Down At The Zoo

The cheetah is the only one of the big cats who cannot roar. Instead they yip, chirp, growl, yowl & purr. Cheetahs hunt their prey (antelope, warthog, hare gazelle) by stalking. When their prey is within 10-30m it then chases it for a maximum of 1 minute. It trips up its prey then bites the underside of its throat to suffocate it.

They are largely disliked by people who don’t understand their value. Our rainforests need bats! They are responsible for pollinating flowers, dispersing seeds & controlling pest insect populations. Due to their highly adaptable nature, bats are distributed world-wide. There are more than 1000 species.

Their vocalizations include noisy screeches & barks. They are cunning animals & have been observed carrying dead branches, which they drop on top of a predator. They live in tropical rain forests of Central & South America. , lanky arms they swing from branch to branch – one arm stride covers 12m! The spider monkey is arboreal meaning it lives in trees – it rarely descends to the ground. Their vocalizations include noisy screeches & barks. They are cunning animals & have been observed carrying dead branches, which they drop on top of a predator. They live in tropical rain forests of Central & South America.

The males have translucent shades of green with red splashes. Their beaks are bright yellow. Females are mainly red, lavender or purple with black beaks. Eclectus parrots are among the top 3 parrots for talking ability. They are popular as pets. Besides human speech, they like to mimic sounds of running water, doorbells & laughter.

The horn is made of keratin which is the same protein as your hair & fingernails. Rhinos are heavy – weighing up to 1 ton. Rhinos have very bad eyesight but an excellent sense of smell & hearing. They charge when they are startled & can sprint up to 45km/hr!

Their extra long arms help them swing between branches & are used for balance as they walk along branches with their arms outstretched. They travel up to 1.5km a day. Siamangs are the loudest of all gibbons. They have an inflatable throat sac which amplifies their booming. They make noise to claim territory & can be heard up to 3.5km away.

When attacked by a wolf or mountain lion, dozens of quills detach easily lodging themselves in the predator. The detached quills inflict painful wounds, thus allowing the porcupine to escape. They are native to Asia, Africa, Italy, North & South America.

Zebras live in savannas & grassland of South Africa. The further south on the African plains you go, the further apart their stripes are! The position of a zebra’s ears conveys their mood. Ears pushed forward mean a zebra is frightened. Ears back mean it is angry. Ears erect mean a zebra is calm.

They educate the public, providing information on animal behaviour & their environment. Food for the animals is weighed & recorded, as are breeding records. The enclosures of animals are kept clean making them secure for both animals & people visiting.

They are great tree climbers where they spend most of their time. Red pandas like to sunbathe high in the canopy in winter to conserve heat. To keep warm they cover themselves with their bushy tails. The red panda can eat up to 200 000 bamboo leaves in a day, their almost exclusive diet!

They have a reflective layer over their retina which causes their eyes to shine at night. Lemurs only live on Madagascar – they are endangered due to deforestation & hunting. Most lemurs live in trees. Their main predators are hawks & eagles. Their tails are used to communicate with each other.

Their large front paws are powerful – one swipe could kill an adult instantly. The tiger hunts once or twice a week, covering its leftovers with grass/dirt & returning to the same spot for smaller snacks. A litter bears about 7 cubs but only 2 will survive as there isn’t enough food for them all.

They live up to 80 years. They are monogamous birds, mating for life. In large flocks ‘couples’ are seen flying so close together their wings are almost touching! Playful & inquisitive – they can mimic human vocalizations. Blue & Gold Macaw is demanding & difficult, they are not recommended as pets.

Food for the animals is weighed & recorded, as are breeding records. The enclosures of animals are kept clean making them secure for both animals & people visiting.

As the ostrich’s head & neck are the same colour as the ground, it looks as if their head is buried in the sand. The ostrich is the largest living bird in the world. Although flightless, they are built to run. They have just 2 toes on each leg for greater speed. They have very powerful legs & their kick is strong enough to kill a lion!

They live in prides up to 30 lions. The purpose of a lion’s mane is to make it look fearsome. They live in a matriarchal society where the lionesses obtain food. The lion’s job is to patrol & mark the pride’s territory & look after the cubs while the lionesses are hunting.

They hunt by stalking their prey, then leaping on them. They stick their hollow, furry fangs into the prey where they pump their venom. Here digestive enzymes are secreted, which liquefy the insides of the prey. The tarantula then eats their prey (rodents, small birds, insects) like soup!

A typical day for a vet may involve: administering tests, diagnosing & prescribing treatment, performing surgery, vaccinations & spay & neuter. There are usually 3 main areas a vet may specialise in: farm animals (large animals), family pets (small animals) or zoo animals (exotic animals).

Flamingos live in lagoons & lakes – they love lots of mud & water. They live in large groups (tens of thousands) called colonies. Flamingos take up to 6 weeks to build their nest on the ground, which is in the shape of a volcano. It is built of mud, stones & feathers. They communicate via nasal honking & growling.

They spend their days submerged & can hold their breath for 15 minutes. Their nostril & ears close to prevent water getting in. Hippos have water–births! In Egyptian mythology Tawaret is the hippopotamus-headed goddess of protection during pregnancy & childbirth. are ivory. The hippo bull weighs up to 3200kg! Up to 40 hippos group together – known as a pod or bloat. Hippos love water. They spend their days submerged & can hold their breath for 15 minutes. Their nostril & ears close to prevent water getting in. Hippos have water–births! In Egyptian mythology Tawaret is the hippotamus-headed goddess of protection during pregnancy & childbirth.

They live in complex tunnel systems where there are up to 70 entrances. This provides many exits if an intruder such as the cobra invades. To keep dirt out of their ears, they can close them while they are digging with their sharp curved claws. Meerkats mainly inhabit the Kalahari Desert.

Their tongues are dark coloured protecting them from the sun. They have thick, sticky saliva which coats any thorns they may swallow. Giraffes eat up to 134kg of leaves a day. Their favourite are acacia leaves which have a lot of water in them.

It takes several months for a calf to learn how to control its trunk – which it does by observing others. Elephants love water. Their skin is wrinkled so they can trap water, keeping them cool. When elephants flap their huge ears it can lower their body temperature up to 5 degrees.