Monkey, kangaroo travel through snow on Interstate 80 to get to Manteca school

By Michelle Bandur

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    APPLEGATE, California (KCRA) — A wildlife handler with the Wild Things outreach center of Weimar didn’t let a snowstorm stop him from educating some Manteca school children on wildlife.

“Got in the old four-wheel drive and took the animals down to visit the kids,” director Gabe Kerschner said.

Kerschner’s passengers included a kangaroo and a South American monkey named Darwin.

“These guys have been here a while and they’re fairly well-acclimated,” he said. “The monkey goes out and gets cold and like a kid puts his hands under his armpits, then he goes indoors and stays nice and warm.”

Kerschner said the education has to continue even when it’s snowing and the interstate is shut down.

Caltrans is allowing local residents access to the Colfax and Weimar area with the proper identification. He said travelers should stay away when the weather turns dangerous.

“Please when roads are closed, don’t try to push it,” he said. “It really does congest the back roads. One spinout on a little hill can stop everything.”

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