Hedgehog Snezhana Struggles to Predict Spring

The annual tradition of predicting spring on February 2 at the Yekaterinburg Zoo was entrusted this year to a newcomer—a three-year-old African hedgehog named Snezhana. Four bowls with larvae were placed in front of the animal, each corresponding to a specific type of weather: snowy, rainy, with variable precipitation, or sunny. The hedgehog«s task was to approach one of them and eat the treat, thereby making a forecast.

However, Snezhana showed noticeable agitation. She started running between the bowls, reached for the symbol of the sun, then overturned the bowl representing snow, and never settled on any one prediction.

The zoo found a way to interpret such behavior. «The result is ambiguous, 50-50. Warm sun is expected, but also snow. Let»s hope for more sun, as snow has already fallen in large quantities,« commented the staff.

Meanwhile, specialists from the Ural Hydrometeorological Center gave their forecast for the near future. According to their data, Sverdlovsk Oblast is expecting heavy snowfalls.