Bored penguins visit art museum
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The reading
A group of penguins became a tour group for the day when they visited an art museum. The penguins were from the Kansas City Zoo in the USA. The zoo teamed up with the nearby Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Bosses of both the zoo and the art museum decided the penguins needed a change of scenery. The penguins were getting lonely because the zoo is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. They are used to seeing many visitors every day. A zoo official said: "Quarantine has caused everyone to go a little stir crazy, even the residents of the Kansas City Zoo. So several of the penguins decided to go on a field trip to the Nelson-Atkins, which is still closed, to get a little culture."
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The zoo's executive director, Randy Wisthoff, said the penguins have missed their regular interactions with zoo visitors. He said: "We're always looking for ways to enrich their lives and stimulate their days. During this shutdown period, our animals really miss visitors coming up to see them." The museum director joked that the penguins liked the art of Italian artists. He said: "They seemed to react much better to Caravaggio than to Monet." He added: "We are so happy today to welcome our colleagues from the zoo and they've brought special friends and we're seeing how the react to art." The penguins that visited the museum were Humboldt penguins, which are native to Peru and Chile.
Sources:
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/penguins-zoo-missouri-art-museum-gallery-a9516656.html
- https://nypost.com/2020/05/15/penguins-waddle-around-art-museum-during-zoo-field-trip/
- https://www.ladbible.com/news/animals-penguins-wander-art-museum-on-field-trip-20200515
