AUTUMN ISSUE 2022 HEY KIDS! Check out our competition on the back page
FAMILY TIES page 2
Make toilet roll
PENGUINS page 10
INSIDE »
• Spot the difference
• Zooper kitchen
• Yuck! Creepy crawlies
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FAMILY ties
THE ELEPHANTS AT MELBOURNE ZOO HAVE A STRONG CONNECTION TO EACH OTHER. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW ELEPHANT FAMILIES WORK.
HAVE YOU HERD? The family structure for elephant herds is an interesting one – the females are the head of the herd. Did you know that the head of an elephant family is called a matriarch? The oldest of the herd of Asian Elephants at Melbourne Zoo, Mek Kapah is the matriarch of the family. The role of a matriarch is to provide stability and lead the group to find different locations. Male elephants (also called bulls) leave the herd when they are between 12 and 15 years old and start a life on their own – or with a small herd of other male elephants.
WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE ELEPHANT AT THE ZOO?
A.
Zooper Kids is published for Zoos Victoria by Heads & Tales MANAGING DIRECTOR Clare Brundle ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Scott Elmslie ACCOUNT MANAGER Hannah Louey EDITOR Georgia Lejeune
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Zoos Victoria PO Box 74, Parkville Vic 3052 P 03 9340 2780 / F 03 9285 9390 E members@zoo.org.au W zoo.org.au
DESIGN Dallas Budde, Natalie Lachina
Connect with us! Share your visit with us and be sure to use the hashtag: #zoosvictoriamember
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CROSSWORD
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DID YOU KNOW? ACROSS 1
The head of the family in an elephant herd is known as a M…… (9)
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A male elephant (also the name for a male cow) (4)
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The animal that has a trunk, big ears and lives at Melbourne Zoo with its family (8)
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A continent (largest in the world) where elephants are found in the wild (4)
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Man Jai’s big sister (she was born at the Zoo in 2010) (4)
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How many of these are due to be born at Melbourne Zoo in 2022/23 (5,6)
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The name of the matriarch of the elephant herd at Melbourne Zoo (3,5)
An elephant baby takes up to 22 months to grow inside its mother’s uterus. This is more than double how long it takes for a human baby to grow!
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The name for an elephant’s nose (5)
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One of the places that elephants are found in the wild (second largest continent) (6)
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A group of elephants (4)
Answers on Page 17
A group of animals that have warm blood, hair and a backbone (humans and elephants are both this) (6)
The name of the male elephant that was introduced to the herd in 2021 (3,4)
HI FRIENDS!
Printed on FSC® certified paper with vegetable-based inks. Zoos Victoria is a carbon-neutral organisation.
I’m a Southern Corroboree Frog. I live in the alpine region of Kosciusko National Park. I’m one of the 27 species Zoos Victoria is fighting to save from extinction.
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Make your own
ROCK ANIMALS Create your own Zooville by painting stones to look like animals at the zoo.
TIP You can make all sorts of animals using different coloured paints and rocks of all shapes and sizes. Try painting a rock giraffe, zebra or butterfly.
Choose a round stone for your lion.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Flat stones (can be a variety of sizes) Paint brushes
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Black marker pen Craft paint (acrylic) in yellow, white and orange
STEPS
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Clean your rocks and let them dry completely.
To make a lion face, paint one side of the rock yellow (make sure you colour the whole surface of the rock). Leave to dry.
Paint an orange mane around the outside of your rock (making sure to leave a circle in the middle for the face).
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Leave to dry.
Paint a white circle at the bottom of the rock, just above the orange mane.
Once the paint is dry, using your black marker, draw a small triangle for the nose and lines for the mouth and two small circles for the eyes.
ZOOVILLE
Have some fun with other kids in your area by setting up a Zooville. Paint a sign and place your rock animals underneath to encourage other people to create their own.
