A giant panda at the San Diego Zoo, shown on the zoo's live video cam, hides behind a tree on October 1, 2013.
The most drastic (and deeply upsetting) effect of the government shutdown is clearly the fact that the National Zoo’s panda cam has gone dark. But you’ll be okay. You’ll get through this. Why? Because here are six alternative animal cams to enjoy in the meantime. (Oh, and if these don’t cut it for you, here at TIME we made our very own panda cam that you can enjoy here.)
Pandas in China: The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, home to the ridiculously cute cubs who recently made their web debut, has a live panda cam that you can watch here. It’s a pretty solid alternative, with footage from 28 cameras in five different locations. Keep in mind, however, that these pandas are 12 hours ahead of East Coast time, so the cam may not be up and running during your mid-day slump. (Don’t be selfish. Pandas need sleep too.)
Pandas in California: But don’t worry! There are pandas in plenty of different time zones, so you can essentially get 24-hour panda coverage. You can watch the San Diego Zoo’s live stream, featuring four pandas, here. This one’s good if you’re looking for a low-key option: you’ll see the cuddly creatures munching placidly on bamboo or sneaking in a nap. But be patient — you may have to spend some time looking at a tree trunk as you wait for the animals to come into view.
(MORE: 7 Websites That’ll Go Dark (or Be Neglected) During the Government Shutdown)
Puppy Cam: Sad that we live in a world where the government just shuts down if lawmakers can’t compromise? Cheer up by looking at puppies! Animal Planet partnered with the Washington Animal Rescue League to bring you some much-need live-action cuteness here. See, don’t you feel better already?
Shiba Inu Puppy Cam: Look, even more puppies! Seriously, this is important. You need to watch these impossibly cute baby shiba inus romping around, here. You’ll be so overwhelmed by their cuteness, you’ll forget all about the fact that the federal government just shut down for the first time in 17 years.
Calf Cam: The world of animal live streams does not discriminate. It’s not just about pandas and puppies — even this group of calves got in on the action, with their very own live feed, here. They’re a more chill alternative to the high-energy shiba inus, and they’re still pretty cute when munching on a snack.
Penguin Cam: Penguins are obviously very entertaining creatures, which is probably why there are approximately 9,848 movies made about them each year. So, enjoy a live penguin cam here, where you get to be right in on the action. Seriously, this camera places you at eye-level with these bizarre little birds, and it’s perfect. This feed is so engaging that who knows? Maybe you’ll get so immersed in it that when you finally look away, the government will be back up and running.
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