Covid-19 may be ravaging the country, but for the animal kingdom, there are more pressing matters at hand.
Imagine you’re an African penguin, for example, and you end up on the shores of sunny Singapore.
You’re impressed with how tasty Chicken Rice is but disturbed by the relationship Singaporeans have with bubble tea.
Still, you get used to life here.
But then you realise your legs have gotten flabbier than your stomach after the penguin school holidays.
Fortunately, your keepers have noticed it too, and they want to help.
S’pore Zoo Built Obstacle Course for Little Penguins
When a waddle of penguins at the Singapore Zoo came back for a swim, they were in for a surprise.
Their home had been transformed into a full-blown obstacle course filled with tiny fences, bridges, and plastic balls.
Ok, so it’s not exactly something an SAF soldier could use, but these are little penguins we’re talking about.
While the entire group was too mindblown to move, one brave little penguin waddled forward and tried it out.
And soon the rest of the colony joined in to explore their new environment.
Builds Their Leg Strength
Wildlife Reserves Singapore, who shared the adorable video on Facebook, explained that African penguin habitats are usually sandy, and can be steep and rocky.
This sandy obstacle course with its slopes, fences, and bridges mimics their natural habitat, and helps to strengthen their legs as different muscles are put to use.
According to Mothership, the penguins are allowed to navigate this indoor obstacle course around two to three times every two weeks.
In addition to strengthening their legs, this obstacle course also stimulates them and trains their navigation skills.
You can watch the entire video of these cute creatures exploring their new environment here:
Allowed To Explore The Rest Of The Zoo
This isn’t the only adventure these penguins have had lately, though.
In conjunction with the circuit breaker period, Wildlife Reserves Singapore previously announced that they would close their zoological parks in order to help prevent further spread of the Covid-19.
These meant that their zoos would be as empty as the streets of Singapore.
And two weeks ago, some penguins had the chance to explore the rest of the zoo with their fuzzy friends.
This included exploring a children’s playground, going for a walk around the exhibit, and even getting up close and personal with sea lion statues.
Wildlife Reserves Singapore said that although there have been many changes, one thing hasn’t changed and that’s “the love and care we have for our animals”.
Everyone’s stuck at home at the moment, but it’s nice to know that our penguins are having a grand old time.
You can watch the video of their outdoor adventures here: