Exotic Animal Encounters

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Check It Out! A Drive-Thru Zoo The “I Don’t Understand You” Animal 10 Zany Zoo Animal Facts Mammoth Meals Puzzles Giant Pandas Bears in the Sky Draw a Kodiak Bear Do Snakes Eat Scrambled Eggs?

Cowboy Clark & Larry Long-Necked Wonders Lovable Lemurs We Fed the Animals!

Elephants Don’t Wear Boots Who Spits the Farthest?

Zoo Animal Funnies Hailey the Happy Harbor Seal Kids Corner Puzzle Solutions

Susan Schmitz/Shutterstock.com

A day at the zoo is an exotic animal encounter! There is so much to see, hear, smell, and experience. But when you can’t visit a zoo in person, sit back in a comfortable chair and let this issue of Fun For Kidz bring some of these amazing animals to you.

Find out if snakes eat scrambled eggs and whether elephants wear boots. Which animal spits the farthest, and what makes one harbor seal so happy? Read about the adventures of a few of our readers who fed porcupines and wallabies and came face to face with a zebra’s head and a giraffe’s head through their car window.

After you go to a zoo or wild animal safari, send us a picture or write and tell us about your own exotic animal encounter. We’ll publish it in a future issue.

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Imagine driving through herds of wild animals. I did this with my cousins.

Our grandparents took us to the African Safari Wildlife Park in Ohio. We saw all kinds of exotic animals. The park gave us food so that we could feed the animals from our car. The animals weren’t shy about sticking their heads through the car window. We learned so much about these animals. Here are some of our favorites.

An Ankole-Watusi came next. These African cattle have the longest, heaviest horns of any cattle breed in the world.

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We were thrilled when a huge American bison came right up to the car. Its small deer friends came too.

When this zebra stuck his head down to the car window, we let our grandpa feed him.

The zebra loved the carrots, but his teeth were a little scary.

A big 700-pound elk came over with a small Sika deer. The elk’s antlers weighed 40 pounds. They both enjoyed eating plants.

My cousin, Ivan, was surprised when a friendly alpaca came over for pellets. Ivan had his car window opened only part way, but he could still feed the animal.

A tall giraffe stuck his head in for a bite of green plant. We saw his long tongue.

We spent over an hour driving through the park and seeing lots of the animals up close. Fortunately for our grandpa, none of the big-horned cattle and bison damaged his car with their horns. He had been a little nervous about that. We are ready to go back this summer.

Next came a Scottish highland cow. They can weigh up to 1700 pounds. It was quite easygoing and eager for food.

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It has springy hind legs that are much larger and stronger than its forelimbs. Its powerful tail is used for balance and steering. Large feet help it to achieve pogostick leaps. When it is grazing for grass, leaves, and flowers, it leans over and forms a tripod with its tail and two forelimbs. Then it moves its feet forward and “crawlwalks.” But it cannot walk backward. It’s a kangaroo. Now read how it got its name.

There once was an explorer named Captain James Cook.

He went to Australia to take a closer look.

He trekked across the plains of The Land Down Under.

Then he heard a noise that sounded like thunder.

From over the hill hopped hundreds of creatures.

Cook stepped back and studied their features.

They were tall, had long hind legs, and a big tail.

They hopped with a bounce. On one’s tummy was a pouch, carrying a baby that weighed an ounce.

Cook walked to the village to speak with the chief.

“I know you are busy,” he said, “so I’ll try to be brief.

What is that creature? What is it called? What does it do?

Come, come my good man. There is much I want to ask you.”

The chief didn’t speak English and didn’t know what to do.

He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Kangaroo!”

“Kangaroo,” said Cook as he scratched his chin.

“That’s what I’ll call it!” he said with a grin.

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Captain Cook made a mistake. There was something he never knew.

“Kangaroo” is a native word that means “I don’t understand you.”

The next time you visit the zoo and see a kangaroo, think of Cook’s silly blunder. Think of the natives of Australia who laugh at us because we call a creature “I don’t understand you!”

by Michael Williams

This story is a popular legend that describes how, when Captain Cook spoke English to the chief, he didn’t realize the chief couldn’t speak English back. The chief said, “Kangaroo,” which in his language meant “I don’t understand you.” Amaze your friends and either ask them how the kangaroo got its name, or if you don’t understand something, just say, “Kangaroo.” See what happens!

