit, put on in partnership with the Missouri History Museum, was created in celebration of the Zoo’s 100th year of operation.

The highlights of the exhibit include Phil the gorilla, behind-the-scenes stories told by Zoo staff members and snapshots of the Zoo throughout the years taken by visitors.

The best part of the Zoo is, of course, that admission is free.  Admission to the Zootennial exhibit is also free.

For more information and a calendar of winter events, go onto www.stlzoo.org  and plan your cold weather trip to the Zoo.