Fun Trivia » Animals » Miscellaneous Animal Trivia » Zoos of the World

London Zoo was bombed at various times during WWII. Notably, in September 1940, high explosive bombs hit the Civet House, the Rodent House, the Zebra House, the North Gate, the gardener's office and the propagating sheds. Then, in January 1941, the Camel House was damaged, as was the aquarium. Luckily, no animals were killed in the bombings, however, a female ass and her foal, as well as a zebra, did escape the zoo.

Since this had been expected by the British government, at the beginning of the war venomous animals such as snakes and spiders were killed so they could not pose any danger to the public. Larger animals though, such as lions and tigers, were transferred to Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire for their safety.

Though killing these venomous creatures may sound heartless or ruthless, an estimated 60,000 civilians were killed in London by German bombs in WWII. Having Londoners face the added threat of escaped venomous creatures was clearly not something the government wanted. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Relocated them to different zoos, Kept them in bomb-proof cages, Nothing, they left them there

In 1875, the zoo was housed within the grounds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, but closed in 1905 due to shortage of land and funds. Although the Botanic Gardens were established in 1859, it was Stamford Raffles, in 1822, who proposed Government Hill (now Fort Canning Park) as the perfect location for a botanical garden.

The Singapore Zoo is now sited in the Upper Seletar Reservoir.

The current zoo is not the first ever zoo in Singapore. That honour goes to the privately owned Punggol Zoo, which was forcibly closed in 1942 amid fears of a Japanese invasion.

Today, Fort Canning Park, the ArtScience museum and Raffles Hotel are all within a short walk of each other. The Botanical Gardens is a short taxi ride away. The Interlace is an architecturally designed, high density, residential apartment complex which resembles irregularly stacked bricks.

Phoenix Rising's leith90 has seen all of the above sites except the Interlace, but hopes to see it on her next trip to Singapore.
Difficulty: Easy.

 

Raffles Hotel, ArtScience Museum, The Interlace

All the people given as alternative answers were founder members of the Zoological Society of London. However it was Sir Stamford Bingley Raffles, when he was Lieutenant Governor of Bencooleen, who in 1819 agreed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah which enabled Britain to establish a trading post in Singapore.

The Society was founded in 1826 and Sir Stamford was its first president. He died later that year and the Marquess of Lansdowne then became the next president. The Society obtained some land in Regents Park in London with the intention of establishing a place there for the scientific study of animals. Accordingly, they built London Zoo and it was opened in 1828 to Fellows of the Society and their invitees and in 1829 was granted a Royal Charter by George IV. In 1831 the royal animal collection from the Tower of London was given to the Society for the Zoo. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Marquess of Lansdowne , Sir Humphry Davy, Earl of Auckland

Opening in 1916, the San Diego Zoo has since become one of the premier zoos in the world, consistently receiving honours from the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA) for its work with endangered species; it's one of the few zoos in the world to successfully mate panda bears, koalas, and Galápagos tortoises in North America. Its large habitats were some of the earliest in the continent designed to reflect original habitats of its various animals. The Skyfari lift, built in 1969, ascends along a lift cable over a large stretch of the park, allowing visitors to look down on the enclosures. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Los Angeles Zoo, Miami Zoo, Chicago Zoo

Royal Oak isn't even in the same county as Detroit. The zoo is situated in Oakland County, while Detroit is in Wayne County.

The zoo first opened in 1928 with attractions that included bear dens, lion dens, bird houses, elk yards, raccoon and wolverine habitats among the offerings. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Marquette, Saline, Monroe

After the lioness escaped from the small zoo near Kissimmee, Florida, just a few miles from Disney World, a search involving both helicopters and people on the ground commenced. The declawed lion was said not to be a threat to the public. The search lasted for two days before the animal was cornered, shot with tranquilizers, and returned safely to the zoo.

JungleLand has since closed due to allegations of animal abuse and inadequate enclosures. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Simba, Sarabi, Mufasa

The Trail of Elephants is the exhibit that holds the zoo's collection of Asian elephants. The original two, Mek Kapah and Bong Su came in 1970s, and after a gift of three young female elephants was made by Thailand in 2003, a breeding program was started. Three elephants have been born in the first ten years of the program. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Mali, Mek Kapah, Sanook

The two founders of the NY Zoological Society who gave the most time and energy were Andrew H. Green (known as Father of Greater New York City) and Henry Fairfield Osborn (Columbia University Professor and Curator of Museum of Natural History in NYC). President Teddy Roosevelt was also involved with getting the zoo started. Mr. Osborn's son Fairfield later became head of the society. Fairfield also wrote on conservation, and helped create the Jackson Hole Wildlife Park in Wyoming, which is now part of Grand Teton National Park.

