Tokyo aquarium seeks human 'FaceTime' for shy eels
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Garden eels at Japan's Sumida Aquarium, closed since March due to the Covid-19 outbreak, have become wary of humans and hide in the sand whenever keepers pass by. This makes it hard to check on their health.
PHOTO: SUMIDA AQUARIUM/ FACEBOOK
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TOKYO • A Japanese aquarium closed during the coronavirus outbreak is asking people to make video calls to their eels so the sensitive creatures remember humans exist and do not pose a threat.
The Sumida Aquarium, housed in the Tokyo Skytree tower, has been closed since the start of March and its animals have become used to a largely human-free environment.
But the aquarium said the "unprecedented situation" was having some unexpected downsides.
"Creatures in the aquarium don't see humans except keepers and they have started forgetting about humans," it said on its Twitter account this week.
"Garden eels in particular disappear into the sand and hide every time the keepers pass by," it noted. That is causing difficulties for keepers trying to check on the health of the marine animals.
"Let us make an emergency plea," the aquarium wrote. "Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?"
Garden eels are very sensitive and wary by nature, but 300 of them living in a tank at the aquarium had become used to humans and rarely hid in the sand when approached by visitors.
In a bid to reacquaint the eels with humans, the aquarium is setting up five tablets facing the tank housing the delicate creatures, with eel enthusiasts asked to connect through iPhones or iPads via the FaceTime app.
Once the video calls start, people are supposed to show their faces, wave and talk to the eels. But given the tender nature of the animals, callers are asked not to shout.
The "face-showing festival", to be held from Sunday to Tuesday, coincides with the height of Japan's Golden Week holiday period.
The aquarium's appeal has attracted plenty of support under the Japanese hashtag #PleaseRememberHumans.
But many of those eager to take part called on the aquarium to offer access via another app, so that those using PCs and phones with Android operating systems could also call in. "I never regretted my Android phone this much before," one wrote.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
