Game of Zoos: In Other Words...At the Zoo Quiz

Answer: bear

If a person or object is naked or uncovered, he/she/it could be said to be bare. Bare is a homophone for bear.

Bears are mammals found in the family Ursidae. There are eight species of bears, including Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Brown Bears, and Polar Bears. Bears can be found in North and South America, Asia, and Europe. Bears are a popular animal in zoos.

Answer: lion

If you are not telling the truth, you can be said to be lying. If you drop the g, you are left with lyin which would be a homophone for lion.

The scientific name of the lion is Panthera leo. Lions are found in the wild in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, lions were also found in the wild in parts of Europe and North America. Lions are a very popular animal in zoos and have been kept in captivity since at least the time of the Roman Empire.

Answer: monkey

Peter Tork and Davy Jones (along with Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz) were members of the 1960s pop group the Monkees. Monkee is a homophone for monkey.

Monkeys are part of the Primate Order (more specifically the infraorder Simiformes). Monkeys are found in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe--the Barbary Monkey found near Gibraltar. Monkeys in the Americas tend to have prehensile tails (can be used to grasp objects) and monkeys in other areas tend to have non-prehensile tails. In addition to appearing in zoos, monkeys have also been used as passengers on various spacecraft.

Answer: gorilla

A member of an irregular fighting force is a guerrilla or guerrilla soldier. Guerrilla is a homophone for gorilla.

Both species of gorilla are found in sub-Saharan Africa, one in the west (Gorilla gorilla), and one in the east (Gorilla beringei). What might be the earliest written account to use the word gorilla comes from a Carthaginian explorer about 500 BCE. While gorillas are capable of walking on two legs, they often use their knuckles to provide support. Some gorillas in captivity, such as Koko, have been taught to use sign langauge.

Answer: pigeon

The movie "Mrs. Miniver" starred actor Walter Pidgeon. Pidgeon is a homophone for pigeon.

While pigeons are not as often kept in captivity in zoos as some of the other animals in this quiz, they can be often found in areas in vicinity of people. (I think the pigeons would attracted to the snacks that visitors to the zoo might drop to the ground.) Pigeons (and doves) are members of the family Columbidae. Pigeons can be found on all continents except for Antarctica. Pigeons in captivity are sometimes kept as pets and can also be used to deliver brief written messages that are tied to the pigeon's leg.

Answer: horse

A voice that is rough or harsh can be described as hoarse. Hoarse is a homophone for horse.

The scientific name of the horse is Equus ferus caballus. The horse evolved into its current form over the last 45-55 million years. Through history (and even prehistory) the horse has been one of the most important domesticated species serving as riding mounts, pullers of carts and plows, and various other uses. While a horse might be an uncommon resident of a zoo, a horse pulling a carriage might be found in the park area that surrounds many zoos.

Answer: hare

A barber (or a hairdresser) for that matter might cut your hair. Hair is a homophone for hare.

Not as common a resident of zoos as some of these other animals, I have personally witnessed hares in some zoos (including the one in Binghamton, NY). Hares belong to the genus Lepus. They are similar to rabbits but tend to have longer ears. Hares can be found in the wild in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Compared to rabbits, hares are seldom domesticated. Hares also tend to have above ground nests and young that are able to see and move shortly after birth.

Answer: Bee

(I) am, (You) are, and (He/She/It) is all are forms of the verb "to be". Be is a homophone for bee.

Bees are not always found in zoos but appear in some exhibits. Beekeepers often keep honey bees to gain access to their honey. The various bee species are members of the superfamily Apoidea. They are found on every continent except Antarctica. (In the zoo, I would imagine the bees would be attracted to the sweet, sticky snacks that visitors might drop to the ground. In real life, there always seems to be a bee buzzing near an open soda can outdoors in the summer.) Bees tend to have relatively short life spans, measured in weeks or months, not years.

Answer: Ant

The sister of your father or mother is your aunt. Aunt is a homophone (at least as I pronounce it) for ant.

Ants are like other insects in that they may not be in an exhibit at the zoo, but they are certainly present. Ants are members of the family Formicidae and the number of species is in the thousands. Ants can live in colonies that number in thousands of members. Antarctica is the only continent that does not have ants in the wild. In an ant colony, there are several types, including infertile females that might be workers or soldiers, fertile males who are drones, and one or more fertile females who are queens.

Answer: gnu

Some that is not used might be new. New is a homophone for gnu (or wildebeest).

Wildebeests, or gnus, are members of the genus Connochaetes. The two species are found in southern and eastern Africa. They are related to antelopes. Herbivores, gnus are considered big-game animals. Gnus would be found more often in National Park-type settings than zoos. "Wildebeest" is a Dutch word that means "wild ox". Wildebeest are valued economically for both hide and meat.