In the 1950s, the society sponsored many wildlife surveys in Africa and Asia, including the seminal study of mountain gorillas by preeminent field biologist George Schaller.

William Conway headed the society from 1962 until 1992 when the name changed to the current Wildlife Conservation Society. Having been a field biologist in Patagonia, he promoted breeding of endangered species and zoo exhibits which could teach visitors more about natural habitats. Difficulty: Hard.

 

The Zoological Society of Greater New York, The Bronx Zoo Club, National Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) was founded in 1924. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and promotion of accredited zoos and aquariums. Difficulty: Hard.

 

The Zookeepers Society, American Zoo Association, Zoos of the United States

Blackpool Zoo was established in 1972 and is set within 32 acres of landscaped gardens. It features over 400 animals and has a miniature railway and children's play area. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Knowsley Safari Park, Southport Zoo, Chester Zoo

The snake's name was Thelma and Louise. I do believe the snake has passed on because I haven't seen it on exhibit lately. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Laurel and Hardy, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, Abbott and Costello

Yes, the baboons - having been spoken to in French all their lives - did not understand the language their new British keepers were using. They simply sat there and literally scratched their heads. Since the UK keepers at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park at Hythe, Kent, were unable to speak French, they were forced to learn, and employ, some basic French words so the baboons would understand them. As soon as the keepers said 'Bonjour! Déjeuner!' the baboons were apparently much happier - after all, apart from having been said 'hello' to, they knew lunch was at hand! Difficulty: Hard.

 

They kept fighting, They kept trying to escape, They only ate escargot

Ong Swee Law was chairman of the Public Utilities Board in Singapore and it was written that he felt the city did not have enough family venues. He started the discussion on creating a zoo and was given the task of evaluating if a zoo would meet the needs of the people of Singapore. The government gave $9 million to the cost and development of the zoo plus allocated 260 acres of land for the zoo project.

Singapore zoo came to fruition and was constructed on the Upper Seletar Reservoir, finally opening to the public in June 1973. It was one of the first zoos that had an "open zoo" design as opposed to strictly caged animals. In the open design, animals are displayed in enclosures that closely resemble an animal's natural habitats. In addition to entertainment, the zoo is known for educating the public about the animals and conservation efforts as well as animal care and rescued wildlife.

PR's jaknginger loves a good zoo and marvels at the efforts to maintain such a project.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Jurong, Changi, Woodlands

Okapis are related to giraffes and the other two incorrect answers are invented words but quaggas (Equus quagga quagga) were a subspecies of zebra. They inhabited South Africa but were hunted to extinction during the nineteenth century and it is believed that the last wild quagga was killed in the 1870s. Those in zoos survived a little longer with the last of these quaggas dying in Amsterdam Zoo in August 1883.

The first of the three quaggas arrived at London Zoo in 1831 and stayed there until 1834. The second one arrived in 1851 and lived at the Zoo for twenty-one years until her death in 1872. Although both of these were female, the third quagga, presented to the Zoo in 1858, was male. However, he died in 1864 after a serious injury and no offspring were produced.

London Zoo was opened in 1828 to enable the scientific study of animals and only Fellows of the Zoological Society of London and their invitees were allowed in. Nineteen years later in 1847 the general public were admitted to simply look at the animals. In 1835 the first chimpanzee had joined the Zoo and in 1837 Charles Darwin, later to write the influential 'On the Origin of Species' (1859), had became a Fellow of the Society. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Okapis, Zedakas, Pygmy wild asses

Among the options only an elephant would make a suitable ride. The other animals are all too small for more children or adults to ride.

Paulina was an African elephant born into captivity. She was active at the zoo from 1928 until 1950.

Elephants are vegetarians and are known to eat 150 to 250 pounds of hay per day. They drink 30 to 50 gallons of water per day. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

siamese cat, komodo dragon, American bull terrier

Karta, the twenty-seven-year-old orangutan, was able to short-circuit the electric fence by pushing sticks into the wires at the zoo in Adelaide, Australia. She then piled up shrubs and roots to create a ladder which gained her access to the top of another wall where she sat for half-an-hour, going no farther. The zoo was quickly evacuated even though there was no fear she would harm anyone. While zookeepers with tranquilizer guns stood by, she returned to her exhibit on her own. Difficulty: Average.

