ZooLand, part 9: How Zoos Get Their Animals

Years ago zoos would send people all over the world to collect animals. To keep expenses down and to preserve the wild animals in their natural habitats, very few zoos obtain their animals in this way, but instead get them in one of these ways:

• Trade: Zoo directors get lists of animals that other zoos want to trade, and if the zoo wants one of the animals, the two zoo directors work out some sort of trade.
• Breeding: Many zoos have breeding programs, in which the animals either become a part of the zoo's collection or are traded to other zoos.
• Gifts: Rarely zoos will accept animals that people offer them. Most animals offered them are too common, such as snakes, birds or turtles. In 1972 the National Zoological Park accepted two Giant Pandas from China.
• Loans: Zoos loan each other animals If an animal's display is being repaired or upgraded, the zoo might loan the animals to another zoo until the display is finished. Sometimes animals are loaned as part of a breeding program.

When a New Animal Arrives

When a new animal arrives at the zoo, it is kept in a special cage away from other animals. It is examined closely to make sure that it doesn't have any diseases. If an animal is going into a display with other existing animals, the other animals are sometimes removed so that new animal can get used to his home and its smells. Once the animal is comfortable, the other animals are put back.

Zoo Animal Trading Game

I made this game up, so I had doubts on how fun or playable it would be, but I was pleasantly surprised that the kids loved the game, played it twice in one sitting and would have played more, if I had the stamina for it.  We even added it to the rotation for family game night!

How to Make:

The Animal Cards: I printed out several copies of zoo animal cards ( Montessori MOMents Zoo Animals 1, Montessori MOMents Zoo Animals 2 and Zoo Animal Photo Cards at A to Z Teacher Stuff). I printed them so that I had a few with four copies of some of the animals, some with six copies of some of the animals and some with eight copies of some of the animals. I cut them out so that they were the same size.

The Zoo Needs Cards: Then I hand made some cards that had a list of 5 animals...1 of the animals that there is the fewest of, two of the animals that are in the middle group and a pair of animals that are in the most frequent group. For example, 1 tiger, which is in the group of which there are only four cards, 1 camel and 1 black bear, which are in the group of which there are 6 cards for each and 2 giraffes, which are in the group that has eight cards.

How to Play:

Setting Up the Play: For 3 or more players. To begin, each player receives 1 Zoo Needs Card and 5 Animal Cards face down. The remaining Animal Cards are placed in the middle of the table face down as a draw pile. There will be a discard pile, face-up next to it as the game goes on.

Playing the Game: The goal of the game is to be the first to get all the animals on your own Zoo Needs Card. The game begins by the first player picking a player to ask to trade with. The first player says, " I want a (name of animal you are trying to get). Will you take a (animal you are trying to get rid of) for it?"

The other player has these options:

1. Say, "Yes," and you exchange cards.
2. Say "No, but I will trade you (another animal is suggested) for the (animal the first player has offered)
3. Say: "No, but I will give you the (animal the first player desires) for a (another animal suggested).
4. If the player doesn't have or doesn't want to get the animal the first player suggested: Say, "No, but I will give you that animal for (another suggestion for the animal the first player should give you). The first player then has the option of taking that trade or of saying, "No, thank you." turn is now over.
5. Say, "No Thank you," giving no explanation. 

Once the first player's turn is over, whether he makes a successful trade or not, he draws an animal card and discards one of his choice. The turn now passes to the next player and it continues in this manner until one player gets the five animals on his Zoo Needs Card.

related posts:

• Zooland part 1: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living
• Zooland part 2: Plants, Animals and their Cells
• ZooLand, part 3: Classification of Animals
• Zooland, part 4: The Zookeeper's Job
• Zooland, part 5: Animal Care
• Zooland, part 6: The Zoo Curator and other Jobs at the Zoo
• Zooland, part 7: The History and Purposes of Zoos
• Zooland, part 8: Displaying Animals

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

ZooLand, part 8: Displaying Animals

For their final projects for our unit on zoos, the younger boys made zoo habitat display models. They had to think about what things they needed to include to make the habitat natural and usable for the animals. They had to decide whether they were making a habitat for one type of animals or for more than one type that could live together. They also learned about how zoos make cages without bars. This is a great project for co-ops so that the multiple displays can really look like a zoo when put together on a large table.