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Illustration: Gregory Roberts
ILLUSTRATION GREGORY ROBERTS
UNDER THE SEA SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
The Earth’s oceans are home to many fascinating creatures. We dive down deep to reveal the creatures that live under the sea. Can you spot 13 differences between the two pictures below? Answers on Page 17
Answers on Page 17
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Lets, talk about
CLIMATE CHANGE action Your guide to climate change action, what it all means and what you can do to help!
WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING? Surrounding the earth is what’s called the atmosphere – it protects us from the hot rays of the sun and from the cold of space. The atmosphere also does an important job of containing greenhouse gases. Overall, GREENHOUSE GASES ARE GOOD (they include oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone) because they HELP KEEP THE EARTH AT THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE. Some gases are naturally released into space and, unfortunately, over the past 150 years the amount has gone up – which is what we call global warming.
ACTION Change starts with you. Call a family meeting and discuss ways you can prevent climate change. Start a plan of action.
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WHAT YOU MIGHT NOTICE OR HEAR You might hear adults in your life talking about global warming affecting changes in the weather. The natural temperature of the planet means that seasonal weather takes place at specific times and different weather occurs during this time – you might notice that it rains a lot more in winter or gets windy in summer. The climate acts as NATURE’S CLOCK and will signal to animals when it’s time to hibernate (during the cold months) or find a mate to breed. If the clock is off (even a little) this can have an impact on animals and humans. Scientists believe that extreme weather conditions, such as bushfires and floods, are caused by the earth’s temperature warming more than it should.
CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION
HOW YOU CAN HELP
There are many alternatives to burning coal – one of the causes of global warming – which we use to power our lights, kitchen appliances and other electrical gadgets. WIND FARMS have large turbines (that look like futuristic windmills) that convert the energy of the blades spinning into electricity. Another natural way of creating energy is through SOLAR PANELS – they collect energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. Many people, including scientists, are working to find solutions to global warming, but it’s also about the small things that all of us can do to help.
The good news is that anyone can be involved in climate change action. Lots of small changes add up to big impacts. Start by calling a family meeting to see where you could make changes and support each other. Actions you could take:
CAR Reduce how often your family uses the car and find some alternative ways to get around – such as walking, riding your bike or catching public transport. FOOD How often does your family eat meat? Maybe you could decide to have at least one meat free day per week (meat-free Mondays).
COMPOST If you’re interested in starting a compost bin, flick to page 18 of Zooper Kids to see how.
DID YOU KNOW? You can find out more information about Zoos Victoria’s climate action plan here zoo.org.au/fightingextinction/sustainability
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MAKE YOUR OWN
PENGUIN toilet rolls Recycle your old toilet rolls to make a family of penguins.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Toilet rolls Black, white and orange paper
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Googly eyes Scissors Glue (or sticky dots)
DID YOU KNOW? A group of penguins on land is called a waddle. But when they’re in the water they are called a raft.
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Cut out a rectangle of black paper (for a standard roll it should measure 10cm x 15cm).
Put glue on one side of the rectangle paper and stick it around the toilet roll (making sure you glue the overlapping paper at the end).
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Cut a long semi-circle of white paper (around 8cm in height). And glue onto toilet roll.
Cut two long circles for flippers from the black paper. Cut a small triangle for the beak from the orange paper. Glue onto toilet roll.
Glue googly eyes at the top of the white semi-circle.
6 Trace the feet onto the orange paper using our guide. Cut out and glue to the bottom of the toilet roll.
Use this template to help make the penguin’s feet.
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Once upon a wildlife story Fill in the blanks to write your own wildlife story. Add your own illustrations to go with the words.
Title:
(get creative)
Written by:
(your name)
In the middle of nowhere in the Australian bush lived a called . (Australian animal)
It was a
(name animal 1)
day in the bush and
(weather)
was just waking up.
(name animal 1)
Rubbing their eyes, they looked to their right to see (Australian animal) (noun) (name animal 2)
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scuffling around in a pile of . “What are you doing ?” asked
(name animal 1)
.
