Closed Chicago aquarium allowed its penguins to roam freely and it's the video we all need right now

Wellington, Annie and Edward had a field trip to explore the aquarium's other enclosures

Penguins ask, waddle we do now?

Penguins ask, waddle we do now?
Powered by automated translation

Coronavirus has emptied the streets of dozens of cities around the world, as millions of people are placed on lockdown to help stem the spread of the virus. But the resulting deserted attractions have allowed some special Chicago residents to embark on an adventure.

With the city’s Shedd Aquarium closed to visitors, its resident penguins were able to roam around the attraction, visiting the other animal tanks for the first time. The tour was captured on film, giving the world a much-needed reason to smile right now.

Wellington the Rockhopper penguin got to roam freely, chaperoned by his keepers of course, to explore two outdoor tanks containing fish species from the Amazon. Keepers then took a pair of bonded penguins, Edward and Annie, to explore one of the indoor areas of the aquarium, alongside its main reception area.

Alongside the videos, Shedd Aquarium posted, “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.

“Penguins like Edward and Annie will begin to build their nests next week. Join us digitally for nesting coverage! In the meantime, we will be sharing lots of different animal updates (and yes, Wellington will return!)”

It added, “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.”

His adorable reaction to seeing the other animals has captured hearts online, with his bewildered “filed trip” being shared thousands of times on social media.

“What a great idea to let the natives visit one another!  Kudos to the staff.  Thanks for making my day!,” one user wrote, while another added, “Please keep doing this. This is the content we need right now.”