WILLIAMSTOWN, KY - After weeks of wondering when to reopen the Ark Encounter theme park in Williamstown, Kentucky, Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham finally received the sign he was looking for. The central exhibit of the park is a life-sized recreation of Noah's ark, from the biblical account of the flood narrative recorded in the book of Genesis. Ham and seven other members of his family have been living in the ark since the nationwide quarantine in mid-March.

For several weeks, Ham has been releasing birds from the ark to see if it's safe to come out and to allow tourists back into the exhibit.

"We started with a raven," said Ham. "He came back after flying around for a while, so we knew it wasn't time yet. Then later, one of the doves did the same thing. But this week, the dove came back with a discarded face mask in her mouth. That was the sign we were waiting for. Based on that timeline, we think June 8 will be the best day to reopen."

When asked if the reopening schedule had anything to do with Kentucky governor Andy Beshear's announcement that museums and outdoor attractions can reopen on June 8, Ham said no. He claims his decision was based solely on the information provided by the dove and the face mask.

Based on early meteorological models, experts are also predicting a rainbow for the proposed reopening date.