Another day stuck at home, another opportunity to find new ways to culture. Yesterday, you toured some of the world’s most iconic museums through your screen and today you’ll get to appreciate some of the internet’s finest work: that’s right, cute animal videos.
As the spread of COVID-19 has led to many museums and tourist attractions temporarily closing, some zoos and aquariums have taken to the internet to bring animal lovers a good ‘ol dose of fuzzy, furry, feathery cuteness. So, sit back, relax and hang out with these zoos and aquariums and their inhabitants.
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Hippos (and more) at Cincinnati Zoo
The most famous resident of the Cincinnati Zoo: Fiona the hippo. In 2017, Fiona the baby hippo captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. And now, she’s back in a new live-stream video from the Cincinnati Zoo.
Over the course of the next few weeks, the Cincinnati Zoo will host a Facebook Live video every weekday at 3pm Eastern Standard Time that will spotlight one of their animals. Though the initiative is primarily aimed at kids, adults are sure to enjoy meeting Cincinnati Zoo’s residents as well.
And for those of you without Facebook, or those who want to hang out with the animals more than once, all the Facebook Live videos will be uploaded to Cincinnati Zoo’s YouTube channel once the live stream is over. Happy viewing!
Meet the Shedd Aquarium Penguins
When Shedd Aquarium closed their doors to the public earlier this week, they opened their corridors to their penguin residents!
The Shedd Aquarium penguins are having a serious social media moment. On Sunday, the staff allowed a group of Rockhopper penguins to go on a little excursion through the aquarium. Needless to say, the resulting footage is full of ‘aww’ moments. Shedd Aquarium shared a series of videos of the penguins exploring the aquarium on Twitter.
The Chicago-based Aquarium hinted at more cute animal videos with an invitation to watch coverage of the penguins nest building. So, yes, you should definitely keep an eye on the Shedd Aquarium penguins via their Twitter account for more cute animal videos.
Zoos and aquariums that always offer live-stream coverage
The Smithsonian National Zoo
The Smithsonian National Zoo has offered people around the world the chance to visit a selection of their animals via live-streaming for some years now. An all-time favourite is the panda enclosure.
Watch these gentle giants navigate their way about their enclosure as long as you like. Whether you’re trying to entertain your kids or you’re simply a fan of these adorable bears, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s Giant Panda Cam is a charming way to pass the time at home.
Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium offers live-stream coverage of their resident harbour seals and sea otters.
Barney, Q and Hogan are three harbour seals you can get virtually acquainted with via Seattle Aquarium’s Seal Cams. And, you can watch northern sea otters Adaa, Lootas, Aniak and Mishka frolic in the water and play with one another from the comfort of your couch. Intelligent, charming and cheeky – what more could you want from your dose of cute animal videos? Get a peek inside the lives of these otters with the help of the Seattle Aquarium’s Otter Cams.
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium’s live-stream coverage offers ocean-life lovers a stunning view of life underwater. Get lost in the graceful movements of Beluga whales, be entirely mesmerised by the slow motions of jellyfish and be entertained by cheeky puffins diving in and out of the water – all from where you sit.
Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo provides live-stream coverage of several of its inhabitants, including pandas, tigers, koalas and penguins. Step into the world of these magnificent animals without stepping out of your living room and see them through the eyes of a well-placed web-cam.
San Diego Zoo
With 11 different live cams, the San Diego Zoo’s live cam section on their website is the place to be if you want options or abundance! Stop by the koalas, visit the orangutans, click over to the elephants and ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ to your heart’s content.
New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium is posting new videos on their social media profiles and at-home activities each day. You can start your virtual visit to the aquarium right now.
Zoo Atlanta
Another one for the panda lovers! The folks over at Zoo Atlanta know just how much their visitors appreciate a visit to these furry giants and so they’ve set up a panda cam so you can enjoy them even from afar.
Get in on the action at these national parks
Sometimes when you start, you just can’t stop. Go wild and watch live-cam footage of these national parks. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot animals passing through in their natural habitat!
Blue Spring State Park
Located in Florida, Blue Spring State Park has an underwater manatee-cam that offers the calmest and most soothing views of manatees mellowing out. Get to know these graceful beauties without putting a toe in the water!
Wapusk National Park
You’re virtually in Canada when you’re watching the live-stream coverage of Wapusk National Park. The park is home to one of the largest concentrations of polar bear maternity dens. There won’t be much action here until October and November, but take a look at the highlights to get your fix of animal-footage.
Katmai National Park
The Katmai National Park in Alaska gives you a (very safe) front row seat to the antics of brown bears in the area. Watch the bears splash about in Brooks Falls for a salmony snack and be glad that you’re not actually in close proximity to those rather impressive fangs.
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If you’re still keen to get out of the house to experience culture, you can keep your plans flexible in case the situation changes. Book on Tiqets and select the cancellation option to cancel for free up to 24 hours before your visit.
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