Main image via Twitter + Business Insider
As we all know, most of the world is currently staying in their homes to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Due to the ongoing pandemic, many places have been closed to avoid public gatherings. This includes aquariums.
Though the aquariums may be closed to the public, one aquarium in Tokyo is asking for people to help them out with some of their residents. Their shy garden eels in particular.
via GIPHY
Garden eels are sensitive and wary by nature but the 300 of them that are living at the Sumida Aquarium have grown accustomed to human visitors and rarely hide when approached.
But now, due to the lockdown measures taking place, these eels appear to be forgetting what humans look like.
Because of this, the aquarium is concerned that the garden eels could come to see visitors as a threat, so the staff are asking people to get in touch with these eels in the form of calming video calls.
The Sumida Aquarium which is housed in Tokyo Skytree – Japan’s tallest structure, has been closed to the public since the beginning of March. Because of this, the garden eels have become used to the largely human-free environment.
However, according to the aquarium, the “unprecedented situation” has put the eels and other creatures ill at ease.
“They don’t see humans, except keepers, and they have started forgetting about humans,” the aquarium tweeted. “Garden eels in particular disappear into the sand and hide every time the keepers pass by.”
Their shy behaviour and oversensitive nature makes it difficult to monitor the garden eels health.
The aquarium then sent an urgent request out into the internet and asked people to help these eels out by showing them their faces, naming the event a “face-showing festival.”
“Here is an urgent request,” the aquarium tweeted. “Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?”
People were asked to help the eels reconnect with their admirers through one of the five tablets that are facing their tanks. Once the video call begins, users were asked to show their faces, wave and talk to the eels. However, given the eels’ shy natures, they were requested not to raise their voices.
The “face-showing event” took place over three days and over 2 million people took part in the event, whether it was through video calling or just watching the event live!
Image via Business Insider
This is definitely one of the best things we could do with our time at home and it’s definitely an ingenious idea!
We hope these garden eels got all the face-time they need and won’t forget humans soon! We’ll be back one day!
In the meantime, be sure to keep playing your part by staying home to help stop the spread of COVID-19! Stay updated with the latest COVID-19 news here: https://en.syok.my/covid-19
Info via The Guardian