Exemplary Animals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rabbit

In 2004, British press and television reported the story of Dory the rabbit, whose owner started to slip into a diabetic coma shortly after eating a meal. Dory attracted the attention of the man's wife by jumping up and down on his chest until the wife noticed, and called for an ambulance. Described as a giant rabbit, Dory then weighed 1.5 stone (21 lbs or 9.5 kg) and was three feet (just under a metre) long. Credited with saving her owner's life, Dory was rewarded by being made the first ever animal member of the Rabbit Welfare Association.

Answer: Dog

Gander was a Newfoundland, a large, friendly breed of dog, who began life as a family pet named Pal in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland. After a child was accidentally scratched, the family offered Pal to a unit of the Canadian army then stationed in Gander, Newfoundland, who renamed their new mascot Gander.

He was given the honourary rank of sergeant, and accompanied the unit when it was sent to reinforce the British garrison at Hong Kong, in the autumn of 1941. Shortly thereafter, on 8 December 1941, the Japanese invasion began, and the unit was engaged in the defence of the island of Hong Kong, with Gander doing his best to chase off the enemy soldiers.

His final act was to pick up an enemy grenade that had landed near a group of wounded Canadian soldiers, and run toward the enemy with it in his mouth.

He was killed by the resulting explosion, but the soldiers were saved. Many years later an application was made to the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for the award of the Dickin Medal (sometimes called the animals' Victoria Cross) to Gander, for his actions in December 1941.

This award was granted in the year 2000.

Answer: Chimpanzee

Born in the African country Cameroon in 1957, captured and eventually sent to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for assessment and training, the chimp then known as Number 65 proved to be quick to learn. He was chosen to be sent into space for a sub-orbital mission and would be the first primate in space, in January 1961, three months before Yuri Gagarin, and four months before Alan Shepard, the first American in space. Only after the chimp had been safely recovered from his splashdown in the Atlantic was he given the name Ham, an acronym for Holloman Aerospace Medical Center. Ham the astrochimp lived out the rest of his life as a zoo animal, dying in 1983 in North Carolina.

Answer: Elephant

One story about the death of Jumbo the circus elephant, on the tracks in St Thomas, Ontario, Canada in 1885, is that he was trying to guide a smaller elephant out of harm's way when struck by the locomotive. Whether or not that is true, Jumbo is worthy of remembrance, having been a major attraction for showman P.T. Barnum's circus since his purchase from the London Zoo in 1882. Prior to that the African-born elephant had resided at the London Zoo since 1865.

The city of St Thomas dedicated a statue to Jumbo on the 100th anniversary of the great beast's death.

Answer: Gorilla

Hanabiko (1971-2018), or Koko as she is better known, was a western lowland gorilla, born in captivity at the San Francisco Zoo. She spent much of her life at The Gorilla Foundation in the Santa Cruz mountains of California and while there learned to communicate using a modified version of ASL (American Sign Language).

She is said to have been able to use at least 1000 signs, and to have understood 2000. She was the subject of a number of documentary films and programmes, and featured on the cover of "National Geographic" magazine in 1978.

Answer: Goat

In 2002, an elderly Australian farmer slipped and broke his hip whilst tending to his animals. Although he was not found for several days, he was able to survive with help from his goat, Mandy, who slept beside him for warmth, and provided milk for him to drink to keep up his strength.

Answer: Horse

In 2016, the chestnut Mongolian pack horse, Sergeant Reckless (1948-1968), of the US Marine Corps, received the award of the Dickin Medal from the PDSA, having been recommended by her biographer. Her bravery had been displayed more than half a century earlier, during the Korean War. Trained as an ammunition carrier, Reckless not only fulfilled that role, but also transported wounded men to the rear when returning to base for subsequent loads of ammunition. During a single day in March 1953 she is said to have made 51 such trips after which she was 'promoted' to sergeant.

Answer: Cat

Able Seacat Simon had joined the crew of HMS Amethyst in Hong Kong early in 1948. He quickly became the ship's mascot and chief rat catcher, both positions contributing to his role as morale-booster for the ship's company. During the Yangtse Incident (aka the Amethyst Incident) in 1949 Simon was wounded when Chinese forces (then engaged in civil war) fired upon the ship.

He recovered from his wounds, but sadly died whilst in quarantine in the UK, before he could be given the planned hero's welcome.

He received the Dickin Medal from the PDSA as well as several other awards, and was buried in the PDSA Cemetery in London, England.

Answer: Pigeon

Tyke was a male homing pigeon, born in Egypt and serving aboard an American bomber in the Mediterranean theatre during World War II. When the aircraft was shot down in 1943, the crew released Tyke with a message, which he duly delivered, resulting in the crew being rescued. Tyke was among the first group of pigeons to receive the Dickin Medal, alongside White Vision and Winkie in December 1943.

More than thirty pigeons received this award during WWII.

Answer: Bear

The black bear's name was Winnie, short for Winnipeg, the home town of the Canadian soldier (and veterinarian) who rescued her from trackside whilst on route to training camp before shipping out overseas. She became the unit's mascot, and travelled with them from Canada to England, but was left in the custody of the London Zoo when her human companions proceeded to the Western Front. A few years after the war had ended she became the inspiration for A.A. Milne's character Winnie the Pooh.

Having been born in Canada c.1914, Winnie lived on at the zoo until 1934.