Heart-warming animal stories make the circuit breaker period a lot more bearable

If you've been afraid to check the news for fear of being inundated with depressing, virus-related stories, you are not alone. With a vast portion of the world under some form of lockdown, most of us are in our houses, desperately trying to stay sane despite the circumstances. With the circuit breaker period extended to June 1, and with even stricter measures in place, the next month is not going to be an easy one, and the repetitive and limited nature of what we can and cannot do on a daily basis is getting to some of us. For many, this means devoting a lot of time to Netflix sessions, Zoom meetings, TikTok-ing, home organising, decluttering, DIY-ing, baking sourdough bread and banana cake, catching up on reading, and for the extra-motivated and restless, exercising. However great these activities are at easing stay-at-home blues, they get tiresome after a while. But there's one thing that never fails to cheer us up and put a smile on our faces even after the most distressing of days—cute animals. Pet owners and animal lovers all over the world concur! With people off the streets and sequestered in their homes, a wondrous thing is happening all over the world—animals have been spotted venturing out and enjoying the emptier, cleaner streets. Firstly, let us first be reminded of the endangered—and adorable!—African penguins of The Singapore Zoo, who were recently allowed out of their enclosure for morning strolls around the deserted, closed park. While they may not have let themselves out for a walk, they certainly took full advantage of it, congregating sociably around walrus sculptures and curiously inspecting the children's playground! [caption id="attachment_198539" align="aligncenter" width="446"] Photo: Wildlife Reserves Singapore[/caption] [caption id="attachment_198538" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Photo: Wildlife Reserves Singapore[/caption] https://www.facebook.com/wrs.sg/videos/236005044424617/ And what about the critically endangered Raffles' banded langurs, who were caught on camera boldly crossing and playing on a rope bridge across Old Upper Thomson Road? The bridge, which was installed by the National Parks Board (NParks) in October 2019 and connects Thomson Nature Park to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, is there to help arboreal (tree-dwelling) animals cross in places where canopy linkages are not sufficient. https://www.facebook.com/desmondtslee/videos/226261288609377/ On the lush grounds of the luxurious resort Capella Singapore, gorgeous peacocks are a frequent sight. These days, however, they are bolder than ever, strutting around with their exquisite plumage on display. A mother peacock and her chicks were even seen parading proudly through the resort! [caption id="attachment_198575" align="aligncenter" width="429"] Photo: Capella Singapore[/caption] Animals in other parts of the world have the same idea—with humans in isolation, wildlife has emerged. In Kruger National Park, South Africa, the lions have taken advantage of the peace and lack of human activity by taking to the streets—to sleep! The big cats were caught cat-napping on the road by a park ranger. Bet he didn't want them waking up while he snapped this photo! [caption id="attachment_198576" align="aligncenter" width="430"] Photo: Kruger National Park[/caption] In the private Singita Sabi Sand reserve in South Africa, two packs of rarely-spotted wild dogs have been spied roaming the quiet roads. The fiercely protected, beautiful African wilderness supplies the creatures with more than enough natural habitat and prey for them to thrive. [caption id="attachment_198581" align="aligncenter" width="292"] Photo: Singita/Vim & Vigour PR[/caption] [caption id="attachment_198580" align="aligncenter" width="287"] Photo: Singita/Vim & Vigour PR[/caption] [caption id="attachment_198582" align="aligncenter" width="436"] Photo: Singita/Vim & Vigour PR[/caption] All over Canada, wildlife sightings have become even more frequent than normal, with animals wandering around, as bold as you please! [caption id="attachment_198583" align="aligncenter" width="456"] Photo: Canadian Press YouTube screen grab[/caption] [caption id="attachment_198584" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Photo: Canadian Press YouTube screen grab[/caption] [caption id="attachment_198587" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Photo: Canadian Press YouTube screen grab[/caption] An absolutely delightful video of beluga whales in an aquarium fascinated by a wandering penguin (more free-roaming penguins!) who was enjoying a walk around the closed park in Delaware, the United States, has been circulating around social media, warming people's locked-down hearts:. https://www.facebook.com/Delawareonline/videos/168379287609763/?v=168379287609763 If that didn't hit you right in the feels (the good feels, in this case), then you don't have a heart! It might be possible to send you over the edge with an overdose of the warm-and-fuzzies—just look at this adorable little lion cub! Born during the January 2020 bushfires in Australia, he was named Phoenix to symbolise the recovery that Mogo Wildlife Park and the South Coast communities are working toward. [caption id="attachment_198590" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Photo: Mogo Wildlife Park/Vim & Vigour PR[/caption] [caption id="attachment_198588" align="aligncenter" width="352"] Photo: Mogo Wildlife Park/Vim & Vigour PR[/caption] [caption id="attachment_198589" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Photo: Mogo Wildlife Park/Vim & Vigour PR[/caption] Being stuck at home doesn't have to be a drag—just think of all the animals who have emerged and are enjoying the peace, finally confident to venture out into a quieter, less chaotic world. Perhaps, even after COVID-19, we should stay home more, or at least find ways to share the world more with our fellow creatures. /TISG