Adorable photos of animals meeting each other at zoos and aquariums to get you through the week

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Anneta KonstantinidesApr 28, 2020, 04:28 IST
Adorable photos of animals meeting each other at zoos and aquariums to get you through the week

Carmen the penguin meets Kayavak the Beluga whale at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.Shedd Aquarium

  • As people around the world continue to stay at home, animals at zoos and aquariums are freely wandering around and meeting each other.
  • Staff have been using the empty spaces to find new ways to keep their animals entertained and engaged.
  • The Beluga whales at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago were fascinated by the penguins, while the dolphins at Texas State Aquarium literally flipped with excitement over meeting a sloth.
  • Orangutans and otters have become best friends at a zoo in Belgium, while gorillas jumped for joy at the chance to see alpacas in Canada.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

As people around the world continue to stay at home, animals at aquariums and zoos are getting the chance to meet each other for the very first time.

From penguins and whales to orangutans and otters, new friendships are blossoming everywhere.

Insider has rounded up some of our favorite animal meet-ups to help get you through the week, and we'll keep adding to it as new connections continue to form across the globe.

Read the original article on Insider
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The gorillas rushed to get a closer look before jumping up and down and banging on the glass in excitement.

The gorillas rushed to get a closer look before jumping up and down and banging on the glass in excitement.
The gorillas were jumping with excitement. Toronto Zoo

Their enthusiastic reaction was captured on video, which the Toronto Zoo later posted to Twitter.

Gorillas at the Toronto Zoo in Canada were even more excited when they got the chance to meet a few alpacas.

Gorillas at the Toronto Zoo in Canada were even more excited when they got the chance to meet a few alpacas.
These alpacas got to meet gorillas at Toronto Zoo in Canada. Toronto Zoo

Staff brought the alpacas over to the gorillas, who were fascinated by their new furry friends.

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Earlier this month, a group of gorillas, some penguins, and an aardvark all had a "playdate" together at the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida.

Earlier this month, a group of gorillas, some penguins, and an aardvark all had a "playdate" together at the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida.
A gorilla meets a penguin at Jacksonville Zoo in Florida. Jacksonville Zoo

The zoo's gorillas seemed especially fascinated by two penguins named CJ and Sharky.

"Our animals miss interacting with visitors," Jacksonville Zoo spokesman Kelly Rouillard told Insider. "To help with this, and as part of their enrichment, we introduced animals who would not normally see each other in the wild."

Uijan and Berani have become especially close to their otter neighbors, often chasing each other around and playing hide-and-seek.

Uijan and Berani have become especially close to their otter neighbors, often chasing each other around and playing hide-and-seek.
Berani the orangutan plays with an otter. Pascale Jones/Pairi Daiza

Pairi Daiza spokesman Mathieu Goedefroy told Insider that the zoo wanted to create an enriching environment for its animals.

"It makes life more fun and interesting for both animal species," Goedefroy said. "The otters really enjoy getting out of the water on the orangutan island to go and play with their big, furry friends."

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Over in Belgium, a family of orangutans are currently living in harmony with a group of otters.

Over in Belgium, a family of orangutans are currently living in harmony with a group of otters.
A family of orangutans have become best friends with a group of otters at a Belgium zoo. Pascale Jones/Pairi Daiza

The adorable best friends are cohabiting at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Brugelette, Belgium, where they often spend their days playing together.

The Asian small-clawed otters live in a river that runs through the orangutan territory, where 24-year-old "father" orangutan Uijan and 15-year-old "mother" orangutan Sari have lived with their 4-year-old son Berani since 2017.

The kittens looked around in wonder as they explored the aquarium, even pawing at the glass as they watched all the fish.

The kittens looked around in wonder as they explored the aquarium, even pawing at the glass as they watched all the fish.
The kittens were fascinated by the brightly-colored tropical fish. Georgia Aquarium

"They were most fascinated by the diver in our Pacific Barrier Reef window, and by the brightly-colored tropical fish," Georgia Aquarium spokesperson Hannah Hardwick told Insider.

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The puppies had so much fun that, just a few weeks later, the Atlanta Humane Society brought over some foster kittens to the aquarium.

The puppies had so much fun that, just a few weeks later, the Atlanta Humane Society brought over some foster kittens to the aquarium.
Five adorable foster kittens got to explore Georgia Aquarium. Georgia Aquarium

And with names like Nemo, Dory, Guppy, Bubbles, and Marlin, the adorable kitties fit right in.

The adorable puppies then took a nap right by their new fish friends.

The adorable puppies then took a nap right by their new fish friends.
The adorable pups got to meet plenty of beautiful animals. Georgia Aquarium

"We at Georgia Aquarium want to bring joy to peoples' day, especially during this time," a spokesperson told Insider. "And what better way than puppies?"

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These adorable marine visits inspired the Atlanta Humane Society to bring its foster puppies to the Georgia Aquarium.

These adorable marine visits inspired the Atlanta Humane Society to bring its foster puppies to the Georgia Aquarium.
Puppies Carmel and Odie at Georgia Aquarium. Georgia Aquarium

Eight-week-old puppies Carmel and Odie met the likes of whale sharks and manta rays during their fun-filled day.

One of the dolphins even did an impression of Chico, flipping upside down to mimic his position on a branch.

One of the dolphins even did an impression of Chico, flipping upside down to mimic his position on a branch.
One of the dolphins even did an impression of Chico. Texas State Aquarium

Chico, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by his new audience.

"In true sloth fashion, Chico was pretty sleepy when we brought him to our underwater view to meet the dolphins," Texas State Aquarium spokesman Seamus McAfee told Insider. "But he did open his eyes a few times to check them out."

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Over at Texas State Aquarium, the dolphins were literally flipping for joy when they were introduced to one very sleepy sloth.

Over at Texas State Aquarium, the dolphins were literally flipping for joy when they were introduced to one very sleepy sloth.
Dolphins Liko and Schooner were very excited to meet Chico the sloth. Texas State Aquarium

Liko and Schooner had a blast meeting Chico the sloth, swimming right up to the glass to get a closer look at him.

The visits have continued well into April, with staff members continuing to introduce their penguins to different animals.

The visits have continued well into April, with staff members continuing to introduce their penguins to different animals.
Iris the penguin meets the jellyfish at Shedd Aquarium. Shedd Aquarium

Penguins Iris, Calista, and Bosco recently explored Shedd's Underwater Beauty section, where Iris said hello to all the jellyfish.

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The Belugas were especially fascinated by Wellington, a rockhopper penguin.

The Belugas were especially fascinated by Wellington, a rockhopper penguin.
These field trips provide a new way to keep the animals enriched while the aquarium remains closed. Shedd Aquarium

One of the whales couldn't take their eyes off of Wellington during the visit, and he seemed just as intrigued by his new friend.

A few weeks later, staff at Shedd introduced the penguins to the aquarium's Beluga whales — and it was hard to tell who was more starstruck.

A few weeks later, staff at Shedd introduced the penguins to the aquarium's Beluga whales — and it was hard to tell who was more starstruck.
Carmen the penguin meets Kayavak the Beluga whale. Shedd Aquarium

This was likely the first time the whales had ever seen a penguin. While Beluga whales live in the Arctic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere, penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere.

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Staff saw the empty aquarium as an opportunity to enrich their animals in new and exciting ways.

Staff saw the empty aquarium as an opportunity to enrich their animals in new and exciting ways.
Edward and Annie, a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins who are together for the nesting season, got to tour the aquarium's rotunda. Shedd Aquarium

"Without guests in the building, caretakers are getting creative in how they provide enrichment to animals — introducing new experiences, activities, foods, and more to keep them active, encourage them to explore, problem-solve, and express natural behaviors," a Shedd spokesman told Insider.

Even during this time of uncertainty, it's important to keep things as normal as possible for the animals, Shedd's zookeepers added.

"Enrichment is a regular part of the animals' day, so we are keeping the day for the animals the same," they told Insider. "A field trip in the aquarium is just enrichment we don't do as frequently."

It was the penguins roaming around Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, that first captured our attention — and our hearts — in March.

It was the penguins roaming around Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, that first captured our attention — and our hearts — in March.
Monte the penguin meets at dolphin at Shedd Aquarium. Shedd Aquarium

A week after deciding to temporarily close the aquarium's doors, staff at Shedd let their penguins wander around and meet the likes of dolphins, stingrays, and piranhas.

Monte the penguin seemed especially fascinated by this white-sided dolphin.

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