Creating Animal Displays

Making Zoo Habitats

There are things to consider when creating animal displays for a zoo.

• Always think of the needs of the animals, the visitors and the zoo keepers.
• Begin by thinking of the animal's needs.
• Make the exhibit as close to the animal's natural habitat as possible
• Make the largest exhibit you feel your zoo can afford. Fewer better exhibits are better than many ones that are too small.
• Avoid making corners where animals might feel trapped.
• The largest side of the exhibit should face the visitors.
• The visitors should be as close as it is safe.
• Animals should be displayed at eye level.
• Make sure there is a way the zookeepers can enter the habitat to take care of the animals' needs.
• The exhibit should clearly state what kind of animal is in the habitat and some information about the animal(s), for one of the purposes of zoos is to inform and educate.

Making Zoo Exhibit Models

Students must decide what materials they want to use to make the displays. First determine the size and scale of your habitat. The best place to start is with your animals. If you are using plastic zoo animals, you might want to purchase them first to determine your scale. We didn't do this and our Meerkats were a bit too large for our display.

Next, decide what materials you want to use. My original plan was to get some bakery boxes with clear windows to use for the displays so that I could store them easily, but my boys had other ideas, so we just used a piece of cardboard for their base. I wanted to make salt dough, but my boys preferred to use clay. I like salt dough because it is inexpensive and it sticks to the cardboard easier than clay. They molded their habitats and Quentin painted his. James glued sand to his habitat and used some additional clay to anchor real pieces of dried sea grass and evergreen to his display.

What ways can your students come up with to make their displays?

Making Cages Without Bars

Bars are a kind of barrier that keep people a safe distance from the animals and keep the animals a safe distance from the people. Unfortunately the bars also make it more difficult to see the animals. Therefore, modern zoos have come up with was to remove the bars but still keep the animals and visitors safe. All of these barriers have a second barrier such as a short wall with hand rail.

• Glass (or plastic) Barriers. Used often for small reptiles, but can also be used for larger animals such as tigers and crocodiles.
• Moat. A large trench that goes around all or part  of the animal's enclosure. The animals and visitors are all at the same level.  Some moats have water and some are dry. They also have a steep wall on the visitor's side. The size of the moat varies according to the animal -an elephant will not cross a moat more than six feet wide, but a lion needs a moat at least 21 feet across. 
• Electrical barriers. Animals quickly learn how far they can go without getting shocked. Best used with small animals like porcupines.
• Thermal Barrier. Freezer coils keep reptiles enclosed as they stay away from cold places

Adding Barriers to the Habitat Models

Quentin decided that clear plastic would be the best barrier for his bat cave, so we wrapped his cave with plastic wrap to simulate this. 

James decided that a water barrier would be best for his Meerkat display, so he put blue construction paper under his display to simulate a moat around the habitat.

related posts:

• Zooland part 1: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living
• Zooland part 2: Plants, Animals and their Cells
• ZooLand, part 3: Classification of Animals
• Zooland, part 4: The Zookeeper's Job
• Zooland, part 5: Animal Care
• Zooland, part 6: The Zoo Curator and other Jobs at the Zoo
• Zooland, part 7: The History and Purposes of Zoos

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

ZooLand, part 7: The History and Purposes of Zoos

Zoos primary purpose in the beginning were to entertain, showing off exotic animals. Menageries, as they used to be called, have been in existence since 3,500 BC.

