As people across the US and the world face up to the reality of closed workplaces, bars and restaurants as the coronavirus spreads, many have found some solace – through a penguin named Wellington.
A video of Wellington, a 30-year-old rockhopper penguin, was posted on Sunday by Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. It quickly spread online.
With the aquarium closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Wellington was given the opportunity to visit parts of the building usually denied to a penguin, including an exhibit of Amazonian fish.
Penguins in the Amazon?! 🐧🌴
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 15, 2020
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
According to National Geographic, in the wild rockhopper penguins live “among the craggy, windswept shorelines of the islands north of Antarctica, from Chile to New Zealand”.
Given their native habitat, rockhoppers would not usually encounter Amazonian wildlife. Wellington’s reaction to seeing the fish – part confusion, part unbridled excitement – warmed the hearts of many.
His name is Wellington. 🐧❤️ I can't, it's too much...too much cute and my cold dead heart is melting. ❤️ https://t.co/zuAkcEDxtX
— Robbie-Ann McPherson (@AuthorRobbieAnn) March 17, 2020
This penguins name is Wellington and I would die for him https://t.co/es2sP8RYBB
— Elisabeth (@liz_l98) March 17, 2020
Others, however, were less impressed by the antics of Wellington and his fellow birds.
“After their field trip how about giving them a long permanent big trip back to true freedom and their lands and waters?” one woman mused on Twitter.
Rockhoppers are named for their distinctive method of transportation on land. Rather than slide about on their bellies, in the manner popularized by King and Emperor penguins among others, rockhoppers perform a double-footed hop from rock to rock.
The penguins’ affinity for rocks even extends to their nests, which rockhoppers create from a circle of stones, to stop eggs rolling away.
Following the success of Wellington’s ramble, on Monday two other rockhoppers were afforded an excursion away from their enclosure.
Edward and Annie explored the aquarium’s rotunda, with one video showing the pair meandering about in front of an information desk. Following the runaway success of Wellington’s video, the Shedd aquarium said it would be sharing more animal updates in the coming days.
“Yes,” it added. “Wellington will return!”
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. Let us know what penguin activities you would like to see! (3/3) pic.twitter.com/ftlow7iPHl
— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020
