Now that places like zoos and aquariums are closed to the general public in the midst of the current global health crisis, the animals who live there are getting a chance to mingle a bit more these days. Penguins are wandering free, puppies are meeting fish, and now dolphins are meeting sloths and absolutely losing their minds about it. More of these happy stories, please!!!
- Chico the sloth got a tour around the Texas State Aquarium. The 3-year-old sloth is a bit of a local celebrity, so it’s no wonder that when he hit up the aquarium where he was on full display to the dolphins who are part of the Golf of Mexico display. Shadow, Kai, Liko, and Schooner were absolutely thrilled with Chico’s arrival!
- The dolphins aren’t the only animals Chico met. He apparently got to see some ducks, the seahorses, a shark, and some colorful fish before he moved onto the dolphins. It’s unclear whether the other animals were as impressed with Chico’s arrival as the dolphins, but I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be! “Our dolphins have had the opportunity to meet several other animals over the years, including baby gators, an African serval, a red-tailed boa and others. They’re almost always very curious about the other Aquarium residents,” the staff explained.
- These playdates are a common occurrence at the aquarium. While it might seem like letting the animals mingle is a special occasion, the Aquarium apparently does this quite often. Introducing different species together keeps the animals happy and healthy and serves as a form of enrichment for them. “Besides making for some fin-tastic photo ops, these animal interspecies meetups are just one of the many ways we are ‘closed but still caring’ during the [current] situation,” they wrote on Facebook. “Along with enrichment opportunities for our animals, our staff is still busy at work preparing meals for and feeding the animals, maintaining their habitats, and looking after their medical care, to name just a few tasks.”
- Chico didn’t care very much about the dolphins, apparently. It’s hard to read sloths’ expression since it pretty much never changes, but it didn’t seem that his enthusiasm matched that of the dolphins’. I’m sure he was feeling excited inside, though, right?