 

New Zealand, Japan, India

Mzuri was born in 1984, the first Lowland gorilla born at Melbourne Zoo. In 1990, a gorilla enclosure was built to show off the gorillas in their natural habitat. Mzuri was transferred to Jersey in 1994 to continue the worldwide breeding program. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Orangutan, Chimpanzee, Emperor tamarin

Mr. Hornaday was director of the Bronx Zoo for thirty years and during this time he did a direct mail service of wildlife conditions from all around the United States. He then publicized his findings, which noted the decline of birds and mammals, in the organizations yearly report.

In 1897, he sent field researcher Andrew Stone to Alaska to survey wildlife conditions and fought for new laws protecting wildlife.

In 1905, he began work to reintroduce the bison to the wild and in 1907, he sent fifteen bison from the Bronx Zoo to a preserve in Wichita, Kansas. Hornaday first became interested in the plight of the bison when as head taxidermist for the Smithsonian Institute he was sent to collect some remaining live bison. This was so that the taxidermists who were preparing bison for displays would have accurate models to go by.

William Beebe was the first curator of birds at the Bronx Zoo. He created and ran the society's Department of Tropical Research until he retired in 1948. In the Bathysphere Mr. Beebe was the first to see the ocean floor a half mile down off of Bermuda.

Archie Carr III has worked with the WCS and was a driving force to establish the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary in the Central American country of Belize. Mr. Carr and his former protégé, now colleague, A.R. Rabinowitz have been in contact with the Belizean government due to the importance of this area for the survival of jaguars. Much of the hands on work in Belize was done by Mr. Rabinowitz, who had been sent there at the request of Carr to do a study.

Archie Carr Jr. was also an eminent zoologist who worked in Belize to set up habitats for monitor sea turtles. Archie Carr Jr. also taught a community ecology course at the University of Florida, which many students went out of their way to take. Difficulty: Hard.

 

William Beebe, George Schaller, William Conway

Paignton Zoo is a large zoo at 75 acres in size. There are 60 endangered species and the zoo has regular "meet the keepers" sessions who explain how they care for the animals. "Feathered Feats" is a parrot show. Also at the zoo is a miniature train and children's play area. Difficulty: Hard.

 

London Zoo, Bristol Zoo, Belfast Zoo

Her name is Hua Mei, which means USA-China, or something like that. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Shi Shi, Bai Yun, None of these

Hippopotami (Hippopotamus amphibius), the third largest land animals after elephants and rhinoceri, are native to Africa but now inhabit a smaller area of the continent than in earlier times. They are described as semi-aquatic and their closest relatives are whales, dolphins and other cetaceans.

Obaysch was captured at about one year of age on an island in the White Nile and, with other animals, was given to a British Consul General by the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt in exchange for some hounds. He arrived at London Zoo in 1850 amid great excitement as he was believed to be the first hippopotamus to be seen in Europe since classical Roman times and the first one in Britain since hippopotami lived there in prehistoric times.

During a period of what was described as 'hippomania', ten thousand visitors a day came to look at Obaysch in 1850 and overall attendance at the Zoo was double that of the previous year. In 1854 a female named Adhela was sent by the Viceroy but the pair did not produce any offspring until 1871. Their first two calves died when they were very young but the third lived from 1872 until 1908 while Obaysch died in 1878 and Adhela in 1882.

Since its opening in 1828 London Zoo has continued to expand and in 1849 it opened the world's first reptile house while the first public aquarium was opened there in 1853.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

He was rumoured to have come from Atlantis, People thought he was a rhinoceros without a horn, The species had been understood to be extinct

Amphibaville, which houses the amphibian exhibit and more fun for children, is a 2-acre wetland. Housed within the "ville" is the National Amphibian Conservation Center.

The AZA, or Association of Zoos and Aquariums, gives awards to the best new exhibits at zoos and aquariums each year. Difficulty: Hard.

 

pachyderms, insects, aviary

Chicago, located in the state of Illinois, is often referred to as "the windy city", and the origin of this nickname is not certain. While it is argued that the weather may be a factor, winds in Chicago are not very strong compared to other cities in the United States. Another possible reason comes from an article by Charles A. Dana, referring to the possibility of Chicago hosting the World's Fair.

The Brookfield Zoo is located outside of the city of Chicago, has more than 10 great animal exhibits, such as the "Living Coast", which features the Humboldt Penguin, or the "Tropic World", an exhibit with otters, monkeys, and anteaters, among others. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Green Bay, New York, Orlando

The Butterfly House is a large glasshouse that you can to enter and travel through different climates where the native plants attract the native species of butterflies. It can be educational or just plain fun.



Difficulty: Hard.

