Another exciting exhibit at the St. Louis Zoo is the River’s Edge, home to a variety of savanna and wetlands species from North and South America, Africa, and Asia. You can see black rhinos, hippos, capybaras, and giant anteaters, and, of course, those lovable Asian elephants. Remarkably well-adapted to life in a variety of habitats, Asian elephants are native to the jungles and grasslands of India and Southern Asia, where they have been widely domesticated. The trunk is an elephant’s multi-tool—it can be used to tear grass or branches and place them in the elephant’s mouth (but has the precision to pick a single blade of grass), to greet other elephants, to gently pick up its young, to load water for drinking or bathing, and even to breathe with while swimming, like a snorkel. What an ingenious design!

The St. Louis Zoo has one of the finest Big Cats exhibits in the country, home to lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, pumas, snow leopards, and the rarest cat in the world, the critically endangered Amur leopard. Amur leopards, Amur (Siberian) tigers, and snow leopards all live in some of the harshest environments on earth. With their long, thick fur, an extra layer of fat, and furry feet, these magnificent cats are well-suited to life in the cold and snow.

In the heat of the day, no exhibit is more popular than the Penguin and Puffin Coast, kept at a year-round temperature of 45–50ºF (7–10ºC). Although unrelated, penguins and puffins live in similar cold environments, penguins in the south, puffins in the north. Both are specially designed for life in and around the water—their dense black and white feathers are camouflage both from the sea and from the air. Penguins also have an extra layer of fat to help protect them from the cold.