The Coronavirus has forced many establishments to close its doors to avoid the spread of the virus. This is happening all over the world, with social distancing being enforced, lockdowns, and community quarantines. Hopefully the virus spreading around will be limited, if not halted. In Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium is doing its share to help stop the spread of the virus, by closing its doors to the public. But, this has given a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the penguin residents to roam around the facility, and visit the other resident creatures. 

Penguins Edward, Annie, and Wellington, went on a field trip to explore their surroundings and meet the other residents. The curious penguins seemed so excited to go around and explore.  The Shedd Aquarium staff decided to take advantage of the temporary closure and allowed the penguins to explore the facility. They obviously took photos and videos to share with the world the extraordinary and amusing adventure. People all over loved the penguins’ exploration of the facility as the posts received millions of views, and thousands of comments.

“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 aquarium explained to the Chicago Tribune. It definitely was a fun experience for the penguins, they seemed to be enjoying the freedom to move around and meet the other residents of the facility.

While the dangers of Covid-19 are seriously scary, some positive effects are enlightening and help us face the problems with less stress. While there is nothing positive about the spread of the virus, some things constructive, like giving these penguins an amazing experience, helps to lighten the burden of the catastrophe.