GIRAFFES All about
LEARN ALL ABOUT THE WORLD’S TALLEST LAND ANIMAL
FACT FILE
Name: Giraffe
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Habitat: Giraffes live in semi-arid savannah and woodlands throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Food: They are herbivores and mainly eat leaves and shoots from trees. Giraffes are helpful in keeping the trees in their environment healthy by pruning leaves and dispersing seeds for other trees to grow.
KLINTUN
IRIS
MEET MELBOURNE ZOO’S
DID YOU KNOW?
The average height of an adult giraffe is 4.3–5.7 metres (or three adult men standing on top of each other).
GIRAFFE HERD NAKURU
At 13-years-old, Nakuru is the eldest giraffe in the Melbourne Zoo herd. She shares a habitat with four-year-old Iris and, the only male in the group, six-year-old Klintun. The giraffe herd is a curious bunch and, because of their height, they can see a lot of the action happening around Melbourne Zoo.
Zoos Victoria PO Box 74, Parkville VIC 3052
P 03 9340 2780
E members@zoo.org.au W zoo.org.au
Zooper Kids is published for Zoos Victoria by Heads & Tales, a Hardie Grant Media agency.
MANAGING DIRECTOR Rod Mooseek
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Scott Elmslie
EDITOR Georgia Lejeune
ART DIRECTOR Dallas Budde
DESIGN Dallas Budde & Natalie Lachina
PRINTER Finsbury Green
Printed on FSC® certified paper with vegetable-based inks. Zoos Victoria is a carbon-neutral organisation and powered by 100% renewable energy.
DID YOU KNOW?
They also have four chambers in their stomachs, where they store food to eat later. Just like a Giraffes can sleep standing up or sitting down (with their head tucked around to rest on their back leg – looking like a spotty donut).
STEPS
Measuring tape or ruler
White masking tape Pencil
Ask an adult (or someone taller than you) to help you with this activity.
Use a measuring tape or ruler to calculate how tall you are. Write your measurements on the masking tape with the pencil. 3
Stand with your back against a wall in your house. Take your shoes off and make sure your heels are touching the wall behind you.
Measure again in a couple of months to see if you’ve grown!
Ask your friend or an adult to place a long piece of masking tape on the wall at the top of your head.
ANIMAL DENTAL
CHEESESay
Keeping your teeth clean is important work!
Find out some facts about how animals keep their teeth in tip-top condition too.
Keep them clean
Animals have lots of different ways of cleaning their teeth — they can’t use toothbrushes like humans do. Some animals chew on sticks, bones or grass to keep their teeth in good condition. Elephants also chew bark to keep their teeth and gums healthy.
DID YOU KNOW?
Koalas have a set of teeth specially designed for eating nothing but leaves. Their sharp front teeth (called incisors) are used to nip leaves from trees and their molars (up the back) help koalas to cut and shear the leaves – rather than crushing them. They have a gap between their incisors and molars, which help them to move the leaves around their mouth with their tongue.
WHOSE TEETH ARE THESE?
Match the animal to its chompers.
TOOTH TIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY DENTAL HEALTH SERVICES VICTORIA
To keep your teeth healthy, it’s important to brush them twice each day for two minutes at a time. Choose a song that lasts two minutes and put it on while you brush your teeth – brushing and dancing is encouraged. Once the song is finished you can stop brushing!
TASMANIAN DEVIL
INDOOR FUN Make your own
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL REID
Indoor play
Visit Keepers Kids at Melbourne Zoo, Ranger Kids at Werribee Open Range Zoo and Future Vets at Healesville Sanctuary for indoor play.
Time yourself
See who can complete the obstacle course the fastest! For an added layer of difficulty, you could complete the obstacle course with your hands tied together, or do it blindfolded.
Always ask an adult to check whether your obstacle course is safe. Remove any potential hazards in the area and wear suitable clothing. If you’re outside you might need shoes, a hat and sunscreen.
OBSTACLE COURSE IDEAS
Create an obstacle course that works for you. Here are some ideas to get you started.
BALANCE
1
Set up stepping stones to balance between obstacles. For younger children, use low-to-the-ground objects (such as pillows or blocks) and for older kids use chairs or stools.
2
Challenge your balance by walking or crawling (like a Snow Leopard) along a pool noodle or balance beam (for older kids), or a piece of rope or string on the ground (for younger kids).
