Zoos and aquariums are letting their animals go on adventures during the shutdown. But should they?
Marina, the African penguin, on a mini safari checks out a hypomelanistic crocodile safely from one side of the glass at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. (Courtesy of Audubon Aquarium of the Americas/)What do you get when a tegu lizard, a penguin, and a sloth walk into an aquarium? Some very precious photo ops. Due to to COVID-19, creatures in captivity have a lot more alone time; so, zoos and aquariums have taken it upon themselves to provide little field trips for their residents.That means beluga whales can have staring contests with penguins in Chicago, a sloth can chum around with dolphins in Texas, rescue puppies can discover the deep sea in Georgia, and gorillas can experience the crankiness of llamas in Canada. These meet-and-greets don’t just add delight to people’s social media feeds—they also give the wildlife involved a break from the monotony.“These experiences could...