TIP Try illustrating your story with drawings. You can staple the pages together and make it look like a real book. Don’t forget to draw an eyecatching title page.
“I’m looking for a said
(type of food)
“Would you like some?”
(name animal 2)
“No thanks,” said
for breakfast,”
(name animal 1)
“I’m going on a
(adjective ending in ly)
(adjective)
.
adventure to find
some breakfast.” Would you like to come?” “Sure, sounds fun,” said walked
. So, the pair
(name animal 2)
off towards the (adverb ending in ly)
(adjective)
creek to search for some delicious
FINISH IT OFF
(food type)
.
COLOUR ME IN
Now that we’ve helped you start the story, it’s time for you to finish it on your own (or with an adult’s help). Think about how your two animals will find the food they’re looking for, what adventures they might have in the process and how they’ll get back home at the end.
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LET’S COOK!
CHOCOLATE EASTER BALLS
ZOOPER KITCHEN
Forget Easter eggs! These gooey, chocolatey balls will have your mouth watering for more.
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Place almonds (and cashews if using) in a blender or food processor.
Ask an adult to help you put it on a high setting and process the nuts until they look like flour.
Add dates to almond mixture with the melted coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, cocoa powder and desiccated coconut.
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Pulse the blender until all of the ingredients are combined. You’ll need an adult’s help with this step, too.
Roll the mixture into balls using your hands (you can use a tablespoon to measure them out evenly). Then roll the balls in the desiccated coconut – evenly coating the whole outside.
Refrigerate for at least an hour or until you’re ready to eat. Or keep in the freezer so that they last longer.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED ¹⁄² cup almonds 1 cup Medjool dates (or dried dates) pitted
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¹⁄³ cup coconut oil (liquified) 2 tbsp peanut butter (or ½ cup cashews if allergic) 1 tbsp maple syrup
¹⁄³ cup cocoa powder ¹⁄³ cup desiccated coconut (plus extra for rolling) RECIPE CONTAINS NUTS!
ANIMAL CUPCAKES Learn how to bake delicious cupcakes and decorate them to look like animals.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
METHOD
CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS ¾ cup plain flour ¼ cup cocoa powder ½ cup caster sugar 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp vanilla essence 80g butter ½ cup milk 2 eggs Cupcake patty pans
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Preheat your oven to 180°C. Place patty pans in the muffin tray holes.
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Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, cocoa powder, caster sugar and baking powder).
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Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Use an electric beater to mix together until smooth.
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Once the mixture is combined, spoon out the mixture evenly into the patty pans.
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Place in the oven and bake for 15–18 minutes or until you can insert a skewer and it comes out clean.
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Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack and leave for an hour to cool down completely.
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To make the icing, sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar into a bowl and combine.
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Add the melted butter and half of the hot water to the bowl and mix until combined. Add more hot water until it is thick (like toothpaste).
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Spread icing evenly over the cupcakes using a butter knife. Use the image above as a guide to decorate your animal cupcakes using the Oreos and Smarties.
ICING INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1 ½ cups icing sugar 50g butter (melted) 2 tbsp hot water Smarties 1 packet Oreos
TOP TIP If you need some inspiration for your baking head to Meerkat Manor, Lakeside Café and Zoo Bakery at Melbourne Zoo to buy our zoo-themed cupcakes. You can choose from a selection of beautifully decorated cupcakes that look just like animals.
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CONGRATULATIONS to our winners! WOW! THANKS FOR YOUR ENTRIES To enter our next competition, send your picture to: zooperkids@zoo.org.au
OR
ARLO AGED 4
REPTILE PACK WINNER
Zooper Kids Magazine PO Box 74, Parkville VIC 3052
See back page for all the competition details
MIA
AGED 5
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JUNGLE PACK WINNER
Puzzle
DINO PACK WINNER
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ANSWERS
AGED 9
KORA LEE
ELEPHANT CROSSWORD (PG 3) 3 Trunk 4 Mammal 6 Africa 8 Herd 9 Luk Chai
1 Matriarch 2 Bull 5 Elephant 7 Asia 10 Mali Three calves Mek Kapah
DOWN
ACROSS
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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE (PG 6-7) AGED 8
PENNY
BIRD PACK WINNER SNAIL MAZE (PG 19)
We love getting your pictures and letters.
