Humans and animals alike will delight in 80 tons of snow at the Santa Barbara Zoo for the annual Snow Leopard Festival on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (9 a.m. early admission for Santa Barbara Zoo members only).

There is more than enough snow for kids sledding (sleds provided) and for a children’s play area, and plenty to be given to animals as enrichment. Meerkats, Asian small clawed otters, barnyard animals, and others receive snowy enrichment, as do the festival’s namesake, highly endangered snow leopards.

Also offered are face painting, climbs on the 25-foot tall California Condor Climbing Wall, electric ride-on animals, pictures with Santa, and snow leopard-related toys and books. Kids can play veterinarian to two giant snow leopard plush dolls and learn how the zoo’s vet takes care of the real live leopards.

Scent enrichment is re-created for guests, who see if they can guess which smells are the snow leopards’ favorites. Wool products made by the native people who live near snow leopard habitat are also for sale; all purchases benefit snow leopard conservation. The zoo’s two snow leopards are “senior citizen” Everett, age 16, and female Zoe, age 11.

Though they aren’t actively breeding, they are part of a cooperative management breeding program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Santa Barbara Zoo supports field conservation by the Snow Leopard Trust; information about the trust will be available at the festival.

Sledding and snow access is $3 and sold at the snow area and zoo retail shops only. There are no advance sales. Sledding is for children ages 4 to 12 only — no adult sledding. Sleds are provided — no personal sleds. Snow play area is open to children 12 and under. The climbing wall is $5 per person, with a minimum weight of 45 pounds. Rides on the electric “Animals on the Move” are $3, with a maximum weight of 100 pounds.

For more information, call 805.962.5339 or click here.

— Julia McHugh is a publicist representing the Santa Barbara Zoo.