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A TRIP TO THE
ZOO
Your Proofness: Sarah Munir Master Storyteller: Nudrat Kamal Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Samra Aamir, Talha Ahmed Khan, Munira Abbas, Omer Asim and Umar Waqas
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 31, 2014
Hi light
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A TRIP TO THE
ZOO
A trip to the zoo is always exciting. We get to see and interact with all kinds of animals which we normally only see in movies and read about in books. We may think that keeping animals in zoos is a modern concept, but the truth is that zoos (short for zoological parks) have been around for 3,000 years!
Where did zoos come from? The first zoos were created as private collections by the rich to show off their wealth and power. These collections were known as menageries. In 2500 BC, kings and other rich people in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia kept wild animals in captivity to amuse of the ruler, intimidate enemies or to hunt as sport. They would send expeditions to distant places to bring back exotic animals not found in their own region, such as giraffes, elephants and bears. Wall carvings and paintings of Ancient Egypt prove that animal handlers were also appointed to make sure that these animals thrived well in captivity. Places like China, Greece and Rome also had similar menageries. The concept of what we know of as the zoo today came around in the 18th century, known as the Age of Enlightenment. During this century, there were lots of scientific discoveries and geographical explorations, both of which led to an interest in studying different species of animals. While previously people had put animals in zoos for their entertainment and amusement, now people did so to scientifically study their behaviour and biology. The scientific study of animals is called zoology. The first modern zoo was built in Paris, France, in 1793. It is called the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes and it is still a popular zoo in the city. Early zoos were more like museums of living animals. Many animals were cramped in small cages which could be viewed by the public. But eventually, people realised that if they wished to study animals, it would be better to put them in places which resembled their natural habitats, so that the animals would act as they would in nature. In the 20th century, this concept changed even further. It was now believed that zoos had a responsibility to protect and conserve animals, especially those species that were in danger of being extinct. Zoos began hiring animal experts who did research and made sure that animals were not mistreated in zoos. The aim was to make the zoos comfortable for the animals.
What do zoos do? Today, zoos have many functions and responsibilities. They might be fun to visit, but the purpose of keeping animals in zoos has become more than just entertainment. The goals of zoos are: 1. Protect — Animals in zoos today are protected even more than they would be out in nature. In fact, they are almost pampered in zoos, living life of extreme ease, with readily available food, water and medical help. Animals in zoos actually live longer than animals in the wild, due to these facilities. 2. Conserve — Since 1500 AD, the earth has lost almost 800 plant and animal species due to extinction. Today, more than 3,000 species are either extinct in the wild or are critically endangered. Conservation of animal species is the most important goal of zoos. Most zoos have a programme where animals are reintroduced into the wild. 3. Study — The detailed study of each individual species of animals helps in the conservation goal mentioned above. Zoos study animals to provide them with the best habitats and enriching activities that would stimulate the animals’ brains (for example, a polar bear catching a ball or a dolphin jumping through a hoop). 4. Educate — An important goal of zoos is to educate people about different animals which is why their exhibits are made as realistic as possible. Zoos also provide interactional activities so that people can get an up-close look at animal behaviour. 5. Entertain — Aside from all the other goals, zoos have to be fun. Getting the opportunity to see wild animals up close is a wonderful experience which cannot be replicated by watching videos of animals. In zoos, we have the chance to form an emotional bond with the animals.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 31, 2014
Hi light
3 Best Zoos in Pakistan
1. Lahore Zoo — Established in 1872, this zoo is thought to be the third largest zoo in the world. Initially, it began as an aviary, which is like a zoo for birds. It has a collection of 1,380 animals from 136 species, and 1,280 plants from 71 species. It also has a safari and a walkthrough aviary. 2. Karachi Zoo — Also known as Gandhi Garden, this zoo was opened in 1878. It has many animals including flamingos, land tortoises and cobras. The most famous exhibit is the elephant exhibit. There are currently two female African bush elephants there. 3. Changa Manga Park — Located in Lahore, this wildlife park covers an area of 40 acres and is home to many animals, including jackals, peafowl and wild boars. It is also a wildlife breeding and conservation centre where endangered species, such as the Asiatic vultures, are bred and protected. It was established in 2008. 4. Bhawalpur Zoo — Opened in 1942, this zoo is spread across 25 acres. It was initially known as Sher Bagh (Lion Garden). The zoo has occasionally bred Bengali tigers and Asiatic Lions and provided them to other zoos in the country. It also has an aquarium and zoological museum with stuffed birds, reptiles and mammals.