In America, the Philadelphia Zoo opened its gates on July 1, 1874, after the opening being delayed by the Civil War. On opening day, flags flew, and a brass band welcomed more than 3,000 visitors. Admission was 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children, a rate that held for the next half century. Visitors came on foot, on streetcars, by horse and carriage, and every 15 minutes by steamboat on the Schuylkill River, landing at the Zoo's own wharf. he Frank Furness Victorian gates and gatehouses, and the Zoo's location, are the same today as they were on the day it opened. 

New York's Central Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo located in Chicago, Illinois were founded around this same time period.  Lincoln Park Commissioners were given a gift of a pair of swans by Central Park's Board of Commissioners in New York City. In 1874, the swans were joined by a bear cub, the first animal purchased for the zoo. The bear became quite adept at escaping from its home and could frequently be found roaming Lincoln Park at night.The first bison ever born in captivity was born in Lincoln Park. A new Lion House opened in 1912, followed by a Primate House in 1927. Marlin Perkins, who gained fame as the host of the television program Wild Kingdom, was director of the zoo from 1944 until 1962.

"Although the New York Zoological Society's goals have always been the same—to preserve wildlife and inspire New Yorkers and the nation to care for wildlife (the Bronx Zoo, for example, played a key role in reintroducing the American Bison in the early 1900s)—the city's zoos have evolved with the times as professionals have reevaluated how to best care for animals. Where some of the early zoos consisted of little more than cages full of exotic creatures, today's zookeepers spend much more time and effort balancing the dual mission of accommodating a curious public with the need to provide a healthy living environment for the animals."

-Zoos in Parks

During the 1970's the public's attention was turned to how the animals were being treated in zoos. The Wildlife Conservation Society and the American Zoo Association agreed to having wildlife conservation as their top priority. Zoos today focus on six things:

1. Conservation: Protecting animals and providing for all of their needs.
2. Breeding: With medical care, some animals are fairing better in zoos than in the wild.
3. Re-population: helping to restore endangered species.
4. Gene Pools: Zoos take blood samples of rare and almost extinct animals to be preserved in a global gene pool in the hope that one day the animals can be repopulated using the DNA collected today.
5. Exploration: Most of us would never be able to see animals from around the world were it not for zoos.
6. Education: Many zoo exhibits are created with this in mind.

Zoo Stories

As part of zoo's educational program, many zookeepers have shows or special times in which visitors can see the animals closer, sometimes even touching them. Sometimes, as part of these programs, the zookeepers will have created what is called a zoo story. This story is not fictional, but gives some true account of the behavior of the animal, and also included in the story is factual information about the animal. Often zookeepers will tell you the animal's name and how he got the name. Students can write their own fictional zoo stories about one or more of the animals they have chosen to study.

• Give the animal a name, and tell how he got his name
• Tell how your Zoo obtained the animal.
• Tell something interesting your animal did at the zoo, based on the factual information you have learned about the animal.
• Explain any unusual habits your animal may have, based on the factual information you have learned about the animal.
• Tell about any problems the zoo keeper might have had with the animal.
• If your animal is endangered, tell why.
• Include any interesting facts about our animal.
• If possible, tell what they eat in the wild vs. what they eat at the zoo.

related posts:

• Zooland part 1: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living
• Zooland part 2: Plants, Animals and their Cells
• ZooLand, part 3: Classification of Animals
• Zooland, part 4: The Zookeeper's Job
• Zooland, part 5: Animal Care
• Zooland, part 6: The Zoo Curator and other Jobs at the Zoo

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

Zooland, part 6: The Zoo Curator and Other Jobs at the Zoo

Katie did this lesson while Steven and I were off to one of my doctor's appointments. Some have heard of museum curators, but not have heard of zoo curators. 

What do zoo curators do?

• plans the work of the keepers, the veternarians and other zoo workers
• creates animal displays
• inspects the animals
• takes care of any special problems the animals or the staff has
• orders food and supplies needed at the zoo
• acquires new animals

Depending on the size of the zoo, there may be multiple curators, each specializing in a different type of animal. A majority of curators start their animal careers as keepers. A keeper can move into a curator position by demonstrating leadership skills, as well as knowledge in the particular species she would like to manage.

