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Check It Out! A Drive-Thru Zoo The “I Don’t Understand You” Animal 10 Zany Zoo Animal Facts Mammoth Meals Puzzles Giant Pandas Bears in the Sky Draw a Kodiak Bear Do Snakes Eat Scrambled Eggs? Cowboy Clark & Larry Long-Necked Wonders Lovable Lemurs We Fed the Animals! Elephants Don’t Wear Boots Who Spits the Farthest? Zoo Animal Funnies Hailey the Happy Harbor Seal Kids Corner Puzzle Solutions
Susan Schmitz/Shutterstock.com
A day at the zoo is an exotic animal encounter! There is so much to see, hear, smell, and experience. But when you can’t visit a zoo in person, sit back in a comfortable chair and let this issue of Fun For Kidz bring some of these amazing animals to you. Find out if snakes eat scrambled eggs and whether elephants wear boots. Which animal spits the farthest, and what makes one harbor seal so happy? Read about the adventures of a few of our readers who fed porcupines and wallabies and came face to face with a zebra’s head and a giraffe’s head through their car window. After you go to a zoo or wild animal safari, send us a picture or write and tell us about your own exotic animal encounter. We’ll publish it in a future issue.
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It has springy hind legs that are much larger and stronger than its forelimbs. Its powerful tail is used for balance and steering. Large feet help it to achieve pogostick leaps. When it is grazing for grass, leaves, and flowers, it leans over and forms a tripod with its tail and two forelimbs. Then it moves its feet forward and “crawlwalks.” But it cannot walk backward. It’s a kangaroo. Now read how it got its name.
There once was an explorer named Captain James Cook. He went to Australia to take a closer look. He trekked across the plains of The Land Down Under. Then he heard a noise that sounded like thunder. From over the hill hopped hundreds of creatures. Cook stepped back and studied their features. They were tall, had long hind legs, and a big tail. They hopped with a bounce. On one’s tummy was a pouch, carrying a baby that weighed an ounce. Cook walked to the village to speak with the chief. “I know you are busy,” he said, “so I’ll try to be brief. What is that creature? What is it called? What does it do? Come, come my good man. There is much I want to ask you.” The chief didn’t speak English and didn’t know what to do. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Kangaroo!” “Kangaroo,” said Cook as he scratched his chin. “That’s what I’ll call it!” he said with a grin.
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Captain Cook made a mistake. There was something he never knew. “Kangaroo” is a native word that means “I don’t understand you.” The next time you visit the zoo and see a kangaroo, think of Cook’s silly blunder. Think of the natives of Australia who laugh at us because we call a creature “I don’t understand you!” by Michael Williams
This story is a popular legend that describes how, when Captain Cook spoke English to the chief, he didn’t realize the chief couldn’t speak English back. The chief said, “Kangaroo,” which in his language meant “I don’t understand you.” Amaze your friends and either ask them how the kangaroo got its name, or if you don’t understand something, just say, “Kangaroo.” See what happens!
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by Lisa Hart illustration by Pamela Harden
Did you ever wonder, while snuggling up in your winter coat, how zoo lions keep warm? Did you ever picture, when pulling on your hat and mittens, a flamingo wearing a scarf? Did you ever consider, as you put on winter boots, that elephants do not wear boots? The lions stretched out on the rocks at the zoo share a secret. The hot rocks they lie on are not real. Heaters hidden under the fake stone keep the big cats cozy warm. Zoos use lots of little tricks to help the animals in their care fight off the chill of winter. Keepers warm up the water in swimming pools for residents like the otters. Animals such as deer and elk find outside shelter in three-sided barns with extra bedding. Nature allows many animals, like flamingos, to adapt to a bit of cold even if they come from a warm climate. And if the temperature dips too low for comfort, keepers simply bring the animals inside. All this extra time indoors presents a challenge for zookeepers. For one thing, animals need exercise to make up for the time spent cooped up. A new toy or a small change in schedule gives a bored beast something to look forward to. Hiding some food treats lets animals do what comes naturally: hunt for their meals.
Lions lie on hot rocks, just as they do in the jungle.
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Sometimes a zoo resident’s diet needs changing during the winter too. Zoos give more food to those who build up fat to keep warm or become more active. Animals that burn less energy in the winter need less food. Forget the snow and the cold. Ice presents the real danger at zoos in winter. A frozen-over watering hole leaves an animal to go thirsty. That would be disastrous. A slip on the ice in an enclosure might lead to serious or deadly injuries. Some animals, like elephants, never see ice in the wild. Nature did not give them feet designed for walking on it. So, once you snuggle into your coat and pull on your hat, mittens, and boots, pay a visit to a local zoo in winter. You might be surprised at who you see enjoying the snow.
Thanks to heated pools, this friendly otter swims in warm water year-round.
Unless it’s very cold outside, flamingos do just fine in cool weather.
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