In the midst of all the scary and upsetting news about the coronavirus pandemic, two penguins are helping to bring some much-needed joy and comfort to those quarantined at home.
Edward and Annie, two bonded rockhopper penguins living at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, have become unlikely viral stars after staff at the tourist attraction shared a Facebook video of the two birds roaming freely around the facility, which was shut down to the public on Friday.
In the adorable clip, which has racked up more than 1.6 million views, the two birds are seen waddling past several different exhibitions, viewing some of the fish in their tanks, and even strutting through the aquarium’s main entrance.
Roaming free: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has shared an adorable video of penguins roaming around the building, which was closed on Friday in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Checking things out: Bonded rockhopper penguins Edward and Annie have become unlikely viral stars after featuring in the Facebook video, which has more than 1.6 million views
‘This morning, Edward and Annie explored the rotunda,’ the caption on the video explained.
‘They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which means they are together for nesting season. Every spring is nesting season for the penguins here at Shedd, and this year is no different!’
In the clip, the two birds are seen happily wandering around the empty building, remaining close together during their exploration, which saw them being given a chance to meet several of the other forms of wildlife living in the aquarium with them.
‘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,’ a spokesperson for the Shedd told the Chicago Tribune.
The happy video sparked an outpouring of sweet comments from viewers, with many people thanking the aquarium staffers for providing them with some light relief during these troubling and fearful times.
Exploring: The birds were caught on camera waddling around the aquarium’s rotunda, where they were given the chance to check out some of the exhibits
Famous faces: Facebook viewers went wild for the video, with commenters praising the aquarium staffers for providing some much-needed light relief
‘This is awesome!’ one person wrote. ‘Great way to take advantage of a bad situation w/the coronavirus outbreak.
‘I wish other cute zoo animals could explore out of their habitats like these lucky birds. Thank you for sharing! My daughter and I are self quarantined at home and this was so cool to share w/her.’
Another person chimed in to request more of the same content, writing: ‘More penguin vids, and throw in some otters! This just made my c****y day better. Thank you, Shedd!’
‘Thank you so much for sharing these!’ a third person wrote. ‘Please keep them coming! A much needed bright spot with everything else going on in the world.’
Edward and Annie are not the only penguins to have been given a starring role on the Shedd Aquarium’s Facebook page; on Sunday, staffers shared another video of Wellington, another penguin at the facility, who was given the chance to explore the Amazon exhibit.
Co-star: On Sunday, the aquarium uploaded another video of a penguin named Wellington visiting the Amazon exhibit
More to come: Staff have promised Facebook fans that it will continue to upload more penguin content over the next few weeks, including videos of Wellington, and Edward and Annie
‘Penguins in the Amazon?! Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd,’ the caption read. ‘Wellington seemed most interested in the fishes in Amazon Rising!
‘The black-barred silver dollars also seemed interested in their unusual visitor.’
Staffers also reassured those people requesting more video content from the penguins that there will be plenty more footage to watch over the coming weeks.
‘Next week, penguins, including Edward and Annie, will begin to build their nests,’ the video caption read. ‘You’re invited to digitally join us for the nesting coverage!
‘In the meantime, we will share a variety of animal activities, and yes, Wellington will return! While this may be a strange time for us, these days are relatively normal for the penguins and other animals at Shedd.
‘Our caregivers are constantly providing new activities, experiences, food and more to allow the animals to express natural behaviors—even if that includes simply exploring. Let us know what penguin activities you want to see!’
Update: There are now nearly 5,000 cases of coronavirus in America and 93 have died