Exclusive for zoos.media – 10.12.2019. Author: Philipp J. Kroiß
Electric eel Miguel Wattson lights up a Christmas tree at Tennessee Aquarium, he makes it worldwide to the headlines and becomes a celebrity.
Tennessee Aquarium: Electric eel Miguel Wattson lights up Christmas tree
It’s Christmas time at Tennessee Aquarium in the US:
Holiday cheer around the Aquarium 🎄💙🎁 pic.twitter.com/boLDjWffoy
— Tennessee Aquarium 🎄🐟 (@TNAquarium) December 8, 2019
You can see decorations everywhere and already hear the Christmas carols:
Thanks @McCallieSchool for a wonderful performance to get everyone in the spirit of the season. pic.twitter.com/WAqoRWoZ2q
— Tennessee Aquarium 🎄🐟 (@TNAquarium) December 8, 2019
And of course, with all this festive atmosphere, the Christmas tree could not be missing, and indeed there is a very special one.
Wattson provides electricity
Thanks to Miguel Wattson, the electric eel with the fitting name, the aquarium can educate all year around on this fascinating species. A LED installation shows visitors how the electric eel generates electricity. Miguel Wattson, who by the way has his own Twitter account, has now lit up an entire Christmas tree.
ICYMI, here’s a video of yours truly attempting to use my discharges to power the lights on a Christmas tree. (SPOILER ALERT ::: Of course I pull it off. My phenomenal cosmic — well, bio-electric — power is basically limitless.) pic.twitter.com/g4r5JPHWoH
— Miguel Wattson TNAQ (@EelectricMiguel) December 2, 2019
The only proper way to enjoy this is with sound on. https://t.co/UNS4dKlfci
— Miguel Wattson TNAQ (@EelectricMiguel) December 6, 2019
And he has hit the headlines worldwide:
“I literally like electric eels” @WRCB @TNAquarium pic.twitter.com/k2MjSKQ5fH
— Hunter Hoagland (@HunterHoagland) December 7, 2019
This is another great example of successful education at modern zoological institutions. Such a Christmas tree is a great starter for conversations on a fascinating species – that fire’s people up about biodiversity.
