This evening has brought a delightful frosting to the park, although it is scheduled to be replaced by slushy grey muck by morning. One of the most romantic views in the park is Belvedere Castle in the snow.

And while we’re on the subject – Snow leopards will soon have new digs in Manhattan, at the Central Park Zoo. The Allison Maher Stern Snow Leopard Exhibit is expected to open in spring of 2009 and was made possible by a $7 million leadership gift to the WCS Gateways to Conservation campaign by Allison and Leonard Stern.  The new exhibit will replicate the scrubby evergreen forests in the mountainous region of Central Asia, where the highly endangered snow leopard lives. Zoo visitors will be able to go nose-to-nose with the big cats and see them perched on rocks and boulders. Hot and cool rocks for winter and summer will create a comfortable environment for these high-altitude animals, and ledges and other behavioral enrichment features will encourage them to pounce and play.  Some lovely watercolors that are being prepared for the Zoo can be found at the Natural History Artist site.

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