Love is in the air: Kids in local hospitals paint pebbles for penguins at Edinburgh zoo to use as gifts, staff sets up a livestream for children to watch from home

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Mar 8, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

This is the type of news we need to see more of.

One of the things we love most about our job is that it centers on one main thing: pawsitivity. No matter what is going on in the world right now, we know that as soon as we start working, we're going to be able to escape the horrors of the outside world for a few hours. Because here at Animal Comedy, we want you to see things that fill your soul with wholesomeness and remind you that there is kindness still out there in the world. That good does win over evil. And that the cutest thing you'll see today is these penguins giving gifts to their mates.

A local charity in Scotland worked together with kids undergoing treatment at hospitals to have them paint pebbles for the Edinburgh zoo. Why? Because every year, during mating season, Getoo penguins have a ritual of presenting their mates with smooth and unique pebbles as a gift. The staff even set up a livestream so the kids in the hospitals could watch the cute penguins pick through their pebbles and present them to their partners.

Between the penguins waddling back and forth, the signs of happiness after choosing the perfect pebble, and the fact that it helped kids going through an especially difficult time, well, let's just say that we're way happier than we were when we woke up this morning. Watch the video at the end and read through some of the silly comments below!

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There's nothing more fun than painting (especially finger painting) as a kid. If that wasn't enough, getting to watch the penguins sort through your artistic creations must be one of the most entertaining activities they've had in a long time. Imagine how excited they would get if they saw a penguin picking their pebble! It would be like winning the kids' lottery!
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This person above is absolutely right! We should definitely find more ways for kids and penguins to collaborate. What could they do? Maybe they could go sledding together in the snow. We hope this becomes an annual tradition for all those kids in the hospitals who could use a little happiness and hope.
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