 

Reptile House, Frog Bog, Giant Pandas World

The land where the zoo now sits was set aside in 1880s by New York state. Some of the set aside land became the neighboring Bronx Botanical Garden and the two attractions are currently separated by Pelham Parkway. Some of the funds for construction and yearly upkeep for the zoo came from New York City, but the majority of money for the zoo came from private donors. Difficulty: Hard.

 

November 8th, 1797, November 8th, 1952, November 8th, 1985

Each SSP manages all aspects of a species including breeding, public education and awareness, zookeeper training, and reintroduction into the wild. As of March of 2008 there are 106 SSP's that are responsible for 161 individual species. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Animal Continuity Group, The Conservation Committee, Endangered Species Protection Committee

Orangutan Ah Meng was the first to participate in the breakfast program, which is now held at a restaurant named for her, and she was named a "special tourism ambassador" for her efforts. A sumptuous buffet is served to humans, and the orangutans join the party, although they snack on more appropriate food such as sunflower seeds and fruit. There are no barriers between the humans and apes, and photo opportunities abound. Separate tickets must be purchased to reserve a spot at breakfast. The zoo has an "Orangutan Island" and both Bornean and Sumatran orangutans are housed there - both types are critically endangered, primarily due to habitat loss.
Riding an elephant was discontinued from 2015 following an injury to a keeper in 2001.

Player pusdoc has now added Singapore to her bucket list and hopes to dine with her close relatives there.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ride an Elephant, Fly with a Flamingo, Play catch with a Lemur

The name Jumbo was a corruption of Jumbe, a Swahili word meaning 'chief', which was the name given to him by a keeper. He was born in Sudan in about 1860 and it is believed his mother was killed by poachers. Jumbo was first taken to a Parisian zoo, Jardin des Plantes, before being transferred to London Zoo in 1865. He was popular with the public and gave rides to both children and adults. His time at London Zoo was comparatively short as he may have been growing short-tempered and the management, worried in case he hurt a visitor, sold him to P T Barnum's circus in 1882. Barnum included Jumbo in his travelling circus but the elephant was killed by a runaway train in Canada in 1885.

Jumbo was an African bush or savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) and these elephants are the largest of the three living species of elephants and so the largest land animals. They live in a range of countries in Africa, usually in shrublands or grasslands, and are herbivores. The species has been listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with the largest threat to its continued existence being habitat destruction.

London Zoo was founded by the Zoological Society of London and has continued to grow since it was opened in 1828. For instance, the world's first insect house was opened there in 1881 and okapis have been part of the Zoo since members of the Society were credited with officially discovering them in 1901.
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Dumbo, Nellie, Gigantus

The Arctic Ring of Life opened in October of 2001. In 2015 the exhibit was named as the second place finisher in the "USA Today" reader's choice poll for best zoo exhibit.

The exhibit has both polar bears and sea lions and allows visitors to walk under a viewing area to watch the animals swim over and around them.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Penguins, Flamingoes, Chilean sea bass

Leona somehow got out of her ice-covered pool, walked down some paths, and wound up in with the lions. Luckily for the three-month-old penguin, the lions were dozing in a heated shelter and paid her no attention. Zookeepers were able to lead her out with a trail of herring. Difficulty: Hard.

 

tigers, bears, leopards

Healesville Sanctuary has a combination of roles; active breeding programs, education, and the rescue of injured wildlife. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Werribee Zoo, Ballarat Native Zoo, Australia Zoo

The designers of the original buildings were the firm of Heins & Laforge, and the buildings were done in the Beaux Arts Pavilion style. The buildings were based around what is now Astor Court. The Bronx Zoo had twenty-two exhibits and eight-hundred and forty-three animals on opening day which included twenty acres for bison to roam. On opening day some of the other attractions included the Elephant House, Cat House and Monkey House.

Many of the older buildings have animal sculptures carved into them including the Reptile house (1899), Main Bird House (1901), Monkey House (1901), south side of the Elephant House (now known as Zoo Center 1907-1908), Zebra House (1911), and Lion House (1902-1903).

The original entrance to the parking lot near Astor Court, originally named Baird Court, is through the bronze Rainey Memorial Gate, which was sculpted by Paul Manship with numerous animals adorning it. The gate was added in 1934.

The (William) Rockefeller Fountain, crafted in 1872 by Biagio Catella, can be found in the Astor Court parking lot and was given to the zoo in 1910. The fountain was given landmark status by New York City in 1968

To be able to park in this area you have to get there very early. But it is easy to view this area, which is not a long walk from the bison and sea lion attractions. Difficulty: Hard.

 

11, 33, 44

Program animals are often taken to schools and community events. Extensive training and education are required before a person is allowed to transport and exhibit program animals. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Animals that are used in zoo-sponsored shows., Animals that are managed by SSP's., Animals that are moved from zoo to zoo on a regular schedule.