LOVELY Creepy crawlies, slithery worms and slimy snails. They might seem gross, but they’re important for keeping the environment healthy.
WE LOVE
WORMS!
Sure, they’re WRIGGLY and a little SLIMY but did you know that worms are helpful in the garden? When earthworms move through the soil they create tiny tunnels that help air and water get to the roots of your plants. So, the more worms you find in the garden the better your plants will grow.
DID YOU KNOW? Worms breathe through their skin. IT’S TRUE! They don’t have a nose or lungs but absorb oxygen through the thin layer of skin.
COCKROACHES Cockroaches play an important role in the ecosystem, they are natural recyclers. This means they are able to eat just about anything and help convert waste into easily absorbed nutrients.
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LADY BEETLES Also known as LADYBIRDS or LADY BUGS, these colourful beetles are very helpful in the garden. They are mostly carnivorous (meaning they eat meat) and will help you get rid of the pesky aphids (another type of small bug) snacking on your veggie patch.
DID YOU KNOW? There are about 500 different species of lady beetles in Australia. They are thought to be a sign of good luck – especially if one lands on you.
SLIMIEST
SNAILS
These SLIMY creatures will eat almost ANYTHING (from leaves, to worms and decaying animals). They also prefer eating in groups – even when other food is available nearby.
DID YOU KNOW? Snails are related to shellfish (such as muscles and oysters) and are in the mollusk family – meaning they are an invertebrate.
How to make your own
HOME COMPOST
Set up your own home compost to create nutrient rich food for your plants. Your garden will love it! ILLUSTRATION GREGORY ROBERTS Decide on the location of your compost bin. You will need to find a patch of welldrained earth in the garden that gets a good amount of sunlight. Be careful it’s not too much sunlight as you don’t want the compost to dry out.
STEP 1
Start your compost with a good pile STEP 2 of matter, so start collecting. You can begin with a mix of ‘brown’ matter (dried leaves, old grass clippings, newspaper or cardboard) and ‘green’ matter (fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds or fresh grass).
STEP 3 mix it all up.
Water your compost so that it’s moist but not soggy. Put on your garden gloves and
You will need to regularly water your compost (to keep it moist) and stir it with a shovel – at least once a fortnight. Keep adding your scraps and let them work their magic.
STEP 4
Your compost should be ready to put on the garden after at least eight weeks. Although sometimes it may take longer, so be patient.
WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T PUT IN YOUR COMPOST BIN fruit and vegetable waste newspaper and cardboard fresh and dried leaves grass clippings coffee grounds tea leaves cooked rice and pasta onions and garlic meat products dairy products animal waste plastics or synthetic products
HELP THE SNAIL FIND ITS WAY TO THE LETTUCE
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COMPETITION TIME! ELEPHANT PRIZE PACK
BUTTERFLY PRIZE PACK
$67 VALUE
$59 VALUE
GIVEAWAY!
MARINE PRIZE PACK
$73 VALUE
WE HAVE FOUR FANTASTIC PRIZE PACKS TO GIVE AWAY THIS ISSUE…
ORANGUTAN PRIZE PACK $74 VALUE
If you’d like a chance to win, send a letter or drawing to enter. Send yours to: zooperkids@zoo.org.au
OR Zooper Kids Magazine PO Box 74, Parkville VIC 3052
Good LUCK!
ENtries close Sunday 17 April 2022 This competition is open to Zoos Victoria Members under the age of 18 with consent of a parent/guardian. Entries will be judged on individual merit and winners notified by phone or email. All entries become the property of Zoos Victoria and will not be returned to the entrants. Prizes are subject to change and cannot be transferred or redeemed for cash. Winners will be announced in the next edition of Zooper Kids.