Paddington Bear Knows a Lot of Animals! Quiz

Answer: doe

... to see and DO Everything...

A doe is a female deer, and the male is called a buck or a stag. A good way to remember is from the song in 'The Sound of Music', 'Do-Re-Mi', which begins with the words 'Doe a deer, a female deer...'. There are several different species of deer native to countries throughout the world, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica.

Paddington Bear is the creation of English author Michael Bond. He has appeared in over twenty books; the first one, 'A Bear Called Paddington', was published in 1958. The twenty-sixth book, 'Love From Paddington', was published in 2014.

Answer: toad

---difficult TO ADdress...

Toads are amphibious creatures, as are frogs and salamanders, which means that can live either on land or in water. The collective noun for a group of toads is a knot. A famous character in children's literature is Mr Toad of Toad Hall in 'Wind in the Willows' by Scottish author Kenneth Grahame.

Paddington was named after he was found by the Brown family alone at Paddington Station in London, with a note around his neck saying 'Please look after this bear. Thank you'.

Answer: goat

...attack of vertiGO AT the thought...

Goats are one of the first animals to have been domesticated. They are useful for producing milk, butter and cheese. The adjective used for goats is caprine, and they are the animal featured in the tenth sign of the zodiac, Capricorn, which in turn was named after the constellation Capricornus. Capricorn is the zodiac sign for people born between 22 December and 19 January.

Paddington was sent to England by his Aunt Lucy, who had retired and was no longer able to look after him. He tells Mr and Mrs Brown he travelled as a stowaway from 'Darkest Peru'.

Answer: robin

...outside the bistRO BINgeing on breadcrumbs...

It is believed that the reasons robins are so popular on Christmas cards in England is that in the early days of the postal service in the mid 1800s the postmen always wore red coats as their uniform and were nicknamed 'Robins' after the red-breasted bird. People were so keen to get their Christmas cards they would look out for the 'Robins', which led to the little bird's popularity at Christmas time. The American robin is quite different from the European robin, it also has a red breast but its other markings are not the same, and it is also much bigger.

Paddington only had a hat and a battered old suitcase when he first arrived at Paddington Station; his familiar duffle coat and wellingtons were bought for him later.

Answer: gnat

KnowinG NATalie...

Gnats are among several flying insects that bite, rather than sting, such as wasps and bees, but their bite can still be very itchy. They tend to be most active in the early evening, particularly around water, where they lay their eggs. A group of gnats is referred to as either a cloud, a horde or a swarm.

Paddington's favourite food is marmalade sandwiches, although they can be a little sticky at times, as people sometimes find out to their cost...

Answer: dingo

---reaDIN G On his own...

The dingo is a wild dog found mostly in Australia, and lives in a wide variety of different habitats. They are apex predators and are opportunistic about their prey, hunting either in packs or alone. Female dingoes give birth once a year to an average of five pups, although numbers can vary.

The children in the Brown household are called Jonathan and Judy. When Mr and Mrs Brown first met Paddington at the station they were there to pick Jonathan and Judy up on their return home from school.

Answer: panda

---holiday in JaPAN DAvid was delighted...

The giant panda is a beautiful animal native to central China. Sadly, they are classified as an endangered species, due both to their diet, which is almost exclusively bamboo, and their low birth rate, usually only one cub every two years. There are some pandas in zoos in many countries, and breeding programmes are in place to try to increase the numbers of these rare animals. The giant panda is the symbol of the World Wide Fund for Nature.

There is a bronze statue of Paddington at Paddington Station, created by renowned sculptor Marcus Cornish. It is prominently displayed under the station clock.

Answer: boar

Susie stared at the blackBOARd...

Boar is the name given either to a male domestic pig such as you could see in a farmyard, or to a wild pig, native mainly to Europe, Asia and North African countries. They are omnivorous and have voracious appetites, and their babies are called piglets. One famous piglet in literature is of course the aptly-named Piglet, from the 'Winnie the Pooh' books by A A Milne.

Paddington is great friends with Mr Gruber, who owns a Portobello Road antique shop, and visits him for elevenses most days, when they discuss many important topics.

Answer: gander

Even before the film beGAN DERek was enjoying...

The name goose actually refers to the female of the species although they are usually all referred to collectively as geese. A male goose is known as a gander and their babies are called goslings. When you see a group of geese together they are referred to as a gaggle. Geese are naturally very protective of their young and can defend their territory quite fiercely; because of this domestic geese are sometimes kept as guard animals, particularly on farms and smallholdings.

Paddington is extremely good-hearted but very accident-prone and sometimes finds himself involved in mishaps through no real fault of his own. Many of these involve the Brown's crusty-tempered neighbour, Mr Curry.

Answer: dragon

---his sister SanDRA GONe to stay...

Many cultures around the world have dragons as part of their mythology, and they are a varied lot! Generally they are portrayed as large, scaly reptilian creatures, sometimes with four legs, sometimes with two, and they may or may not have wings. Some are depicted as breathing fire. The dragon is one of the creatures in the Chinese zodiac, the other eleven all being real animals, not mythological. The Welsh flag has a red dragon on it, and the flags of Bhutan and Malta have a dragon too. The dragon in the Maltese flag can be seen being slain by St George, on horseback, in the centre of the George Cross in the upper left of the flag's white stripe. The island of Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI in 1942.

A film about Paddington Bear, called simply 'Paddington' was released in 2014. It is mix of live-action and computer technology and has an all-star cast including Jim Broadbent as Mr Gruber and 'Doctor Who' actor Peter Capaldi as mean-spirited neighbour Mr Curry. Author Michael Bond also has a cameo role.