It would seem not only humans and mammals need social interaction but garden eels too. The Sumida Aquarium in Japan, closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said that because the aquarium is deserted, many animals that were used to humans now have no regular interaction with them, leading to several difficulties.
Among them are garden eels that hide in the sand and the caretakers are finding it hard to monitor their health.
‘Creatures in the aquarium don’t see humans except keepers and they have started forgetting about humans,’ the aquarium posted on its Twitter account this week.
‘Garden eels in particular disappear into the sand and hide every time the keepers pass by. Let us make an emergency plea. Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?’
The aquarium is setting up five tablets facing the eels’ tank, and volunteers who own Apple technology can ring them up via the FaceTime app.
Callers are asked to wave and talk to the eels so as to ‘remind’ them that humans pose no threat and that the eels are safe to get out and about as before.
Watch the adorable eels come out of hiding as callers chat to them and show some friendly faces:
Image: Instagram/DiveCompare
