ADAPTATIONS Animal
BECOME A WILD SUPERHERO. TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT WHICH SUPERPOWER YOU WOULD HAVE
IF YOU WERE AN ANIMAL.
1 What’s your best tactic when playing hide-and-seek?
A Blend in with your surroundings and use camouflage to your advantage.
B Stay quiet and move around to keep your friends guessing.
C Find somewhere dark to hide such as under a bed or in a cupboard.
D Choose somewhere unexpected like the bathtub or behind the curtain in the shower.
2 Which option best describes how you act at a friend’s birthday party?
A You don’t like the spotlight, so you tend to try to blend into the walls at parties and talk to other shy people.
B You love surprises, whether that’s sneaking up on your friends to catch them off guard or organising unexpected gifts for the birthday boy or girl.
C You thrive in social gatherings and are happy to chat and play with everyone at the party, whether you know them or not.
D You’re at the party for the fun and the food. You make a beeline for the swimming pool or snack table as soon as you arrive.
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 Jo Stewart
ART DIRECTOR Dallas Budde
DESIGN Dallas Budde & Natalie Lachina
PRINTER Finsbury Green
3 If you could choose your own superpower, what would it be?
A Flight and the ability to camouflage.
B A cloak of silence so that you could go about your day unnoticed.
C Night vision and super balance.
D Breathe underwater and super strength.
Printed on FSC® certified paper with vegetable-based inks. Zoos Victoria is a carbon-neutral organisation and powered by 100% renewable energy.
Do you like to hang out with friends on the weekend?
4 Your favourite thing to do on the weekend is...
A Mostly stay home and catch up on your favourite TV shows, video games and books by yourself.
B Play in nature, whether at the park or going for a bushwalk with friends and family.
C Hang out with friends at the playground or doing weekend sport.
D Swimming at the pool or beach. And eating lots of yummy snacks.
TAWNY FROGMOUTH INVISIBILITY
MOSTLY As
You’re a master of camouflage just like the elusive Tawny Frogmouth. They’re difficult to spot in the wild and can blend in with most of their surroundings.
5 Your favourite food is...
A Pizza! I love the choice of different toppings.
B A delicious roast chicken or spaghetti and meatballs.
C You love fruit, veggies and nuts. Especially when you’re sharing them with friends.
D Anything, you’re not too picky!
MASK UP
Become an instant superhero by wearing a mask. Whether you wear it to the playground or your next birthday party, you’ll add an air of mystery to your day.
Note:
Make sure you download your mask template from the Member Zone, here:
TALLY UP YOUR ANSWERS: Your animal superhero is…
BARKING OWL SILENT STALKER
MOSTLY Bs
Like the Barking Owl you’re sneaky, silent and can fly through the air without so much as a whisper of air. Use your superpower for good and don’t sneak up on unwitting friends and family.
RING-TAILED LEMUR NIGHT VISION
MOSTLY Cs
You have exceptional night vision and expert balance. Like the Ring-Tailed Lemur you are very social and excellent at climbing and swinging.
MOSTLY Ds
You’re not easily fazed, just like your animal counterpart the hippo. You’re an exceptional swimmer and can hold your breath for long periods of time.
HIPPO SUPER BREATHER
BE HOPPYDon t worry
Make a frog straw blower and learn about Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme at Zoos Victoria.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Paper straw
Green craft cardboard
Red craft paper
Black craft paper
White paper
Glue
Scissors
Paper plate
Pencil
Ruler
Round stick (or another straw)
STEPS
1
DID YOU KNOW?
You can donate your drink containers to help save Australian frogs in the wild. Bring your cans and bottles made from plastic, glass or aluminium to Melbourne Zoo or one of the 600+ drop-off locations in Victoria. Don’t forget to choose Zoos Victoria as your donation partner!
Remember to always ask an adult to help when using scissors. Draw a circle on the green cardboard by tracing around the outside of a medium-sized plate. Cut out the circle shape. 4
3
Cut out two equal-sized circles from the green cardboard. These will be the base of the frog’s eyes. Glue them to the top of the folded circle (on either side of the cut-out triangle, where the fold is).
2
Fold the circle in half and cut a small triangle in the centre, using the fold line as the bottom of the triangle.
4
Draw two frog legs on the green card and cut them out. Glue the frog legs to the back of the semicircle.
