From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
CHICAGO — Penquins at a Chicago aquarium discovered the wonders of sea life this past weekend after the lakefront aquarium was shut down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Wellington, a male rockhopper penguin, was allowed the run of the Shedd Aquarium on Sunday following the organization’s closure to the public.
Penguins in the Amazon?! 🐧🌴
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
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 15, 2020
In a video released by the aquarium, Wellington could be seen watching fish swim on the other side of the glass in the Amazon rising exhibit. Unbeknownst to Wellington, one of the fish he was eyeing was a red-bellied piranha.
The aquarium said that Wellington was one of several rockhopper penguins that got to experience other parts of the aquarium through a personal tour.
“Without guests in the building, caretakers are getting creative in how they provide enrichment to animals,” the aquarium said, “introducing new experiences, activities, foods and more to keep them active, encourage them to explore, problem-solve and express natural behaviors.”