Maryland Zoo Making Virtual Visits To Help Out Children’s Hospital Patients

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Staff astatine the Maryland Zoo person been making immoderate Zoom calls precocious to brighten up children’s infirmary patients’ days.

When 17-year-old Che Penn answered 1 of the calls Tuesday afternoon, noisy flapping African penguins appeared.

“They’re truthful cute,” Penn exclaimed.

The teen is simply a crab diligent astatine the Herman and Walter Samuelson Children’s Hospital astatine Sinai and has had the accidental to bash galore antithetic virtual meet-ups with animals from the zoo.

“I’ve had tortoises, I’ve had birds, I conscionable had penguins. I’ve seen a batch of the zoo,” she said.

The infirmary has agelong been welcoming animals into the infirmary but erstwhile the COVID-19 pandemic began, the virtual meet-ups were the lone mode for the patients to spot the animals.

“Any clip you’re successful a hospital, it’s benignant of astir apt not the champion day,” said Kristin VanBuskirk, the Maryland Zoo Education Manager. “So we’re hoping to beryllium capable to spark a small spot of joyousness and benignant of bring a grin to a kid’s face.”

VanBuskirk said that the virtual visits were already portion of the zoo’s programming earlier the pandemic began.

“It truly makes my day,” said Penn. “Especially connected days erstwhile I don’t consciousness similar doing thing past I get a small sojourn and it’s similar aw okay.”

For much info, visit: marylandzoo.org and click connected the larn tab to larn much astir each of the zoo’s virtual programming.

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