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Cameras in Finland are capturing every small movement and squeak from a litter of six newborn puppies to document their early development, all under the banner of scientific observation.
Although they spend almost all their days sleeping and feeding, the young dogs have captivated millions of viewers worldwide on "Pentulive," a round-the-clock slow TV stream produced by Yle, Finland's national public broadcaster.
In Finnish, "pentu" translates to puppy.
Born on Oct. 10 to a 5-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo named Hilkka, the litter comprises four males and two females.
The brown-and-white puppies weighed approximately 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) apiece on Thursday.
"They are just opening their eyes and their ears," Pirjo Koskinen, the Yle science journalist who conceived the idea for "Pentulive," told The Associated Press on Thursday. "They are taking their first clumsy steps."
Now in its sixth season, the project is on track to set new audience records, having gathered more than 6 million social media views in a nation of 5.7 million people within less than two weeks. An official naming ceremony is scheduled for Saturday.
The broadcast integrates educational content through thrice-weekly interactive chats with viewers, alongside a podcast and published articles tracking the animals' growth.
Audiences can follow key developmental milestones alongside the breeder and Yle's scientific journalists.
The observational benefits of the program extend to human viewers as well.
Observing the puppies attempt to rush toward their mother for milk can prompt the release of oxytocin in the human brain, Koskinen explained. The hormone plays a role in fostering social connections and lowering anxiety levels.
The stream additionally offers relief from global anxieties for both the public and production staff.
Jyri Loikkanen, a producer for "Pentulive," noted that watching the puppies' wagging tails and small pink noses routinely brings smiles to viewers.
Loikkanen, who watches the stream to unwind from his workday, recalled a social media comment contrasting reports of the U.S. considering a broadcast of the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan with Finland streaming puppies.
"I think it’s pretty much a sign of the times that people crave for this kind of small escape," Loikkanen remarked, away from the "doom and gloomy news what we are experiencing at the moment: The politics, the economics, war and strife et cetera."
By mid-December, the puppies will move to new homes arranged by the breeder prior to the broadcast. Yle maintains strict anonymity regarding the breeder's identity and location to protect their privacy and ensure the welfare of the animals.
The slow TV genre originated in 2009 when Norwegian broadcaster NRK aired a minute-by-minute, seven-hour train journey across southern Norway. The format has since expanded to international markets, including the United Kingdom and China.
Similarly, Sweden's "The Great Moose Migration" uses remote feeds to track dozens of moose crossing the Ångerman River, located roughly 300 kilometers (187 miles) northwest of Stockholm, during their seasonal travel toward summer pastures.