S'pore Zoo's 25-year-old sea lion steals hearts with TikTok dance

Pedro, an adorable geriatric sea lion from the Singapore Zoo, has captured the hearts of many on TikTok.

This was after a video of him dancing to the trending sound "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs blew up.

@bunnievodka Pedro ate & left no crumbs #1999 #genztings #trend #fyp #served #zoo #sealion thanks @nicole ♬ original sound - mwendwaxmwiti

Slappy shuffle

The moment, filmed on Nov. 20 by his trainer Rachel, showed Pedro, aged 25, grooving to the lyrics, "Wait, they don't love you like I love you", proving that age is just a number even for sea lions.

As Singapore Zoo’s oldest sea lion, Pedro is a superstar known for his impressive behaviours at Splash Safari.

This latest clip was filmed after he dazzled audiences at the show as the fan-favourite performer.

On TikTok, his trainer shared how sea lions like Pedro are highly intelligent and can be taught to "shuffle" using positive reinforcement training, where animals are rewarded with food for doing moves cued by trainers.

A remarkable journey of recovery

Pedro’s fame is even more inspiring, given his recent recovery from cataract surgery.

Mandai Wildlife Reserve shared on Facebook in September 2024 that the care team had noticed cloudiness in Pedro's left eye, a common sign of cataracts that can significantly affect vision and the quality of life in older animals.

This was not Pedro’s first surgery as he also underwent a similar eye surgery in 2020, according to Mandai Wildlife Reserve in a Facebook post.

The cataract surgery successfully restored Pedro’s sight, giving this good senior sea lion a new lease on life.

Since returning to the spotlight on Oct. 11, the sea lion has been charming audiences with his signature enthusiasm.

Meet Singapore Zoo’s sea lion Avengers

Pedro is one of four Californian sea lions at the Singapore Zoo, alongside Thiago, Philipp, and Pumba.

Visitors can catch their high-energy antics daily at 10:30am and 5pm at Splash Safari held in the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre at Singapore Zoo.

Top images via bunnievodka/TikTok