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by Diane Winebar It’s mealtime at the zoo, and hundreds of hungry animal stomachs are growling. What do zoo animals eat? That depends. Some creatures eat whole prey, like dead rats, whole raw chickens, and fish. Others eat fruits, vegetables, and plants. Vampire bats only drink blood, so cows blood is on many zoos’ menus. Zoo chefs try to match each animal’s natural wild diet as much as possible.

We would push away a bowl of wriggling mealworms, but tiny jumping spiders gulp them right down. Snakes, fish, meerkats, and flamingos and other birds like them too. Zoo kitchens always have plenty of crickets and other insects ready for the animals that feast on them.

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nokkaew/Shutterstock.com

People don’t graze on hay and leaves the way zebras and giraffes do. These animals browse as they eat. Hanging food up high lets them pull down a mouthful and continue on their walk. You might like your meat cooked well done. Polar bears prefer theirs raw. They are fed parts of whole carcasses.

Chewing on the bones lets them get every last bite. It also helps clean their teeth. Zoos buy massive amounts of raw meat because this is what lions, tigers, birds of prey, and many other animals eat in nature.

Some animals chow down on plants, twigs, leaves, fruits, vegetables, and salad greens. No salad dressing, though, please. Hefty hippos and rhinos eat grass, alfalfa, hay, fruits, and vegetables, like carrots. It takes hundreds of pounds of food a month to satisfy these large animals.

Zoo chefs often bury food or scatter it around where the zoo animals live.

The animals hunt for it using their senses of sight and smell, just as they would in the wild. Let’s not forget treats! You may not think lettuce is all that great, but polar bears do. Hippos devour whole watermelons, and chimpanzees gobble up “cookies” that are made from grain and smell like bananas. In the summer, bears enjoy “fishsicles,” which are fish frozen in water.

No matter how well fed and cared for the animals are, they still get sick once in a while and need medicine. In case they do, zoo chefs keep special foods handy to mix with the medicine. Crushing pills in peanut butter and honey, chocolate syrup, or applesauce sure helps it go down easily.

From the biggest elephants to the smallest creepy-crawlies, feeding all the animals in a zoo is an important job. And it happens seven days a week, all year long.

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www.hiddenpicturepuzzles.com

boa lion bird pear bone 2 fish molar whale crown candle tortoise 2 cones alligator 3 hearts elephant rhinoceros baseball bat hippopotamus

by Donna Lugg Pape

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Discover a wild animal by using one color to fill in each space that has a dot in it. Use a different color to fill in the other spaces.

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by Joyce Stryon Madsen

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ACROSS 2. Because more elephants are killed or die of natural causes than are born each year, the elephant is an ______________ species.

4. Elephants are important figures in Chris Van Allsburg’s book “_____________.”

5. The extra-long, flexible snout is called a ____________ and is used for breathing and carrying.

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6. Elephants eat a _______________ diet of grass, fruit, roots, leaves, and bark.

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8. Elephants are very social and live and travel in ___________.

DOWN 1. The elephant is believed to be related to the prehistoric ________________.

3. “____________” is an old favorite book and movie about a little elephant with extra-large ears, which allowed him to fly.

4. Rudyard Kipling’s “The _____________ Book” also contains elephants as characters.

7. An elephant’s _________ are really modified incisor teeth and are very useful for digging and scraping.

Fraction-nition

by David Lindo

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Warthogs are wild pigs that live in Africa. They have two pairs of tusks and are powerful diggers, using both their tusks and their feet.

H

O

A T

A T H W T R A S A H S R W S H O G T R W G O W S O G W T

S G H A

Find the letters described by the fraction given in each statement.

Print the letters you select, in the order provided, into the boxes.

Are your answers correct?

Or

wildly innaccurate?

The first 1/8 of SCRABBLE The first 1/4 of QUIZ The middle 1/5 of TRUCK The middle 1/5 of ROAST The last 1/3 of VANISH What is a hippopotamus’s favorite game?

R

Fill in the squares so that each row, column, and 8-square section has the letters W-A-R-T-H-O-G-S.

Find out on page 30.

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Mei Xiang (pronounced May-Sheeahng) bursts out from among the trees and shrubs.

She bounces toward Tian Tian (pronounced tee-Yen tee-Yen). He is climbing down a rock near a pond. They happily greet each other and begin a game of tug of war over a bamboo stalk.

