During the pandemic, Lehigh Valley Zoo’s 3-year old male snowy owl, Yeti, received an abundance of warmth in the form of a charitable donation.

Employees of B. Braun, a global medical and pharmaceutical device company with U.S. headquarters in Bethlehem, raised a total of $3,110 to go directly toward Yeti’s food and care for 2020.

“At a time when so many businesses and nonprofit organizations like the LV Zoo were impacted significantly by extended closures, the kindness and generosity of B. Braun’s employees is a bright spot of positivity in an otherwise very difficult and trying year,” said Kaylyn Devine, LV Zoo’s lead keeper and interim curator. “As a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we have made a commitment to ensure that our animals receive the highest standard of care, and a gift like this is sincerely appreciated by our entire animal care team and, of course, Yeti!”

Yeti has been at the LV Zoo since 2018 and is an important part of the Species Survival Program for snowy owls; in accordance with the AZA.

Sadly, snowy owls are directly affected by global warming and habitat destruction; making SSP programs for snowy owls crucial.

Unlike most owls that only hunt at night, snowy owls are diurnal and hunt during the day.

Native to colder climates, these owls also have a lot of feathers for insulation; making them the heaviest owl species in North America.

As male snowy owls continue to mature, the spots on their feathers will eventually disappear and turn completely white so they can hunt better in the snow.

Females, however, will keep their spots in order to camouflage while protecting their nest.

While Yeti is still waiting for his perfect mate, he has quite the recognizable personality at the Zoo.

He is extremely smart and even participates in voluntary training sessions with keepers which help assist with his care - as long as the weather is to his liking.

Yeti does have a hint of sass to him as he will never let his keepers know he enjoys his enrichment (items used to encourage natural behaviors in animals to keep them physically and mentally healthy).

Instead, he can only be found interacting with enrichment - decoy ducks and anything shiny - in secret.

After being closed to the general public for 106 days due to COVID-19 state guidelines, the L.V. Zoo officially reopened to the general public on July 1 and remains open seven days a week between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. with additional safety measures in place (i.e. masks must be worn).

Tickets must be purchased online and are available at lvzoo.org.