Last week, the Woodland Park Zoo welcomed a new baby gorilla into the world for the first time since 2015. Unfortunely, it will be a little while until we can enter the zoo to see the little guy. That’s because, effective today (March 12th), the zoo is closing its gates through March 31st at least. In times like this it’s better safe than sorry. That would be a lot of people in one place, touching a lot of the same surfaces, and it would be very easy for the virus to spread in that environment.

Hello zoo fam, Woodland Park Zoo is temporarily closing to the public, effective tomorrow, Thursday, March 12, 2020.
The zoo will tentatively remain closed through March 31, 2020. #ClosedButStillCute pic.twitter.com/2ZJCEir9bE

— Woodland Park Zoo (@woodlandparkzoo) March 11, 2020

Don’t worry too much about the employees and the animals at Woodland Park. The zoo took to social media, “Critical operations staff, including animal care teams and other selected employees, will continue working at the zoo to provide vital care to our animals and infrastructure. All other employees will WFH (Work From Home) if they are able or receive paid leave.” They Also said that they always maintain a surplus of food and medical supplies for all of the animals in their care, so don’t worry too much about our fuzzy friends.

In the meantime, Woodland Park also promises to keep you up to date with stories and photos from within their gates.

We promise to do our best to share stories and photos with you throughout our closure—to keep you connected to the animals that bring you happiness and inspiration—to stay connected with our biggest fans. Wash those paws and we’ll see you soon. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/ggAwxkqr8m

— Woodland Park Zoo (@woodlandparkzoo) March 11, 2020