3
Test your coordination by balancing an egg on a spoon or an object on your head while running from one point of the obstacle course to another.
JUMP
4
Use hula hoops, rings or chalk circles as a jumping challenge. Practice jumping like a frog with two feet, or stepping in the circles one foot at a time.
5
Choose a set number of jumps (star jumps, frog jumps or kangaroo bounces) to complete during the obstacle course. Or bunny hop from one end of the room to the other.
6
Create an obstacle to jump over or down from – such as a box, a line drawn with chalk on the ground or over a pillow or rolled up blanket.
CRAWL
7
Set up a tunnel to slither through like a snake, or obstacles to crawl under – such as a table – like a wombat going into a burrow. Young children can use pillows or rolled up blankets on the floor to create obstacles to crawl over. Pretend to be lizards climbing over rocks.
TAKE IT OUTSIDE
If the weather is good, set up your obstacle course outside, or use your local playground as a skills tester. How long can you hang from the monkey bars? Can you race your friends to the end?
energy saver Spot the
CALLING ALL ENERGY SAVERS!
Use this guide to spot the energy suckers in your home and become a more eco-friendly household.
ENERGY SAVE
ENERGY DRAIN
Windows without coverings, or blinds that let the sunlight in during warm months.
ENERGY SAVE
If the weather is fine, hang clothes to dry on the washing line.
ENERGY DRAIN
Using the dryer on sunny days.
Blinds and curtains closed during summer to stop rooms from heating up, and open in winter to bring in warmth.
ENERGY DRAIN
Overhead lights on in rooms that aren’t being used.
ENERGY SAVE
Only put lights on in the rooms people are using and use lamps instead of overhead lights when appropriate.
ENERGY DRAIN
Running the dishwasher or washing machine when it’s half empty.
ENERGY SAVE
Wait until you have a full load to turn on the washing machine or dishwasher.
MORE ENERGY!
Zoos Victoria has made a commitment to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
When you visit Melbourne Zoo Butterfly House you might notice the thick doubleglazing on the glass, which helps to keep the heat inside.
The Reptile House uses a hydronic hot water system to keep the animals lovely and warm throughout the year.
Air conditioning on in every room even if people aren’t in those rooms.
ENERGY SAVE
When possible, use fans or open doors and windows instead of using air-conditioning.
BIG savers energy
Chat to your parents about other ways you can save energy in your household. Here are some ideas for big changes you could make:
Install solar panels on your roof
Properly insulate your house
Seal up gaps and cracks in windows and doors to prevent draughts
Change lights to energy-efficient bulbs.
ENERGY DRAIN
HABITAT DIORAMA ELEPHANT
THE ELEPHANTS HAVE MOVED TO WERRIBEE OPEN RANGE ZOO. MAKE A HOME FOR YOUR ANIMAL FIGURINES
WHAT YOU’LL NEED STEPS
Cardboard shoe box
Coloured paints
Paintbrushes
Rocks, dirt and leaves (found outside)
Plain cardboard
Craft glue
Elephant figurines (or other animals)
1
Open the shoe box so that the lid is the bottom of the diorama, and the bottom part of the box is standing up.
Elephants live in diverse habitats, which can include forests, grassland, wetlands and savannah – so keep your imagination open. Take your inspiration from the Asian Elephant herd’s new home at Werribee Open Range Zoo.
3
Arrange the rocks, dirt and grass in the diorama to look like an elephant habitat.
DID YOU KNOW?
The new elephant habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo includes deep pools metres deep) that give the elephants plenty of space to swim and make a splash. Mothers and babies have been doing lots of swimming together!
your trees with the paint.
5
When you’ve finished decorating, place your animal figurines around the habitat.
RAINBOW VEGGIEPIZZAS
Cook with Melbourne Zoo’s Chef Asif!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1 packet of mini pizza bases (or pita bread)
1 cup pizza sauce (store-bought or homemade)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup red capsicum, chopped
½ cup yellow capsicum, chopped
½ cup green capsicum, chopped
½ cup broccoli, chopped
½ cup cherry
tomatoes, halved
½ cup corn kernels
¼ cup black olives, sliced
MIX AND MATCH your toppings
You can swap ingredients with other colourful favourites.
STEPS
Ask an adult to preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and chop up the ingredients.
Remember to always ask an adult to help you with the oven.