Other jobs at the zoo:

• The zoo's director makes sure that the zoo runs smoothly. He also creates new animal displays, solves problems with the animals, works with the community and schools and finds ways to raise money for new zoo exhibits.
• The veterinarian cares for all aspects of the health of the animals. 
• Guards protect the animals from harm and make sure the rules of the zoo are followed
• Gardeners take care of the landscaping.
• Builders repair cages, walls and walkways. They build fences, houses and animal displays.
• Electricians keep everything electrical, such as lights, motors and heaters, running smoothly, making repairs and maintenance precautions as needed.
• Zoos have mechanics to fix the cars, lawn movers, trucks and anything else that runs on gasoline.
• Zoos use a tremendous amount of water to clean the animals, wash down the cages and give them baths. Water is also used in ponds, gardens and public rest rooms The plumber makes repairs and follows maintenance procedures.
• The zoo director and curators have secretaries that help them with the work of the office, such as typing letters, answering the phone and filing papers.
• Ticket booth operators clerks in the gift shops, tour guides and animal trainers also work for zoos.

James' (age 12), sketch of a Meerkat

As with each lesson, have your students pick another animal to study. As before, have them organize the information they learn to make a sign for the animal's cage. They then need to research the habitat needed for this animal. What other animals live in this type of habitat? This might lead to the next animal study.

Quentin's (age 8) sketch of an owl

related posts:

• Zooland part 1: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living
• Zooland part 2: Plants, Animals and their Cells
• ZooLand, part 3: Classification of Animals
• Zooland, part 4: The Zookeeper's Job
• Zooland, part 5: Animal Care

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

ZooLand, part 5: Animal Care

This week we studied animal care. We have always had pets so the boys know a lot about small animal care. They know to keep the food and water dishes (or bottle in the case of the rabbit) clean and filled They learned to keep the doors latched and to check to make sure they are closed properly. They have also learned to check cages to make sure that there isn't anything like loose nails or wire that could harm the animal. We had an outdoor rabbit cage which was made of wood and wire and as it got older some of the pieces became loose and we had to fix it from time to time. The kids were so much better at seeing potential problems than I was!

They have learned to be calm and yet friendly around animals. We have a cat that is extremely skiddish and Quentin has worked hard at gaining her trust by being calm and quiet around her. 

Feeding the animals at the Virginia Safari Park.

Zoos and pet shops are sometimes great places to learn about animal care. Sometimes they have special programs or times in which you can learn about the animals and how they are cared for, and sometimes they can just tell you about how the animals are cared for as they are working. We have learned about how to watch an animal to see if its behavior has changed as an indication of whether it is sick or distressed. Whether the animal is eating like it usually does is another indication.

Local pet shops are great places to learn about animal care.

source

We have learned about how an animal is more likely to want to escape from its cage if the animal has good living conditions. From time to time we have to give our animals medicine and they have learned how to accomplish that task, sometimes being sneaky and hiding it in food or by holding the animal and getting the medicine in them before they realize it. Sometimes veterinarians sometimes will give tours and talk about their job responsibilities. 

As with each lesson, have your students pick another animal to study. We focused on learning about the needs of the animal they have picked. What does it eat? Does it eat different things in the wild than in captivity? What needs does it have in terms of living space? Does it have any other animal care needs? Another assignment you can give your students is to make up a "zoo story." A zoo story is a creative way for students to show what they have learned about their animal of choice. They are to make up a story about the animal that could have happened if they were a zookeeper. What funny or interesting experience could they have had with this animal? If your student doesn't already help with the pet care (if you have a pet) then perhaps he can this week.