5
Cut out two circles from the white paper – slightly smaller than the green circles. Glue on top of the green circles. Cut out
6
Cut two very small circles out of the black paper for nostrils and glue halfway down the green semicircle.
8
Draw a rectangle (using the ruler) on the red craft paper, measuring 5cm x 20cm, and cut out.
9
7
Cut out two medium-sized circles (the size of a 20c coin) from the red paper and glue either side of the nostrils.
over (enclosing the straw) and glue the sides together.
10
Wind the end (opposite the straw) of the red rectangle around the round stick until you get to the straw end. The rectangle will be a tight curl.
HELP OUR FROGGY FAMILY
Frogs are an incredibly important part of our ecosystem! But many frog species – like the Baw Baw Frog and Southern Corroboree Frog – are close to extinction in the wild.
11
Open the semicircle and slot the straw through the hole in the middle. Tape down the straw so that it’s stuck to the inside of the semicircle.
Scan the QR code for more info!
12
Blow through the straw and the frog’s tongue will unfurl.
COLOUR-ME-IN
Add some colour to this Aussie animal scene AT KYABRAM FAUNA PARK
ILLUSTRATION BY PRIYANKA KASHIB
DID YOU KNOW?
The BROAD-SHELLED TURTLE is a totem of the local Yorta Yorta people who gave it the name Bayadherra. Keep an eye out for this endangered species the next time you visit the wetlands area of Kyabram Fauna Park.
EASTERN GREY KANGAROO
BROAD-SHELLED TURTLE
SOUTHERN CASSOWARY
This striking flightless bird is the largest vertebrate found in Australian rainforests. Although they are known to eat snails,
SOUTHERN CASSOWARY
WOMBAT
ZOOPER KIDS QUIZ
PESTO PASTA DINOSAUR
A deliciously green pasta that will make you roar for more.
FROM THE GARDEN
You can cook this pasta using basil and spinach from your own garden! Turn to Zooper Gardening on page 19 to see how to grow your own herbs.
INGREDIENTS
50g parmesan cheese
1/3 cup of raw almonds (use walnuts, pine nuts or cashews if you prefer)
1 clove of garlic
20g feta cheese
1 cup washed basil leaves
1 cup washed baby spinach leaves
6 tbsp olive oil
1 packet spaghetti (or your favourite pasta shape)
Optional extras: Pitted olives and sliced cherry tomatoes
1
Chop the parmesan into small cubes and add it to a food processor along with the almonds. Blend until it looks like crumbs.
3
Add another tablespoon of olive oil if you’d like it to be a bit creamier.
6
Add some large dollops of pesto (one per person) to the saucepan and add a large spoonful of pasta water.
2
Add in the garlic, feta, basil leaves, baby spinach and olive oil, and blend until the consistency is smooth.
4
Boil your pasta (follow the instructions on the packet for timing).
7
Drain the pasta in a colander and add it to the saucepan with the pesto.
DID YOU KNOW?
Dinosaurs such as the long-necked Brachiosaurus, the small (20kgs) Hypsilophodon and the sharp-beaked Triceratops are all herbivores. This means they ate only leaves and vegetation.
Ask an adult for help with this recipe.
5
While you’re waiting for the pasta to cook, in a large saucepan heat up your cherry tomatoes and olives (skip this step if you’re not adding them).
8
Mix together until the pasta is completely covered in pesto and serve in bowls.
DANCE MOVES Animal
Shake your tail feather with these animal-inspired dancefloor moves.
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL REID
THE ELEPHANT
Stomp with your feet and sway one arm from right to left like an elephant trunk.Your other hand can rest on your hip.
THE HIPPY HOPPY KANGAROO
Paws out in front of your body and jump with two feet. Experiment doing small, quick jumps and long jumps to the beat of the music.
SLITHERING SNAKE
Get down on the floor with your arms out in front of you and slither and roll around the room on your belly.
Play animal dance freeze! DANCE GAME
1
Someone controls the music and calls out an animal move when the music starts.
2
When the music stops everyone has to freeze.
GORILLA GROOVE
Bend your knees and pound your chest with your fists. Move to the music and point your hands towards your armpits (bent elbows) and throw your arms above your head, waving them around.
3 Whoever is moving when the song stops is out.
PENGUIN WADDLE
Legs together and hands by your waist (palms facing down), take small waddle steps around the room keeping your knees together. Sway to the music as you move.
