Like so many other “non-essential” businesses, zoos and aquariums around the world have shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a social-distancing world, congregating en masse outside animal enclosures is a no-no, and there have been cases of human-to-animal transmission of the virus, including several big cats that were infected at the Bronx Zoo.
Fortunately for anyone in need of an animal fix, zoos and aquariums are bringing more animals than ever into our homes—virtually, via live streams and viral videos. Here are some of the best zoo animal feeds, for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to support your favorite conservation orgs by donating to them online and by signing this petition from the Wildlife Conservation Society requesting emergency support for zoos, aquariums, and museums during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The penguins of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium 
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Jelly Cam 
San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Cam
When Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium closed in mid-March due to the pandemic, three of their penguins became internet famous when videos of the trio waddling around the aquarium went viral. Here, the 32-year-old penguin Wellington visits the Amazon Rising, bonded pair Edward and Annie explore the rotunda, and Wellington gives a tour of the Wild Reef to other curious penguins. There are even more Wellington adventures and aquarium antics viewable on Shedd Aquarium’s Facebook Watch page.
The Bronx Zoo‘s Virtual Zoo offers a weekly roundup of animal videos, live feeds, and drawing tutorials as a part of their Bronx Zoo Zoodles series. Their virtual content is available on Facebook and Instagram and through their website. Here are some of their recent animal offerings:
- A peacock displays its glorious plumage in a Moment of Zen video welcoming spring.
- This Penguin Chick Q&A video answers questions about adorable baby penguins who were born on February 20, 2020.
- The most recent Zoodle is a drawing tutorial for a Malayan Tapir mama and baby in celebration of Mother’s Day. Prior tutorials have included an Aldabra Tortoise, Sea Lion, Black-Footed Penguin, and my personal favorite—a Red Panda.
- Daily Live Cameras: Visit the lemurs of Madagascar at 10am EST, the Sea Lion Pool at 11am and 3pm EST, and the Aquatic Bird House for penguin feedings at 12:30pm and 3:30pm EST.
The San Diego Zoo has an impressive TWELVE camera feeds dedicated to recording some of their most intriguing animals, including baboons, koalas, elephants, tigers, and polar bears. They even have archived camera footage of their giant pandas Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu who were repatriated back to China in 2019.
- From 7:30am to 7:30pm PST, you can watch the San Diego Zoo animals live—and then in the off-hours (7:30pm to 7:30am), the prior 12 hours of footage replays, so no matter when you tune in, you can see how the animals spent their day.
- Africa Rocks: Featuring the Baboon Cam and the Penguin Cam.
- Norther Frontier: Home of the Polar (Bear) Cam.
- Lost Forest: The stars of the zoo’s Ape Cam are orangutans and siamangs.
- Outback: Home of the Koala Cam.
- Safari Park: The most well-documented area of the San Diego Zoo is where you can find the Giraffe Cam (with bonus Rhinos), Platypus Cam, Elephant Cam, Tiger Cam, Burrowing Owls Cam, and Condor Cam (featuring a baby chick hatched on May 6, 2020).
The Cincinnati Zoo‘s star animal is Fiona, a young hippo born six weeks premature in January 2017. She is the star of her own series of videos, The Fiona Show, which documents her first two years at the zoo. Fiona is such an adorable, spunky girl that she is the protagonist of several children’s books and has inspired various other merchandise at the Cincinnati Zoo (including face masks). She even appeared in an @savewithstories video as part of a fundraiser in collaboration with No Kid Hungry and Save the Children.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium offers ten live cam fees (from 7am-7pm PST), in addition to narrated feedings twice a day—Open Sea (11am PST) and Sea Otters (1:30pm PST). Their live feeds include their Aviary Cam, Coral Reef Cam, Jelly Cam (this hypnotic feed would make a great screensaver), Kelp Forest Cam, Monterey Bay Cam (outdoor 24 hour cam), Moon Jelly Cam (more hypnotic jelly fish!), Open Sea Cam, Penguin Cam, Sea Otter Cam, and Shark Cam.
The Oregon Zoo‘s live video and home activity resources features content across all social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok. The zoo’s award-winning education team has developed at-home activities in conjunction with their YouTube videos, geared towards kids in grades K-5. Featured animals in their YouTube videos include Tiny Western Pond Turtle Hatchlings, Bebeto the Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine, Blanche the Wolf Eel, Rescued Sea Otter Juno, and Reticulated Giraffe Desi.
At the Houston Zoo, there are seven live-feed cameras that run from 7am to 7pm CST and allow viewers to adjust the position of the cameras for an even better viewing experience. Their live cameras include the Giraffe Cam, Gorilla Habitat Cam, Elephant Yard Cam, Leafcutter Ant Cam, Rhino Yard Cam, Chimp Window Cam, and the Flamingo Cam.
Wolong Grove Panda Yard 
WildEarth’s safariLIVE 
GRACE Center’s Gorilla Forest Corridor
More Animal Live Feeds from Around the World
- Above is just a sampling of the U.S. zoos and aquariums that are streaming live. Zoo With Us has compiled an even more comprehensive list of Live Zoo Webcams (featuring several aquariums as well). They have also compiled at-home resources, word searches and activities, and animal coloring pages from zoos around the nation.
- The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Giant Panda Cams are live 24/7 and feature pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang.
- The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE) Center in Kasugho, Eastern DRC offers live streams of their Gorilla Forest Corridor. The Center was established in 2008 to care for rescued Grauer’s gorillas and to promote the conservation of wild gorillas and their habitats.
- In Gengda, Sichuan, China, the Wolong Grove Panda Yard offers their own live cameras, with views of eleven different panda yards where giant pandas play, eat, and sleep.
- In Wales, the Folly Farm has a Jolly Barn Webcam where viewers can watch goats, sheep, and donkeys go about their daily lives on a farm.
- WildEarth’s safariLIVE broadcasts daily sunrise (12am-3am EDT) and sunset (9am-12pm EDT) safari tours hosted by expert game rangers and featuring lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyena, and other wildlife found in the game reserves of north-east South Africa.
- Explore.org offers hundreds of livecams from around the world, sharing footage from animal sanctuaries, national parks, ocean reefs, and outer space.
Although we may not be able to visit our favorite animals in person, we can still enjoy intimate views of their lives thanks to the organizations that have worked tirelessly to connect the human and animal worlds. Support your favorite zoos, aquariums, and animal sanctuaries any way you can. Sign the petition and find out more from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.