Adorable Zoo Animals Take On Viral “Hands In” Challenge

The “Hands In” challenge has taken the internet by storm, and even the zoo animals are joining in on the fun! From quolls to capuchin monkeys, the Halls Gap Zoo in Victoria, Australia, shared its version of the viral trend, challenging their animals to put their paws all in.

Watch the full video here.

Spotted-Tailed Quolls

The zoo’s spotted-tailed quoll kicked off the challenge, being the first to put its paws all in. Looking around and standing up on its back paws, it took the spotted-tailed, also known as a tiger quoll for its distinct spots, a few seconds to figure out the challenge. But after sniffing around the keepers’ stacked hands, it couldn’t help but add its paw to the pile before making its way up one of the keeper’s arms.

Capuchin Monkey

The adorable capuchin monkey was up next. At first, the capuchin looked a little unsure. But after giving a quick glance to one of the keepers for guidance, the capuchin monkey figured out what to do, imitating the keepers to put its hand on top of the stack.

Emperor Tamarin

Sitting on its perch, the emperor tamarin was a bit more shy. Without looking up to give us a view of its magnificent white mustache, the emperor tamarin curiously watched the keepers pile their hands. It couldn’t help itself inquisitively reach down to touch them, grabbing at the hands with its small fingers.

Asian Small-Clawed Otter

Now this otter has the team spirit. Seeing the keeper’s hands stack on top of each other outside the glass holes, the Asian small-clawed otter quickly rushed over, wanting to join the fun. Sticking its paw through the holes, the otter reached as far as it could to place its paw on top of the keepers, before reaching out with its other paw to really go all paws in, tapping enthusiastically.

Watch the full video here.

Sun Conure

Now this one is more all claws in. After spotting the keepers’ hands coming together, this stunning sun conure was quick to join the party, flying in to perch on top of the hands. While this one is technically not hands-in, we’ll still allow it for exquisite colors and fabulous flight!

Meerkat Mob

You can count these meerkats in! After watching the keepers put their hand out, the meerkat mob couldn’t help but join in. With paws coming from all directions, these meerkats successfully completed the challenge with the one on top giving an eager double paw.

Watch the full video here.

Red Panda

This red panda was a little more hesitant. Once the keepers put their hands in front of the red panda, the red fluff ball first had to give the hands a curious little sniff. But after it deemed the hands safe (and without food), it confidently flopped its fluffy black paw right on top of the keepers’ hands, looking to them for reassurance that it understood the assignment.

Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur

Much like the red panda, the black-and-white ruffed lemur was cautious about jumping right in. With a quick sniff of the keepers’ hands, the lemur placed its own hand on top. Thinking there was more to the challenge, the lemur was curious to see if there was anything between the hands, trying to get a good look while attempting to lift the hand on top.

Dingo

While this challenge started with dogs, this dingo clearly didn’t get the memo. Standing on a tall tree stump above the keepers, the dingo couldn’t be less interested in the keepers’ stacked hands. Instead of putting all paws in, this dingo jumped over the hands and onto the ground, too cool to take part in this challenge.

Watch the full video here.

What Is The Viral “Hands In” Challenge?

The “Hands In” challenge, also called the “paws in” or “all hands on deck” challenge, is a viral trend on TikTok. It goes like this: Dog owners must sit in front of their dogs and stack their hands on top of one another. If the pooch places its paw on top of the stack—challenge complete! Starting with just dogs, this challenge then expanded, with many cat owners challenging their felines to put their paws in.

While it’s unclear who exactly started the challenge, after a few videos of adorable dogs putting paws all in, the challenge spread like wildfire, with dog owners from all over trying the challenge with their own furry friends to share online.

Dream Team on 3

One of the reasons this challenge became so popular is the sweet image it created: Your dog putting their paw together with your family’s hands as if you’re all a part of the dream team. This challenge was a fun way to show the bond between owners and their pets, proving they’re one big happy family. Even actress Jennifer Garner accepted the challenge with her golden retriever Birdie who got it on the first try.

Another part of this challenge that stole so many hearts and created so many laughs was getting to see the different pets’ personalities. Some pets eagerly participate, while others are more hesitant. And with the Halls Gap Zoo’s multi-species challenge, you got to see the difference in personalities across a variety of animals, making it just that more charming.

Watch the full video here.

Why Do Animals Put Their Paws In?

One big question that has been asked is why dogs, and other animals, put their paws on top of their owners’ hands. One reason, particularly for dogs, is that, much like children, they learn to mimic or mirror what they observe. So when the humans place their hands out, the dogs watch what they’re doing and try to do the same.

Another reason could be training. With many dogs being trained to do things like shake hands and give their paw, reaching out your hands in front of your dog, even with the palm down, could elicit the same response. This is particularly the case with these smart zoo animals which are trained for daily husbandry tasks with the keepers and are also probably reaching out to find some snacks.

Watch the full video here.

Hands In Fails

Unfortunately, not all animals were successful at the “Hands In” challenge. Some dogs and cats saw their owners’ stacked hands and had a confused response. For example, some dogs placed their head on the stack while others licked the hands. Some simply looked at their owners for a verbal command of what to do. Even the Halls Gap Zoo had its own “Hands In” fail with the dingo not accepting the challenge.

While some owners took this as a sign of intelligence or a feeling of not being a part of the family, there are actually many reasons why an animal may not instinctively go all paws in. Some animals simply don’t like having their paws touched or maybe they just don’t understand what you want them to do. But with a clear command and some positive affirmation, most dogs pick it up quite quickly.

Watch the full video here.

Connection Between Zookeepers and Animals

What makes the Halls Gap Zoo’s attempt at the “Hands In” challenge so special is that it really shows the bond between the zookeepers and the animals they look after. Not only are the various animals so comfortable with the keepers, but you can see that the keepers also really trust the animals, allowing the animals’ personalities to shine bright. The Halls Gap Zoo shares many more adorable and funny interactions between its keepers and animals on its social media for viewers to enjoy and learn more about the important work the zoo does to take complete care of its animals.

The Video

Watch the full video here.

Conclusion

Watching these zoo animals participate in the “Paws In” challenge is a heartwarming reminder of the special bonds between animals and their keepers. Each creature, from the cautious red panda to the enthusiastic otter, adds its own flavor to this viral trend.