What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 31, 2014
Activity
4
How to make an origami piano Instructions: 1. Take a coloured origami paper. 2. Fold the paper in half, with the coloured side facing you. 3. Fold again in half to make a crease. Unfold after crease is made. • Coloured origami paper (it must be square-shaped)
4. Fold both the corners to meet the centre crease. 5. Open both the corners from the centre. 6. Flatten both the corners to make the shape as shown.
• Pencil
7. Fold the remaining coloured side upward. 8. Bend one more time to make the key panel. 9. Turn the flaps to complete the shape. 10.Draw piano keys on the panel.
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This activity is brought to you by the
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 31, 2014
Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny news from across the globe!
Hippo’s canine friends An orphaned hippo was successfully nursed back to health by his canine friends and returned to the wild. Baby hippo Douglas was abandoned in Zambia when he was just two weeks old. He was befriended by two terrier dogs, Molly and Coco, who took him under their wing and nurtured him until he was old enough and healthy enough to go back into the wild. He has now joined a pod in the South Luangwa River. Will Travers, of the Born Free Foundation said, “Every wild animal deserves a life worth living and to be free. And today, thanks to the work of our dedicated partners on the ground in Zambia, we know there is one happy wild hippo living free again.” Douglas the hippo also starred in a TV show called Paul O’Grady’s Animal Orphans. The name hippopotamus comes from ancient Greek and it means ‘river horse.’ This is because they are semi-aquatic, which means they live in rivers and swamps and come out on land for food.
World wide weird
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Volcanoes under the ice
In Iceland, a small eruption occurred beneath a glacier located near an ice-capped volcano, causing fears of floods and possible ash clouds that could hinder the movement of airplanes flying above. According to a statement released by Iceland’s Meteorological Department, the small eruption seems to have come from beneath the Dyngjujökull glacier. About 328 to 1,312 feet of ice cover the still subglacial eruption, so the eruption isn’t visible on the surface. No one lives near the volcano, but with nearly one temblor striking per minute, officials had evacuated tourists from the area north of it, where floodwaters would flow. A full-scale eruption from the region, “could be a moderate-sized one, which will look quite large to most people,” says volcanologist Agust Gudmundsson of the University of London in the United Kingdom. NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM
METRO.CO.UK
Lying panda Britain’s smallest dog Meet Tyson, a teeny chihuahua-mix who might just be Britain’s smallest dog. Tyson was born earlier this year and he was so tiny at birth that his owner Rosemary McLinden had to feed him with a dropper. He was four inches tall when he was born and weighed 11 ounces. Rosemary and her husband were worried about Tyson because he was so small, but he is apparently fit and healthy, even though he hasn’t grown much since he was born. Tyson was named after the famous boxer Mike Tyson because, as Rosemary said, “he is such a little fighter.” He’s so small, in fact, that McLinden says he can stand up in the palm of her hand. It’s believed that Tyson is one of the smallest — if not the smallest — dog in Britain. According to the Guinness World Records, a dog named Miracle Milly is the smallest in the world. Milly, who lives in Puerto Rico, reportedly measures just 3.8 inches in height. HUFFINGTONPOST.COM
It turns out humans aren’t the only ones who lie to get what they want. A giant female panda called Ai Hin, who lives in the The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Centre, China, has been faking a pregnancy for months in order to get the special facilities that are reserved only for the soon-to-bemom pandas. Ai Hin gave researchers signs that she was expecting a baby, news that excited everyone because these pandas are on the endangered list. A live transmission of the baby being born was also planned. But as the due date got closer, Ai Hin’s behaviour suddenly returned to normal, leading the researchers to conclude that it had been a ‘phantom pregnancy.’ But why would a panda fake a pregnancy? It turns out that pandas notice the special treatment that is given to pregnant pandas in their midst. The facility moves pandas which are thought to be pregnant into single rooms with air conditioning and around-the-clock care. “They also receive more buns, fruits and bamboo, so some clever pandas have used this to their advantage to improve their quality of life,” Wu Kongju, an expert at the base said. By physically faking pregnancies, pandas can get better food and lodging, thus increasing their quality of life and their chance of survival. JEZEBEL.COM