These lifelong playmates are giant pandas, and their home is the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Wild giant pandas live in China, but there are fewer than 2000 left. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian were born in China in an area set aside especially for giant pandas to play, eat, sleep, and live in safety.

In Washington D.C., giant pandas are the National Zoo’s stars. Maybe it’s their friendly smiles, the twinkle in their eyes, or how they look as if they are wearing sunglasses and long black socks. Whatever the reason is for their stardom, these lovable animals draw cheering crowds every day.

In August 2020, a cub joined their family! Mei Xiang gave birth to Xiao Qi Ji (pronounced Sheeow-chee-jee). He was born hairless, but soon grew a fluffy coat of white fur. His famous black and white coloring appeared when he was one month old. This little cub is growing quickly and has a good time exploring his home. He turns anything into a toy.

Mama Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji

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Papa Tian Tian sits and relaxes while eating.

Cub Xiao Qi Ji loves climbing trees!

The three pandas live in a large area which was built to look like giant pandas’ natural habitat in the high bamboo forests of China. The pandas bathe themselves in cool ponds and splash each other for fun. There are boulders to climb and hills to run up and then roll down. There are caves for sleeping after meals. And there are plenty of sturdy logs and trees everywhere. Pandas are excellent climbers!

Giant pandas can grow to be 300 pounds and 4 to 6 feet long. In the wild, they spend up to 16 hours a day eating mostly bamboo. Pandas need to eat so often to get the nutrition they need. At the National Zoo, they are fed fiber biscuits, carrots, and apples. And, of course, their very favorite food – bamboo. The two adult pandas there eat nearly 100 pounds of it a day!

Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and Xiao Qi Ji may seem clumsy and silly, but giant pandas are actually graceful, curious, and smart. Thanks to the zookeepers at the National Zoo, they are safe and healthy. Other zoos and preserves are making sure giant pandas survive too. You can help by spreading the word about these wonderful animals.

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Thousands of years ago, people looked up in the night sky and imagined designs around groups of stars. These are called CONSTELLATIONS, and they were named after objects, animals, and heroes.

Go outside on a clear night in March or April. Look north, almost straight overhead. You will see seven stars that look like the ones in the top part of Drawing 1. This is the BIG DIPPER. We have drawn lines between the stars to show the dipper. The Big Dipper is part of a larger design called Ursa Major.

These Latin words mean “Great Bear.” In Drawing 2, it is drawn right-side up so you can see it better. In spring, the whole constellation is upside-down.

Look carefully. An imaginary line down from the Big Dipper’s two front stars leads to Polaris, the North Star. You will see six more stars near Polaris that form the LITTLE DIPPER. Those long-ago people imagined a little bear there.

This constellation is called Ursa Minor, or “Small Bear.”

Drawing 2

Drawing 1 Straight Overhead

The Big Dipper Polaris, the North Star The Little Dipper

MAKE YOUR OWN URSA MINOR CONSTELLATION! 1. Remove the top and bottom lids of a tin can or a cardboard can that chips come in. Now you have a tube.

2. Make a copy of Drawing 3. (Make the circle large enough to fit over one end of your tube.) Cut around the bear circle.

3. Poke seven holes for the stars.

4. Tape the circle onto one end of the tube. Make sure no light can be seen spilling outside the circle.

5. Turn on a flashlight and place it into the other end of the tube.

6. Wrap a small towel around where the flashlight and tube meet so no light escapes.

Now, TURN OUT THE LIGHTS and point the flashlight at the ceiling.

You will see the Little Dipper shining through the tube!

Drawing 3 Paper circle taped on Flashlight

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Tube

Draw a Kodiak Bear written and illustrated by Andrew Wales This bear drawing is based on a photo I took during a zoo visit. I will explain each step so you can follow along.

First, I use a pencil to sketch out the basic shapes. Then I fix the sizes. For example, I use a ruler to make the distance between the top of the bear’s skull to the bottom of its jaw a little less than the distance from its jaw to the bottom of the foot. And the distance from eye level to the center of the nose is about the same as the distance from the nose to the bottom of the jaw. Now the head is just right!

Next, I pay attention to details. The lines around the eyes give the bear an aggressive expression. The mouth is partly open, and the claws have an upside-down teardrop shape. I draw lines to show some of the muscles.

