- Penguins from Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium waddled over to visit the nearby Field Museum this week.
- Izzy and Darwin, a bonded pair of Magellanic penguins, got to spread their wings and roam around the empty museum.
- They checked out some of Field’s most impressive exhibitions, including SUE – the largest T. Rex to have ever been discovered.
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The penguins at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium have had many exciting escapades these last few months, meeting the likes of piranhas, sea otters, and some very starstruck Beluga whales.
And their adorable adventures continued this week as the penguins waddled over to the nearby Field Museum, where they encountered even bigger creatures.
Prehistoric ones, to be exact.
Izzy and Darwin, a bonded pair of Magellanic penguins, got to spread their wings and roam around the empty museum on Wednesday
https://twitter.com/FieldMuseum/status/1280897087522160641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
They checked out some of Field's most impressive exhibitions, including SUE the T. Rex.
Izzy and Darwin looked up in wonder at the massive dinosaur. Measuring 40 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hip, SUE is the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimen to have ever been discovered, according to Field's website.
Shedd Aquarium called the visit a "family reunion 66 million years in the making."
A family reunion 66 million years in the making at @FieldMuseum! 🐧🦖🐧
Birds are modern, avian dinosaurs, and that includes penguins like Izzy and Darwin! They evolved from the theropod dinosaurs like @SUEtheTrex. pic.twitter.com/HYLXP4osVG— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) July 9, 2020
"Birds are descendants of theropod dinosaurs and it was just kind of wild to see these two side by side," Field Museum spokesperson Katharine Uhrich told Insider. "Especially in these hard times, it's just really fun to imagine the world through the penguins' eyes."
Spokesperson Katharine Uhrich said the Field Museum has wanted to host the penguins for a visit ever since they started touring Shedd Aquarium back in March
"Shedd and Field are literally neighbors, we're right across the campus from each other in Chicago," she said. "We've had this really nice back and forth throughout our temporary closures during quarantine. With the reopening of Shedd and Field on the horizon, Shedd asked if they could bring their penguins over and we were more than thrilled to accommodate them!"
And Uhrich found that it was "surprisingly easy" to get the museum ready for Izzy and Darwin's visit.
"We had to get the right permissions to have staff in the building, because we've been really careful about safety protocols and only having essential staff," she said. "Then we deferred to Shedd on what was the safest for the penguins and they came with animal caretakers and all their knowledge. It was great."
Izzy and Darwin were visibly excited as they explored the empty museum
The sound of @shedd_aquarium penguin feet is the joy you didn't know you needed. 🔈🐧 pic.twitter.com/M5JJMFZXmK
— Field Museum (@FieldMuseum) July 8, 2020
"Penguins are most active when they're first out in a new space," Uhrich said. "Seeing them running through was very cute, and there were some benches in SUE's suite that they were very curious about."
"These are Magellanic penguins and, during their nesting season, they're very curious about spaces," she added. "They were checking out what was under the benches - maybe to see if it was a good nest!"
After visiting SUE, Izzy and Darwin got to meet Máximo the Titanosaur
Máximo's titanosaur cast stretches across 122 feet and stands 28 feet tall in the museum's main hall.
"That dinosaur is the largest ever discovered, totally massive," Uhrich said. "Seeing these penguins next to the replica of what was this mammoth animal, it really puts it into perspective."
This isn't the first time we've had the chance to watch penguins explore the wonders of a museum
Back in May, penguins from the Kansas City Zoo went on an adorable field trip to the nearby Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
The three Humboldt penguins examined paintings by the likes of Caravaggio and Monet, surprising the museum's director with their artistic tastes.
And many have loved following the ongoing adventures at Shedd Aquarium
Wellington the penguin has been a hit with both the aquarium's Beluga whales and people on Twitter.
"I think people are just looking for a little relief and joy during these hard times, and you can't not smile when you see penguins out and about," Uhrich said. "I think that really brings delight to people right now."
"These are fun videos, but you can see from the questions and comments on social media that they also really spark people's curiosity," she added. "And I think, at the end of the day, that's what Shedd and Field are about as institutions - sparking that curiosity and wonder for the natural world around us."
Shedd Aquarium opened its doors to the public on July 3 with new safety protocols. The Field Museum will follow suit on July 24.
- Read more:
- A museum let a group of penguins wander its empty rooms, and they couldn't take their eyes off the paintings
- A Chicago aquarium is letting its penguins wander freely and meet the other animals after closing due to the coronavirus pandemic
- The penguins who were let loose in a Chicago aquarium met Beluga whales, and it's hard to tell who was more starstruck
- A photographer captured 2 widowed penguins enjoying the Melbourne skyline together to honor 'those that can be with the person they love most'