While they may seem out of their element, as these pictures show, Mother Nature’s wild and domestic creatures alike love to frolic in snow.
Photos Barcroft
Deep in the backwoods of Rockton, a project was underway — it began with a small clump of snow. Encouraged by their trainers at the African Lion Safari — 1/2 hour outside of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada — these ‘packaderms’ have resolved to roll with it.
Unlikely as it is that this creation will end up at an ice or snow sculpture exhibit, these elephant-sized snowballs are symbolic of a surprising reality — animals love snow.
These creatures know how to have a good time. Even at 4,000 pounds (1,818 kilos), this elephant is known for getting down on the ground and making her own version of a snow angel and having a ball.
The African Safari was founded by a retired Canadian Army colonel, opening its doors to the public in 1969 — nearly 40 years ago. From 1985, the Safari made a concentrated effort to breed Asian elephants.
The animals have been born here, so the elephants can remain outside for about 4 hours on a warm sunny winter’s day, as they’ve been acclimatized very well. They have a large campground forested area and go for hikes throughout the day.
An appreciation for a good old-fashioned Canadian winter is shared by other animals strolling the property of the African Safari. There are temperature restrictions for each species, and heated buildings provide shelter to all herds during extreme conditions.
The cheetah is well-known as the fastest animal on earth. But these cats step with trepidation in the freshly formed snow drifts. Much like our domesticated pets, these felines prefer a well-shoveled walkway. And just like our Canadian cats, they grow a heavier coat come winter. They as well have heated facilities, so if they’re not comfortable they can remain inside to stay warm.
Under clear blue skies, these rolling hills reveal winter at its best, but off in the wooded brush, there’s a hint of spring in the air — the Safari’s first mouflon lamb of 2008, and a sure sign this latest snowfall will soon be nothing more than a memory.
译文:
动物在雪中嬉戏的绝妙镜头
虽然它们看上去似乎不同，但是，就像我们在图中所看到的那样，不管是自然界的野生动物还是家养生灵他猛都同样地喜欢在雪中嬉戏。
在Rockton的偏远地区，一个项目正在进行着——它从雪着手。
非洲狮子旅游中心离加拿大，安大略湖，汉密尔顿有半个小时的路程，在这个中心的训练员们的鼓励下，这些动物开始滚起了雪球。
虽然让这些生灵在雪中或冰上摆出各种姿势作雕塑展览似乎不可能，但是这些大象大小的雪球代表了一个令人惊讶的事实——动物们喜欢雪。
这些动物知道怎么样嬉戏玩耍。即使这头大象有4000镑（1818公斤），它依然躺在地上，使自己成为一个雪天使，并不时地堆着雪球，也因此而众所周知。
非洲游猎中心是由一个加拿大籍的退伍军队上校建立的，大约在40年前，即1969年，此中心向公众开放。
从1985年开始，旅游中心主要致力于培育亚洲大象。
这些动物在这儿出生，所以大象们可以在一个温暖充满阳光的冬日持续在外面待上4个小时，因为他们对这儿的环境适应得非常好。他们有一个很大的可以散步的森林露营场所。
其他动物徜徉于非洲旅行中心，享受着这个传统的加拿大冬天的同时也心存着感激。这儿为每种物种都设置了严格的温度，暖房能够为所有的动物提供极端天气的庇护。
猎豹因为是地球上跑得最快的动物而闻名。但是看看这些在刚下好的雪上充满恐惧的脚印吧。与我们的家养宠物很相像，这些猫科动物也比较喜欢铲平了的道路。它们也会披上厚重的衣服过冬。它们也有取暖设施，所以如果感到不适，它们会选择留在里面取暖。
在清澈蓝色的天空下，起伏的小山将冬日的美景发挥到了极致，但是离开这个多数林的丛林，空气中却已充斥着一种春天的味道，这意味着2008年旅游中心第一只小羊羔的出生，显然也是一种预兆——这场降雪最终将成为一个美好的回忆。