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 31, 2014
6 Did You Know? A teenage girl invented the modern horror story Horror stories have been around as long as humans have known that getting scared can be fun, which they have known since forever. In ancient times, people would gather around fires and tell each other stories, and it’s likely that a lot of these stories were scary ones. Ancient folklore and religious teachings frequently used horror in their tales, focusing on demons, devils and the supernatural. But this was back when stories were told orally and not written, and even after novels began to be written, there weren’t any really good or famous horror novels. That is, until a teenage girl decided to change all that. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, was only 18 years old when she came up with the idea of writing a book about a scientist who creates a monster (Fun fact: contrary to popular belief, the monster in the book is not called Frankenstein. Rather, the name refers to Dr Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who accidently creates a monster in an experiment gone wrong. This monster then goes on to wreak havoc and do other frightening things). Married to a famous poet, P. B. Shelley, Mary spent the summer of 1816 in the company of her husband’s friends, who were also writers. It was during this time that she wrote the novel which would become so popular that even today it has never gone out of print. Because of the success of Frankenstein, many writers began writing horror novels, so in a way, Mary Shelley is responsible for making horror stories popular again.
How to say ‘music’ in different languages Afrikaans Azerbaijani Bosnian Czech Danish Estonian French Icelandic Irish Italian Malay Persian Polish Yoruba
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Musiek Musiqi Glazba Hudba Musik Muusika Musique Tónlist Ceol Musica Muzik Moseequi Muzyka Orin
Cool facts Cherophobia is the fear of being too happy because ‘something tragic’ will happen. In France, you can marry a dead person. Owning a cat can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than a third. The world’s first alarm clock could only ring at 4am. One million earths could fit into the sun. There are 14 billion insects for every human on Earth. Some chickens are half male, half female. Elephants are scared of bees. In 2009, scientists announced a skin disorder they called ‘PlayStation palmar hidradenitis’ caused by too much video game playing. If the earth didn’t have the moon, our days would only be six hours long. Fourteen billion pounds of garbage is dumped into our oceans every year. You can’t hum while holding your nose closed.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 31, 2014
7
Experiment
Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Cards Competition
Ayesha Fawad Winner Aleena Zehra Kazmi Winner
Diya Qaim
Nayab Kazmi
Mehreen Khan Winner
Fahad Qaim Winner
Zainab Kazmi
Anas Subhan
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 31, 2014
What to do: 1. Fill the bottle about three quarters full with water.
You will need:
2. Add a squirt of dishwashing liquid. 3. Quickly tip the bottle and pour the water out fast.
• An empty clear bottle
4. You will find that the bottle is left full of bubbles.
• Dishwashing liquid
5. In the beginning, these will look clear and normal but place the bottle on a windowsill and wait and watch over the next 30 seconds. The bubbles will start to show signs of colour that will get stronger and stronger and that each bubble will look like it has been coloured like a rainbow!
• Water • A sink
What is happening:
• Sunshine
Visible light from the sun is known as white light. It contains a range of colours all with different wavelengths that when together form white light. These colours are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. When the white light shines through the film of the bubble, the light is reflected and dispersed, splitting it into its different wavelength and showing all the colours. SOURCE: SCIENCE-SPARKS.COM
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