4 The last person standing wins!
Some animals use special, intricate dances to show off to potential mates and communicate with other animals.
Victoria’s Riflebirds
The male of this species dance by holding their wings above his head, bobbing, swaying and raising a wing one at a time to get the attention of female riflebirds.
TUNES
Teeny Tiny Stevies
If you’re looking for a great track to get you started, put on the song A Tiny Dragon by the Teeny Tiny Stevies. It’s a great dance tune and is all about the rediscovery of the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon. Scan the QR code to find the song on YouTube.
DID YOU KNOW?
ZOO POO
WOW YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THESE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL POO.
FOOD to POO WORD SEARCH
See page 17 for answers.
WORDS TO FIND
They could be up, down, diagonal, horizontal or backwards!
Dung beetles are an important part of nature as they eat and break down animal poo, which recycles nutrients back into the soil. They also aerate the soil and add nutrients by digging and moving
FAST FACT
Hippos spin their tail while they poo underwater to spread it far and wide. This helps them to attract a mate.
WHO DID THIS POO?
WOMBAT
FAVOURITE SNACK!
Just like we have favourite snacks to munch on, the animals at Zoos Victoria are treated to a healthy array of different foods to keep them satisfied.
GORILLAS
Eat a diet high in vegetables including radicchio, chicory, cos lettuce, capsicum, cucumbers, tomatoes and corn.
GIRAFFES
Love munching on lucern (hay) and branches of browse (leaves).
DID YOU KNOW? FAST FACT
Compared to their large size, giraffe poos are rather small and could be mistaken for a delicious chocolate Malteser.
Will only eat the fresh tip from eucalyptus leaves. They tend to be one of the fussiest eaters at the zoo.
Dominant wild cats such as lions, tigers and leopards don’t bury their poo as it’s a way to mark their territory to other animals in their species.
FAST FACT
At the zoo, animal droppings, food scraps, garden clippings and animal bedding are put into a special composting system that turns smelly leftovers into rich, earthy compost for the zoo gardens.
THANKS FOR YOUR ENTRIES
To enter our next competition, send your picture to: zooperkids@zoo.org.au OR Zooper Kids Magazine PO Box 74, Parkville VIC 3052 See back page for all the competition details.
UNDERWATER
CASTING Botanical ZOOPER KIDS GARDENING CLUB
Make your own clay casts using leaves and flowers, just like an archaeologist.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Leaves and flowers found outside
Air dry clay
Round cookie cutter (can use different shapes)
Rolling pin
Wooden skewer
String
Paint
Paintbrush
MAKE YOUR OWN PREHISTORIC DISCOVERIES BY VISITING MELBOURNE ZOO, HEALESVILLE SANCTUARY AND WERRIBEE OPEN RANGE ZOO
1
Roll out the clay on a hard surface, using the rolling pin.
2
Cut shapes out of the clay using your cookie cutter.
5 ZOO AT THE DINOS
4
Using the wooden skewer, push a hole through the top of the clay cut-out. Leave the clay to dry indoors for at least 24-hours.
Once dry, use your paints to decorate the leaf and flower imprints on your clay cut-outs.
GROW AT HOME
Follow these steps to grow basil and spinach leaves from scratch. Whether in an outdoor planter box or a sunny indoor windowsill, these plants are a great addition to an edible garden.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Empty egg carton, with lid removed Basil seeds
Spinach seeds Potting mix
STEPS
Gardening gloves Spray bottle
Large plastic tupperware lid
1 Put on your gardening gloves and fill the bottom of the egg carton evenly with soil.
2
Using a finger, make a small, shallow hole in each of the egg cups. Add two seeds of basil per hole to half of the carton and two seeds of spinach to the other half.
Carefully press the leaves and flowers into the cut-out clay with your fingers or a rolling pin. Gently lift them off to leave an imprint.
Thread string through the hole at the top to turn your clay cut-outs into decorations for your house. 3
3
4
Cover the holes with a thin layer of soil. Spray water all over the soil.
Cover the carton with a plastic tupperware lid for the first 3–4 days. This will help keep them moist.
5 Water, using the spray bottle, every day (or more often if the soil looks dry).
6 Once the seeds have grown into seedlings, carefully scoop them out with a teaspoon and plant them in the ground or in pots on your windowsill.
7
Use them to make delicious meals, including dinosaur pesto pasta (page 10).