Quentin doesn't always do his reports in paragraph form. Sometimes he fills out this form from Eagle's Wings Considering God's Creation, Mortimer and Smith.

related posts:

• Zooland part 1: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living
• Zooland part 2: Plants, Animals and their Cells
• ZooLand, part 3: Classification of Animals
• Zooland, part 4: The Zookeeper's Job

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

ZooLand, part 4: The Zookeeper's Job

photo source

A zookeeper is responsible for many things:

• feed the animals
• clean the animals
• prepare the animal's food
• observe the animals
• clean the animal's cages, and maintain the cages
• provide enrichment for the animals
• conduct research
• provide public education
• keep records

This is not to say that the zookeeper actually does each of these jobs each day, but he does make sure that each of these jobs gets done.

Feeding the Animals

When the zookeeper prepares the animal's food, they weigh it carefully so that they can keep track of the animal's weight to ensure the animal is healthy. They also add supplements, vitamins and medicine, as needed, to the food. They write all this down on a nutrition-diet log. 

Keeping the Cages Clean

Zookeepers have to clean the animal's cages every day by spraying the cages with disinfectant, scrub them with a broom that is similar to a scrub brush and then mop them dry. 

Observing the Animals

Zookeepers oversee the births of new animals and pay special attention to the young animals, making sure they have no injuries. They observe every animal that is under their care every day, making sure that all the animals are getting along, checking to see that the animals are healthy and well and conducting various types of research. They keep a record of all their observations. If an animal is not well, it's their job to report it to the veterinarian and then they work hand-in-hand to provide proper medical care.

Providing Enrichment for the Animals

Zookeepers make sure that their animals are entertained. They add fun things to the exhibits such as logs, balls, ice floats, swings, tires, mirrors and rags. They also come up with improvements for the cages to make them more realistic or entertaining for the animals and for the spectators. They also train the animals so that they can be handled easier. For example, a keeper can train a Rhino to go to a cleaning station so that it will be easier to care for the animal.

Providing Public Education

Zookeepers have to provide the public with information about the animals either through shows or just through their daily work and routines. They answer questions the public might have about the animals, tell of personal experiences with the animals and inform the public about how to responsibly behave towards the animals. Depending on the layout of the zoo and the zoo's size, the zookeeper may be responsible for several different types of animals, one group of animals (such as big cats) or a whole landscape of animals (such as jungle). Luckily a zookeeper is rarely, if ever, assigned to any animal alone.

The Zookeeper Exam

Now it is time to give your students a test in order to become 

zookeepers for Zooland. Make your own multiple-choice exam, gearing it to the level of your students. Once they pass, you can reward them with Zooland ID cards, complete with their photos and signatures.

Sometimes you can arrange a field trip to see a zookeeper's routines personally. 

As with each lesson, have your students pick another animal to study. As before, have them organize the information they learn to make a sign for the animal's cage. They then need to research the habitat needed for this animal. What other animals live in this type of habitat? This might lead to the next animal study.

books:

• Panda Math, Ann Whitehead Nagda; "Topics such as bamboo consumption, life span, and sleep habits drive the demonstrations of several clearly explained subtraction techniques, which always include a graphic aid for visual learners. Some will look in vain for a strong connection between the subtraction problem and the topics in the accompanying story."
• Chimp Math: Learning about Time from a Baby Chimpanzee, Ann Whitehead Nagda
• Tiger Math: Learning to Graph from a Baby Tiger, Ann Whitehead Nagda
• Cheetah Math: Learning About Division from Baby Cheetahs, Ann Whitehead Nagda 
• Polar Bear Math: Learning About Fractions from Klondike and Snow, Ann Whitehead Nagda 

related posts:

• Zooland part 1: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living
• Zooland part 2: Plants, Animals and their Cells
• ZooLand, part 3: Classification of Animals

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

ZooLand, part 3: Classification of Animals

Our third Zooland lesson is about the classification of the Animal Kingdom. The two basic divisions are, of course, between the Invertebrates (without backbones) and the Vertebrates (with backbones.)
The younger students can learn these two divisions and then learn the divisions among the Vertebrates:

