The penguins and otters at Japan’s Hakone-en Aquarium are not happy with the inflation-induced change in their diets.
To battle the rising cost of running an aquarium, the authorities switched the Japanese horse mackerel, which was fed to the otters and the penguins, with saba, a less expensive fish. However, the fussy animals have refused to eat the cheaper food.
Hiroki Shimamoto, the head zookeeper told Vice World News that many of the penguins and otters took the fish in their mouth but then dropped them. “I’m not sure if the animals can taste a significant difference, but you can tell they’re not used to it,” Shimamoto said. “For the ones who refuse to eat the new fish, we just give them what they used to eat”.
The head zookeeper told the news website that the cost of running the aquarium had increased by about 20 per cent since the beginning of the year, prompting them to make several cost-cutting decisions such as using less lighting and making changes in the meals of the animals.
An aquarium in Japan has changed the diet of its penguins and otters due to rising costs, and the animals are refusing to eat the cheaper fishhttps://t.co/s6tJNfHoKi pic.twitter.com/KNOODHOEm4
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 7, 2022
Live footage of me giving my dog real dog treats instead of chicken
— Alyssa (@notbrittani) July 7, 2022
That’s penguins pic.twitter.com/dCRZz3n50d
— Andrew (@Andrew99417925) July 7, 2022
Release them so they don’t have to pay for food.
— Zawdie Ato Herbert (@atoherbert) July 7, 2022
Good for them. They didn’t ask to be there. They should at least be fed what they want.
— Birdie🐦💨 (@BirdieToots) July 7, 2022
“If you gonna hold me captive, you could at least feed me properly!”
— Skylar Ezell is a dope writer and HE’S GOT A BRICK (@Skylar_Writer) July 7, 2022
The penguins have standards. They don’t want that bottom shelf, off-brand fish.
— The Ancestors Are Telling Me To Leave (@OFL_ATLGA) July 7, 2022
As my vet told me when I adopted my dog & she wouldn’t eat the food I bought her, “a hungry dog will eventually eat.” 9 years later she needs to lose weight. Give the penguins & otters some time.
— Caviesrule (@caviesrule) July 7, 2022
😂😂😂 did they expect the penguins to understand inflation?
— THEE Adhys (@adhysopell) July 7, 2022
Videos of the penguins and otters refusing to accept lower-priced fish have gone viral on social media. Commenting on one such video, a Twitter user wrote, “😂😂😂 did they expect the penguins to understand inflation?”. Another person wrote, “Good for them. They didn’t ask to be there. They should at least be fed what they want.”
