Zoo Porcupines Are Now Going on Field Trips and Meeting Neighbors Due to Coronavirus Closures
The Shedd Aquarium has started a trend!
Temporarily closed to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus COVID-19, the Chicago aquarium recently allowed some of their resident penguins to explore other exhibits at the facility and meet some of their animal neighbors. Shedd posted the resulting videos from the adventure to Twitter, where they were eagerly embraced by animal lovers looking for a bright spot in their day.
Wellington meets the sea otters! 🦦🐧 Wellington the rockhopper continued his field trip around the aquarium by visiting the Shedd otter habitat. #WheresWellingtonWednesday (1/2) pic.twitter.com/VlEeDzSoIV
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 18, 2020
Since Shedd shared these videos, other zoos and aquariums have started sharing their own photos and clips of resident penguins waddling around areas empty of guests and meeting other animals face-to-face.
Along with penguins, the Shedd Aquarium has also started taking their porcupines on field trips, as seen in the video above. The Seattle-area’s Woodland Zoo also let their porcupine stretch its legs around their empty facility, taking one of the prickly cuties on a trip to the penguin exhibit.
“At the moment, every day seems to feel like a new reality. One thing will always remain a constant though—Skyáana the porcupine is going to snack. With no visitors and fewer staff on grounds, roaming the zoo is a perfect way to stretch those legs and allows animal keepers to practice working with our ambassadors,” the zoo posted on Facebook about the trip.
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