• Fish
• Birds
• Mammals
• Reptiles
• Amphibians

The older students can learn the more sophisticated divisions of Phylums and Classes such as:

• Phylum Annelida
• Phylum Cnidaria
• Phylum Porifera
• Phylum Platyhelminthes
• Phylum Nematoda
• Phylum Echinodermata
• Phylum Mollusca
• Cephalodpods
• Phylum Arthropoda
• Class Crustacea
• Class Arachnida
• Class Insects
• Phylum Chordata
• Class Agnatha
• Class Chondrichthyes
• Class Osteichthyes
• Class Amphibia
• Class Reptilia
• Class Aves
• Class Mammalia
• Order Cetacea

High school students can go into even more depth, including dissections.

We will continue with this lesson throughout the year (years, actually!) to come, but I will ask questions after each heading and make sure they understand where that heading fits under the network they have learned already. I will give them credit after each heading. We will be working on adding to this frame work for awhile before going on to the next Zooland topic. After you finish each lesson, you can check understanding by asking a few questions, gearing the wording to the question depending on the student's age.

Now, have your students pick another animal to study. As before, have them organize the information they learn to make a sign for the animal's cage. They then need to research the habitat needed for this animal. What other animals live in this type of habitat? This might lead to the next animal study.

related posts:

• Zooland: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living
• Zooland: Plants, Animals and their Cells

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

ZooLand, Part 2: Plants, Animals and their Cells

The second lesson for our zoo studies begins the study of classification. Older students can learn about the role that prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells take in the classification system. Younger students can learn about the five different kingdoms: (links to activities below)

• Pasta Dichotomous Key
• Monera
• Protista
• Fungi
• Animalia
• Plantae

The youngest of students need only to learn the differences between plants and animals, such as the fact that plants make their own food using water, air and sunshine, whereas animals must eat plants or animals or both.

After you finish the lesson, you can check understanding by asking a few questions, gearing the wording to the question depending on the student's age.

Now, have your students pick another animal to study. As before, have them organize the information they learn to make a sign for the animal's cage. They then need to research the habitat needed for this animal. What other animals live in this type of habitat? This might lead to the next animal study.

related posts:

• Zooland: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

ZooLand, Part 1: Introduction and Living vs. Non-living

We will be enjoying a Zoo simulation while the boys learn their biology facts and I hope you will enjoy it along with us. In the simulation, the boys will try to save a local zoo from shutting down. The mayor and members of the city council say that the zoo is outdated, has low attendance and that the animals are poorly treated so the zoo must close. An agreement has been worked out in which the Mayor agrees to keep the zoo open for one more year if the needed improvements can be made. Your students jobs are to learn how to be zookeepers by learning their lessons and passing tests on the lessons. The students will also be able to purchase new animals or make improvements to the zoo by studying about the different kinds of animals in a zoo and making appropriate habitats for them.  The simulation ends with the grand re-opening of the new and improved Zooland, complete with the students able to give  tours of the various habitat displays. 

Living vs. Non-living or The Criteria for Life

The first topic we covered was the criteria for life, or living vs. non-living. This may seem like a very simple topic, for for pre-schoolers only, but it is not really. Anyone can tell that a book is not alive, that is true, but the four criteria for life is part of the high school text (Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology, chapter 1, for example), so it is a topic for all ages. The wording and examples may become more complex as the student gets older.

This photo is from when we did this simulation in 11/2008.

• Living things reproduce (Can cover asexual and sexual reproduction, on the high school level) and as students get older they can begin to also understand that "All life forms contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)."
• Living things eat, drink and grow becomes "All life forms have a method to extract energy from their surroundings and convert it into energy that is useful to them." at the high school level.
• Living things sense things and react to changes in their surroundings, including moving.

Material for older students could also cover the differences between herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, and the differences between producers, consumers and decomposers. 
After you finish the lesson, you can check understanding by asking a few questions, gearing the wording to the question depending on the student's age.