1 2 3
Spread a spoonful of pizza sauce onto each base.
Lay out the mini pizza bases on a baking tray, lined with baking paper.
4
Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
Decorate the pizzas by placing the veggies in colourful patterns to create a rainbow effect. 5 6 7
Ask an adult to help you bake the pizzas in the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and, if you like, garnish with fresh basil. Slice and enjoy!
LUMI’S PASSION project
Lumi Wilson (12 years old) put her enthusiasm for protecting the ocean’s wildlife into a t-shirt design collaboration with Kit Willow – a sustainable fashion designer. Together they launched the Save Our Seas campaign to raise awareness and support for Melbourne Zoo’s Marine Response Unit.
We asked Lumi a few questions about her conservation efforts and passion for wildlife…
What do you love about sea animals?
They are so beautiful, graceful and playful. Water is really my element; I love it and I think that is why sea animals are so close to my heart.
Why did you focus on plastic pollution in the ocean for your conservation campaign?
I watched David Attenborough’s documentary Blue Planet 2 and got really sad when I learned about all the plastic going into our oceans and saw sea birds eating plastic on beaches, filled with rubbish. And what got me really, really sad was when a whale calf died because the mother’s milk was contaminated with micro plastics. I felt hopeless and wanted to do something.
What are you most proud of achieving during the Save Our Seas campaign?
I’m proud of coming up with the idea to make the t-shirts with Kit and now being able to use them to spread awareness about plastic. And hopefully inspire others to take action.
How are you a conservation champion in your everyday life?
I always check labels on clothes I’m going to buy and avoid polyester and nylon. I didn’t know before this campaign that every time you wash a polyester shirt, it releases micro plastics into our waterways.
What advice would you give to other young people who want to make a difference in fighting extinction?
Everyday actions matter because they help raise awareness – talk to your friends and family about what they can do. And when you’re in nature, collect pieces of rubbish and put them into the bin; it is not cool to litter.
100% of the profits from the sale of the t-shirts went to conservation organisations Melbourne Zoo’s Marine Response Unit and Take 3 for the Sea.
Lumi took her love of the sea and turned it into a tee.
To enter our next competition, send your picture to: zooperkids@zoo.org.au OR Zooper Kids Magazine PO Box 74, Parkville VIC 3052 OR Post in the entry box at Melbourne Zoo. See back page for all the competition details.
ZOOPER KIDS GARDENING
CLUB
Can you be-LEAF it? LEAF
Leaves come in all different shapes, colours and sizes and play a very important role in our ecosystem.
tracing
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
AN IMPORTANT JOB
Leaves not only make trees look beautiful, but are also an important source of food for animals and humans (salad, yum!), and they help clean the air we breathe.
Trees and plants have the very important job of making oxygen, which we need to survive. Humans and animals produce carbon dioxide (CO2) when we breathe out. Plants and trees capture sunlight through their leaves, using a process called photosynthesis, to convert the carbon dioxide into oxygen.
A variety of leaves found on the ground Blank white paper Crayons Sticky tape
1 3 2
Using your crayons, shade over
Place one of your leaves on a table or flat surface. Put the blank white paper over the top (you can secure the leaf using some sticky tape).
Continue this process using the different leaves you have collected. You could cut them out when you’re finished and make a card, or stick your creations to wrapping paper.
Grow your own
SPROUTS
THESE PLANTS ARE DELICIOUS AND EASY TO GROW – NO GARDEN NEEDED!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
A large glass jar (sterilise in hot water or the dishwasher)
1 tablespoon alfalfa sprouts
Sieve
STEPS
1
Soak the alfalfa seeds overnight in a bowl of warm water. Make sure the water covers the seeds. In the morning, pour the seeds out into a sieve and wash with water.
2
Put the seeds into a jar and place your muslin cloth over the top of the jar – secure it by tying the wool or piece of string around the top.
3
Place the jar – muslin side down – on an angle so that the water can drain. Then, turn the jar the right way and place it in a warm, sunny spot (a windowsill is ideal).
4
Rinse the seeds once each day. Keep the muslin cover on and let the water fill the jar, then tip it upside down to drain the water out.
The sprouts will be ready to eat between 3 days and one week.
Thin muslin cloth
Piece of string or wool
TOP TIP
If the sprouts look brown or have a weird smell this means they have gone bad. You will need to throw them away, re-sterilise your jars and start again.