Now I add texture and shading. I first look for areas that will be the darkest. With pen and ink, I draw overlapping lines using quick, “sketchy” strokes. Artists call this crosshatching. I think this gives the bear a furry texture, don’t you?

Look at the finished drawing of the bear. On its head, I use only one set of lightly drawn lines where the sun seems to be hitting the bear directly. Where the bear is in shadow, I use two or more sets of lines closer together and press down with the pen more firmly.

Send us your finished drawing. We’ll publish it in a future issue so other Fun For Kidz readers can see your artwork! top of skull

back

eye level mouth jaw

foot

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D o S nakes E at S crambled E ggs ?

by Rebecca M. Bowser • illustration by Janet McDonnell

Snakes don’t eat scrambled eggs like you do, but there is a snake that eats only eggs.

The egg-eating snake swallows bird, fish, and reptile eggs whole. Sharp spines inside the snake stabs the shell, and all the liquid pours into its belly. The snake squeezes the shell into a tight package with its muscles, then throws it up.

Interesting fact: Snakes can survive without eating for a few days or weeks. Very large snakes can go as long as two years!

Hummingbirds don’t slurp up chocolate milk with a straw like you do.

But they have their own sweet drink called nectar. Hummingbirds slurp up nectar from flowers with their long tongues.

Interesting fact: How many flowers does the average hummingbird visit in a day? Over 1000!

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Scorpions don’t munch on ants on a log like you do. They don’t fill a celery stalk with peanut butter then put raisins on top. But they do devour real ants and all types of insects.

Scorpions sting the insects with their venom.

Once they stop moving – gulp.

Interesting fact: A scorpion stays still and patiently waits for food to come to them!

Desert tortoises don’t chomp on salad like you do. But they do gobble up their vegetables. Turtles savor grass, weeds, and dark greens, like spinach.

Interesting fact: The dessert tortoise has no teeth.

How do they eat? The powerful, sharp bones in their jaws help them to slice up their food!

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Mrs. Whiskers strolled onto the dock at Bryce Bay to view the sunrise. She heard what sounded like spitting and turned to see Cowboy Clark and Larry hiding behind a ponderosa pine tree.

“Psst,” Larry urgently whispered.

Mrs. Whiskers walked over. Hooking her sharp claws in the trunk, she stretched. “What’s up, boys?”

“Shh,” Larry warned.

Cowboy Clark spoke so low his words came out in a rumbly growl. “Slowly get behind this tree.

Trust me, you don’t want to turn around.”

Never being one to trust Cowboy Clark, Mrs. Whiskers turned and saw a very pink, tall bird standing off to the side in the water about fifty feet away. “That’s Sammy the flamingo.”

“Sammy? You know this large, pink . . . what did you call it? A flamingo?” Larry asked.

“What’s it doing?” Cowboy Clark asked.

“He’s stirring up mud with his feet so he can eat.”

“Yuck! It eats mud?” Larry shivered. “Gee, that’s a big beak.”

Mrs. Whiskers explained, “He’s not eating mud, Larry. He’s scooping up muddy water with his beak so he can catch things, like small fish. See how he tilts his head so the mud and water trickle out?”

“He’s scary looking,” Larry shivered again.

“He’s very nice, and I imagine he wandered off from the zoo where he lives.” She yawned. “Let’s get him back to his regiment.”

Cowboy Clark was confused. “Regiment? Like in the army?”

Mrs. Whiskers laughed. “Hardly. That’s one of the terms for a group of flamingos. You know, they’re very social animals with regiments in the hundreds.” She started to walk over. “Yoo-hoo, Sammy!”

Given the size of Sammy’s legs and beak, Larry had seen enough. He ran. Cowboy Clark was right behind him.

“Oh, boys,” Mrs. Whiskers sighed. “As usual, leave it to me to take care of everything.”

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Of all the world’s wild animals, one stands head and shoulders above the rest. Graceful, funny-faced giraffes live in the savannas and grassy plains of Africa. These calm, gentle giants have lots of companions. Wildebeests and ostriches like to hang out with their tall friends because, thanks to their amazing height, giraffes can spot danger from far away.

Every single giraffe has its own spot pattern. Spots let giraffes blend into shadows, trees, and tall grasses, confusing their predators. But if a lion comes too close, giraffes put their long legs to work and take off running.

They are extremely fast, but can only run for short periods. Then they put their muscular legs to another use. Powerful kicks scare away the big cat if it tries to attack.

