The St. Louis Zoo Joins in on Penguin Field Trips, Takes Tuxedoed Birds to Meet Other Animals

The Saint Louis Zoo closed their doors due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but they’re still making people smile after uploading a video of their Humboldt penguins exploring other zoo exhibits.

On Wednesday, the zoo shared an adorable video on YouTube of the penguins taking a field trip around the facility, getting the chance to meet some of the other animals along the way.

“Yesterday, our Humboldt penguins (Pedro, Fernando, Chirrida, Guapo, Mona and Marco) took a field trip from their outdoor habitat to inside Penguin & Puffin Coast,” the zoo shared. “They got to visit the Gentoo, king and rockhopper penguins, as well as the horned and tufted puffins.”

“There was a quick stop at the gift shop (which was closed) and the offices upstairs before they headed back to their outdoor habitat,” the zoo added.

The Saint Louis Zoo announced on Monday that they would be closing their doors “as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).”

All public and private events, as well as educational programs, were also canceled until April 3 — at which point the zoo will review their plans for reopening.

RELATED VIDEO: Penguins At Shedd Aquarium Take Field Trip To Meet Other Animals

“The animals in our care are doing well and our animal care scientists and veterinarians have established procedures that protect the animals’ health, keeping them safe from exposure to disease,” Jeffrey Bonner Ph.D., President and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo said. “Although the COVID-19 virus may have originated from an animal source, in its current form, it is not yet known to cause disease in any animal species.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, March 18, there have been 16 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Missouri, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Earlier this week, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago also took a group of their rockhopper penguins on a tour of the facility’s other exhibits. They shared the adorable outing in a series of Twitter updates.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.