Surely you saw the curious penguins recently roaming the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, which is closed in the wake of COVID-19? With just their keepers nearby, the handsome birds enjoyed an opportunity to poke around, see some fish, and get the lay of the land (or the aquarium, rather).

California Science Center was inspired, quite clearly and cutely, by the penguins' pictorial. The result? The Exposition Park institution shared a few photos on March 17 of some whiskery rats getting to know the center's ethereal Kelp Forest.

Those little clear balls rolling through the watery tunnel, each one powered by a rat? It's a surreal and sweet snapshot, the kind of cute-a-tude we're seeking at the moment.

"The Science Center's living collections staff will continue to provide on-site animal care and operate critical life-support systems in the Kelp Forest and other living environments," is the word from a recent release. Take a look now at what's happening as the center remains closed to people but a vibrant place for its animal residents.