You don’t have to be human to be captivated by the wonder of falling cherry blossoms.

As cherry blossom season comes to a close in Japan each year, the sakura trees treat us all to one final display of beauty as their pale pink blossoms float on the wind and gracefully fall to the ground in gorgeous flurries resembling snow.

It’s a sight that can take your breath away, especially when it’s your first time seeing it, and watching those around you get caught up in the beauty of it all makes it extra special. And if this video from Tobu Zoo is anything to go by, baby penguins seeing the falling petals are equally captivated by the charm of falling cherry blossoms.

▼ “Just a video of a baby penguin seeing falling sakura for the first time and gazing at it with wonder.”

The baby Humboldt penguin can be seen standing in the midst of a pretty impressive flurry of sakura petals, and as it looks upward, it can be seen turning its head from left to right as the petals float by.

▼ The chick even cranes its neck as it tries to make sense of all the beauty.

Born late last year, the little Humboldt penguin’s first sakura was a memorable one, not only for the penguin, but for everyone who witnessed the encounter as well.

“This moved me to tears!”
“I have no words for this level of beauty.”
“This penguin is so pure.”
“So many petals! What a precious moment!”
“This was so cute it made me squeal. The camera angle is perfect too.”

The video is particularly touching as it was filmed at Tobu Zoo, which was once home to a Humboldt Penguin called Grape-kun, who captured the world’s hearts when he fell in love with a cardboard cutout of a cute anime girl.

It’s been over a year since Grape-kun sadly passed away, so the new chick is a heartwarming symbol of new life at the zoo. And we can’t help but think that as the baby looks up towards the petals, it’s looking up towards Grape-kun too.

Source, featured image: Twitter/@xxxxxxx_hibiya
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Follow Oona on Twitter and Instagram for more news from Japan!