The weather has been wild in the United States this week, creating some truly epic moments for everyone to enjoy, even the elephants! Several areas that don’t normally see much snowfall were suddenly buried under it, including Middle Tennessee, where The Elephant Sanctuary is located.

As the weather settled in, the wise elephants took refuge in the warmth of their barn. But that didn’t stop Osh from getting curious about what was happening just outside the door. The 32-year-old African elephant, who has been a resident of the sanctuary since 2024, decided the snow was definitely worth investigating.

At the beginning of the sanctuary’s most recent Instagram video, you have to watch closely to spot an elephant’s trunk slowly pushing its way through the flaps of the barn cover. Using the “fingers” at the tip of his trunk, Osh expertly scoops up a perfect snowball before pulling it back inside the barn for a quick taste test.

According to the video’s caption, the barns are fully heated and equipped with backup generators when needed. Still, that didn’t stop the African elephant from enjoying the rare snowfall. Osh clearly loved pushing his trunk into the fluffy snow and sampling the cold stuff—all while staying safely tucked inside the warmth of the barn.

Related: Baby Elephants Compete for the Title of Biggest Show-Off, and It’s Impossible To Choose

Funny Reactions to Elephant’s Snowy Play Session

The Elephant Sanctuary’s post made many Instagram followers laugh, including @lissakirby1w, who guessed what Osh might be thinking, “He’s like interesting, but I’m not going all the way out!” and @sweetdreamingkathleen admitted, “This is exactly how I treat the cold, too. Just barely peeking my trunk out. LOL.”

One commenter joked, “He’s getting ready to ambush you with a snowball fight!” while another said, “Tell Osh to make sure there’s no yellow in that frozen water treat!”

The humor continued with another viewer, @aw10_96, suggesting, “He’s making the world’s largest snowball in there!”

While it’s no secret that African elephants don’t typically live in snowy conditions, rest assured that The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is taking excellent care of its residents. The elephants have everything they need to stay comfortable and well-adjusted, and it seems many of them are even enjoying the change of pace the snow brought to their everyday lives.

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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.