Edinburgh Zoo is the largest zoo in Scotland at 80 acres in size. It has over a 1,000 animals ranging from tiny poison arrow frogs to massive white rhinos. It also had the world's largest penguin pool. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Drayton Manor, Blackpool Zoo, Banham Zoo

His name was Ken Allen and he was a favorite among the zoo animals. He was recently euthanized because of his poor health. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Allen Ken, Ken, Allen

Hopefully the name of the bear cub - Winnipeg - gave you the answer, which was, of course, the delightful 'Winnie-the-Pooh'.

According to the History Channel, it transpires Canadian veterinarian/soldier, Harry D. Colebourn, bought Winnipeg (often shortened to 'Winnie') as a bear cub in Canada. When Colebourn decided to join the WWI war effort, he took both himself and his beloved Winnipeg to Fort Garry Horse, a militia cavalry regiment near Salisbury, England. Here the bear became the fort's unofficial mascot. However, when Colebourn went to France to join the fighting there, he realised his bear would need a home and so he asked London Zoo to look after her.

A.A. Milne, the author of 'Winnie-the-Pooh', meanwhile had a little boy named Christopher Robin Milne (this name should be ringing some bells too for 'Winnie-the-Pooh' fans). He loved to visit London zoo and, in particular, to see Winnipeg, the bear cub. It was little Christopher's love for this cub that inspired his father to write the famous stories. (For those not familiar with the books, Christopher Robin is the owner and best friend of 'Winnie-the-Pooh'.)

Colebourn survived the war, but ended up donating Winnipeg to London Zoo as he returned to Canada in 1920 to start a veterinary practice there. You can find statues of Colebourn and Winnipeg in both Assiniboine Park Zoo in Canada and at London Zoo.

Difficulty: Average.

 

Paddington Bear, Rupert the Bear, Yogi Bear

Singapore zoo is known for borrowing rare animals from other zoos and this practice not only increases the number of visitors through their doors, it raises awareness of these animals. The first such exhibit was the golden snub-nosed monkey borrowed from China in 1987, which resulted in over half a million visitors. Since then, giant pandas and white tigers have also been short stay visitors.

The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) lives in mountainous areas of central and southwest China. The male is a larger animal than the female and has longer golden guard hairs. They are social animals, generally living in complex groups of between 5 to 600. They eat lichen, leaves, fruits and seeds depending on seasonal availability. The golden snub-nosed monkey has a conservation status level of 'endangered' in the first quarter of the twenty-first century.

Red Crew's smpdit really should quit monkeying around.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Giant panda , White tiger , White rhinoceros

A A Milne wrote both 'Winnie-the-Pooh' (1926) and 'The House at Pooh Corner' (1928) about a boy called Christopher Robin and some toy animals, including the bear Winnie-the-Pooh. In his introduction to the earlier book Milne makes it clear that the name Winnie came from the bear in London Zoo, who was also known more familiarly as Winnie, while Pooh was the boy's name for a local swan.

Winnipeg or Winnie was a female black bear cub left with London Zoo in December 1914 by Harry Colebourn, a Canadian soldier going to France to fight in the First World War. After the War he decided to leave the bear in the Zoo and she stayed there until she died in 1934.

The black bear or American black bear (Ursus americanus) is native to North America and its habitat ranges from north central Mexico to Alaska. It is the smallest species of bear on the continent and is omnivorous, eating fruits and vegetation as well as fish, insects and sometimes other mammals. The black bear is accounted a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as it is estimated to have a population twice as great as the other bears on the continent put together.

The Zoological Society of London, which opened London Zoo in 1826, decided a hundred years later to establish a second and much larger zoo to house the larger animals. Accordingly a site near Dunstable in Bedfordshire was chosen and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, later renamed Whipsnade Zoo, was built and opened to the public in 1931. Difficulty: Easy.

 

J M Barrie, Kenneth Grahame, Rudyard Kipling

The Dinosauria exhibit is one of the zoo's biggest attractions for visitor's of all ages.

Advertised as a "Zoorassic Park", the exhibit carried a premium fee to enter for the first 20 years it existed. The exhibit includes 40 life-like animatronic beasts spread out over a 5-acre trail designed to recreate prehistoric life. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Eastern hare wallabys, Puerto Rican flower bats, Caspian tigers

FOTZ membership gives you access to Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctury and Werribee Open Range Zoo. It also gives you a quarterly magazine 'Zoo News' which is a great source of information complete with impressive photographs. FOTZ stands for Friends of the Zoo. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Keeper, Volunteer, MZF