Now, have your students pick a type of animal to study. Have them organize the information they learn to make a sign for the animal's cage. They then need to research the habitat needed for this animal. What other animals live in this type of habitat? This might lead to the next animal study.

related posts:

• Saving Zooland
• Learning about Zoos
• Saving and Learning about Zooland

sources:

• Interact Simulations: Zooland, Grades 2–5
• Exploring Creation with Biology, Jay Wile
• Exploring Creation with Zoology series, Jeannie Fulbright

Learning About Zoos

The Zookeeper Exam: The boys took a test in order to become zookeepers for their own (pretend) zoo. The test was on all the information we have been learning about zoos and animals. They all passed the test and I gave them their "Zooland ID cards" complete with their photos and signatures. Next week we will begin building their zoo and they will be allowed to purchase animals for this zoo as a reward for learning about the animals and completing classwork. The amount and type of work will depend on their age. Sam will have to complete reports and narrations on what he has learned about the animals. James and Alex will complete small reports and draw pictures and Quentin will color pictures accurately. (He is at that stage where he wants to color everything green, his favorite color!)

Feeding The Animals: The most surprising thing I learned was that at one time one quarter of all animal deaths in zoos were caused by visitors feeding the animals. The visitors were feeding the animals peanuts, popcorn, candy and even wrappers! Fortunately this is changing as zoos are becoming more careful in enforcing the "Don't Feed the Animals" rule and zoos are providing areas set aside so that people can feed certain the animals specially provided food.

We talked about what some of the animals eat. Birds vary a lot in their diet from owls, who eat mice to kiwi, who eat only worms, to exotic birds which have a mixture of fruits and vegetables. Lions eat meat of all types; sometimes even whale meat. Apes and monkeys eat fruit and vegetables and something called a "monkey cake," which is a mixture of cereals and vitamins. As the animals eat a wide variety of foods, the zookeeper has to follow written menus made by the veterinarian and the zoo curator.

We then learned about Ostriches. Ostriches are unique in that they are birds that cannot fly and they are the largest of all birds. They are also the only bird that has two toes on each foot. They are found only in Africa's plains (grasslands) and deserts.

How Zoos Get Their Animals: We learned about how zoos get their animals by experiencing each of the ways. Each of the possibilities were written on an index card and these were chosen randomly. James was involved in the zoo's breeding program. He chose the elephant to participate in this program. Our zoo already had one elephant so James' program got another elephant to make a pair. James then rolled a die to determine how many babies were born to the zoo's pair of elephants. He rolled a "1," so the pair had one baby, which James colored and added to the zoo.

Katie helped Alex choose a Rhino for the zoo. They were responsible for using the zoo's money allocation for the purchasing of animals. They picked an animal that they did not already have, and one they thought they would not be able to get any other way.

Sometimes people get animals for pets and then try to give them to zoos when they don't want them as pets any more. Quentin was in charge of deciding which of the animals or zoo was to keep of those that were offered as gifts. This week he was offered a snake, a turtle or a Parrot. Quentin chose to keep the parrot. He colored and added this to our zoo, deciding which habitat was appropiate.

The Baltimore Zoo is renovating some of their cages and have offered to loan these animals to our zoo. Sam was in charge of deciding if we wanted to borrow any of these animals. He decided that we could use the temporary use of the Crocodile and colored and added this to our zoo. We needed to modify our Savanna cage, giving the Crocodile a pond.

The Purposes of Zoos: Most people go to zoos for entertainment -to look at the interesting animals and relax in the beautiful surroundings. Young children like to visit the petting zoo where they can touch and feed animals. Zoos have other purposes besides entertainment. These are the things we discussed today. Zoos are places of scientific research. The information learned about the animals are published in books and magazines. Zoos also have educational programs and give lectures and tours. Zoos also try to save animals that face extinction. Helping endangered animals is called wildlife conservation. The boys looked at pictures of people at zoos and determined which purpose was most appropriate to describe the pictures. The boys earned animals to color and add to the zoo.