The penguins at a Chicago aquarium are getting out and seeing the place as the city is taking precautions over coronavirus concerns.
As the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Ill., is closed off to people, the penguins are getting a chance to take a “field trip” to check out the other animals there.
On Sunday, the aquarium tweeted about the penguin named Willington’s visit to the Amazon section, “Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd. Wellington seemed most interested in the fishes in Amazon Rising! The black-barred silver dollars also seemed interested in their unusual visitor.”
Watch the video below:
Penguins in the Amazon?! 🐧🌴
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 15, 2020
Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd. Wellington seemed most interested in the fishes in Amazon Rising! The black-barred silver dollars also seemed interested in their unusual visitor. pic.twitter.com/KgYWsp5VQD
The penguin must have enjoyed the tip as the adventure continued. The aquarium posted videos of the penguins named Edward and Annie exploring to see the variety of fish.
“They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which means they are together for nesting season,” the aquarium tweeted, adding, “Springtime is nesting season for penguins at Shedd, and this year is no different!”
A spokesperson told The Washington Post that “animal care staff and veterinarians are onsite 24/7” at the aquarium.
“Without guests in the building, caretakers are getting creative in how they provide enrichment to animals — introducing new experiences, activities, foods and more to keep them active, encourage them to explore, problem-solve and express natural behaviors,” the statement read.
Watch the videos below:
The adventure continues! ??
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020
This morning, Edward and Annie explored Shedd’s rotunda. They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which means they are together for nesting season. Springtime is nesting season for penguins at Shedd, and this year is no different! (1/3) ? pic.twitter.com/VdxN3oQAfe
While this may be a strange time for us, these days feel normal for animals at Shedd. Our caregivers are constantly providing new experiences for the animals to explore and express their natural behaviors with. Let us know what penguin activities you would like to see! (3/3) pic.twitter.com/ftlow7iPHl
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020
The aquarium is temporarily closed for two weeks until March 26.
In a statement, the aquarium wrote, “While we are disappointed that we won’t be able to welcome you to the aquarium during this time, we are closing out of an abundance of caution and to do our part in the social distancing efforts to help stop the further spread of novel coronavirus.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker limited the size of crowds to 50 people maximum on Monday, as the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, including in the U.S. All restaurants and bars are also ordered closed in the state until March 30.
This comes as over 5,200 people in the U.S. have been confirmed positive with the coronavirus and there have been 92 deaths, as of Tuesday afternoon.
