Salisbury Zoo feels blizzard effects

In Salisbury, folks saw 12 inches of snow, closing schools and leaving cars stranded, but it wasn't just people that were affected by this blizzard… it was animals too.

Snow covered exhibits and walkways…to alpacas in jackets. The Salisbury Zoo continues to feel the effects of the blizzard.

"Well I would be lying, if I said that anybody… keepers, staff, or animal was really enjoying themselves these last few days," says Ian Shelley, the Collection Manager at the Salisbury Zoo.

The winter storm dumped a foot of snow in Salisbury closing down the zoo for several days.

Monday morning staff plowed to make paths walkable.

"We don't want to open up and have people fall and slip," says Mary Seemann,  the Marketing and Development Director

Zoo officials admit their top priority has been the animals.

"The first thing they do every morning is  check the animals, and it's the last thing they do is when they leave," says  Shelley.

The cold temperatures have brought new challenges, such as freezing creeks. Zookeepers have had to relocate some of their water animals.

"The one animal that really surprised me for this winter was our sandhill cranes. We moved the cranes to an outdoor alligator exhibit. Our alligators are not there right now, which has a pool of circulating water," says Shelley.

Zookeepers have also places extra bales of hay to protect  alpacas from the wind and keep them warm.

"There's been a lot of constant checks, making sure heat lamps are working, making sure heaters are operational, propane tanks are filled," says Shelley.

Zoo staff tells us they plan on receiving help from the city to clear out their pathways, and they hope to be open by the end of the week.