Zoos Have Shared Adorable Footage of Different Species Meeting One Another
Zoos may have gone quiet for visitors, but their animals have not gone unnoticed. Across social media, caretakers have been sharing sweet clips of different species meeting each other, and the results are as charming as you would expect.
From sea lions and tegu lizards to penguins, ducks, and coatis, these behind-the-scenes moments show how much care goes into keeping animals curious, engaged, and entertained. It is a small bright spot in a stressful time, and the internet has clearly fallen for it.
Here are some of the cutest animal meet-and-greets making the rounds right now.
"What in the world?" Surely that's going through both of their minds in this moment captured here.
This adorable sea lion got to meet a fellow zoo animal, a tegu. We're all living through a really random, confusing era, so much so that it has the zookeepers saying:
"You know what? Forget it, let’s just show them each other!"
The above still shot was taken from the video that went viral. It was shared more than 16,000 times!
The OP wrote in his viral tweet, "Pray for the zoo animals in this time of crisis."
I hope we can all find comfort in knowing that the animals in the zoos and aquariums around the world are receiving added hands-on attention they would otherwise not be getting right now.
A tiny stare-down can steal the whole show.
Eyes always telling the purest stories! Watch for yourself. 👇
The Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut wrote in its Twitter caption, "When you have no game at the ‘staring game’ but your animal enrichment is on point."
I love all of this so much!
Check out this red river hog meeting the animals through the Africa habitat at the Cincinnati Zoo.
It seems the meerkats were the most curious!
"Animals, much like humans, exhibit curiosity when faced with the unfamiliar," says Dr. Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist. "This interaction highlights the importance of social connections in the animal kingdom, which can be quite similar to our own experiences." The Cincinnati Zoo shares, "Red river hog Sir Francis Bacon got the rare opportunity to visit other zoo residents earlier today. His care team took advantage of the zoo being closed and took him on an extended walk in the Africa habitat. The meerkats were particularly curious about the unusual visitor."
I can't get enough of these!
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore also shared a delightful video featuring their charming Indian runner duck, who wandered over to peek into the penguins' aquarium.
Zoos showing us their animals meeting one another brings back my faith in the world.
Yet another zoo participated! The San Diego Zoo in California took a 'coati cutie' and introduced it to a gorilla. The ape seemed pretty darn interested in the little animal! "Taki the coati cutie visited some primates over the weekend."
I'm over the moon for this!
I can hardly contain my joy for the animals that got to do this while we're all in isolation!
In a delightful video shared by the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, a Magellanic penguin watches his peers swim while he remains outside the exhibit.
Can you imagine how intrigued he was?!
"When in the water, penguins are powerhouses!"
Oh my goodness!
While the original intention may have been to simply allow the animals a view they otherwise wouldn't have gotten, the fact that they decided to take footage and share it with the public is everything. Especially since everywhere you look online is plastered with news of the coronavirus. The Dallas Zoo in Texas participated as well, sharing delightful moments of animal interactions.
"Remember Hodari, our adorable little milky eagle owl chick? She took a trip to the Children’s Zoo recently to meet the koi fish! We are introducing her to all kinds of sights and sounds right now, so she’ll grow up to be confident and a great ambassador for her species."
All of these meetings have been oh so humbling to see!
Unbeknownst to the general public, this is actually standard practice for most zoos behind the scenes!
How lovely!
This is a lot like the opposite zoo that lets animals roam while visitors are kept caged.
One commenter weighed in on the subject.
This is all so interesting!
I'm willing to bet the looks on their faces were priceless!
I'll vouch, chickens seem to be pretty fearless from a distance!
Glad it's not just the chickens we have at home! LOL
🎵"Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious."🎵
So many zoos and aquariums are giving viewers the opportunity to tune in daily to learn about a new species each day!
Since COVID-19 has tightened its grip within the U.S., behind-the-scenes footage has become a staple in many homes. If you'd like to find more information, follow the hashtag #BringTheZooToYou.
Their offer of distraction during this crisis has not only been educational but completely soothing to all those who tune in to watch.
Cincinnati Zoo is live streaming daily at 3 PM EDT where you can learn about a new animal each day.
Meanwhile, the Tropical Reef Aquarium in Long Beach, California, is also live streaming their colorful fish while they swim along the coral!
And the Kansas City Zoo has a wide variety of cameras that you can choose from to tune in and learn about the animals!
We're all in this together, animals included. <3
These animal meet-and-greets are the kind of wholesome content the internet needed.
Before you go, enjoy these baby zoo moments with huge eyes and tiny bodies in 15 pictures of adorable baby animals.
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