Giraffes can easily nibble on treetops.

They have the young, tender leaves all to themselves! A giraffe’s flexible purple-black tongue can wrap around branches and pull off foliage. Giraffes get much of the water they need from eating leaves, but head for rivers or ponds during the dry season. Even with its long neck, a giraffe can’t reach down to drink. Instead, it must awkwardly spread out its legs or kneel. Luckily, they can go several days without drinking.

Rothschild giraffes are Earth’s tallest animal.

A GIRAFFE’S GIGANTIC NUMBERS Giraffes grow to be 16 to 20 feet tall. Even newborns are taller than most humans! Males can weigh 3000 pounds.

The tongue is 18 to 20 inches long. A giraffe can use it to clean its ears!

Giraffes have big hearts. They weigh about 25 pounds and are 2 feet long.

The neck is 6 to 8 feet long and weighs 600 pounds. Legs are 6 feet long, though the hind legs look shorter.

DID YOU KNOW? Giraffes don’t really have horns on their heads. They are “ossicones,” which are hardened cartilage covered in skin and fur.

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With their staring eyes, long tails, and lovable faces, lemurs are zoo favorites. Wild lemurs are found only on two island countries near Africa – Madagascar and Comoros. There are many types of lemurs. Each kind has its favorite place to live on the islands. Here are four fascinating lemurs for you to know.

Black-and-White Ruffed lemurs are large, about four feet long, including the tail. Their loud, deep barks and wailing howls can be heard from far away. Most of their lives are spent high in trees. They are quite good at using their feet to hang from tree branches to grab tasty-looking fruit.

Ring-Tailed lemurs like looking on the ground for fallen fruit. At bedtime, they sleep in caves. They’ll often sit together and point their bellies to the sun for warmth. To settle arguments, males have stink fights.

They rub their tails with their smelly scent and wave them at one another!

Crowned Sifaka lemurs have bright blue-green or gold eyes and a chunky snout. Their legs are long and powerful.

This lets them jump over 30 feet in a single leap and move quickly from tree to tree. These lemurs eat mostly plants and stems. To warn others of danger, one will give a loud sneeze, followed by a head shake.

Aye-Ayes might be the world’s strangest lemurs. They have huge ears, teeth that keep growing, and a bat-like face. Like most lemurs, they sleep in trees during the day, then climb down at night to find dinner. Their third fingers are extremely long and bony. Aye-Ayes use them to pull out tasty grubs from hollow logs and trees.

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FamVeld/Shutterstock.com

Irina Wilhauk/Shutterstock.com

We had an awesome adventure at the zoo. We got to feed some of the animals. Bryan loves birds, so he chose to feed a parrot.

Phoebe and Zoey were very excited to feed a rhino, their favorite animal. Hunter and Parker helped feed a giraffe and then two hungry porcupines. We all agree that feeding the animals at the zoo was one of the best experiences we ever had.

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by Lisa Hart illustration by Pamela Harden

Did you ever wonder, while snuggling up in your winter coat, how zoo lions keep warm? Did you ever picture, when pulling on your hat and mittens, a flamingo wearing a scarf? Did you ever consider, as you put on winter boots, that elephants do not wear boots?

The lions stretched out on the rocks at the zoo share a secret. The hot rocks they lie on are not real. Heaters hidden under the fake stone keep the big cats cozy warm. Zoos use lots of little tricks to help the animals in their care fight off the chill of winter. Keepers warm up the water in swimming pools for residents like the otters. Animals such as deer and elk find outside shelter in three-sided barns with extra bedding.

Nature allows many animals, like flamingos, to adapt to a bit of cold even if they come from a warm climate. And if the temperature dips too low for comfort, keepers simply bring the animals inside.

All this extra time indoors presents a challenge for zookeepers. For one thing, animals need exercise to make up for the time spent cooped up. A new toy or a small change in schedule gives a bored beast something to look forward to. Hiding some food treats lets animals do what comes naturally: hunt for their meals.

Lions lie on hot rocks, just as they do in the jungle.

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Sometimes a zoo resident’s diet needs changing during the winter too. Zoos give more food to those who build up fat to keep warm or become more active.

Animals that burn less energy in the winter need less food.

Forget the snow and the cold. Ice presents the real danger at zoos in winter. A frozen-over watering hole leaves an animal to go thirsty. That would be disastrous. A slip on the ice in an enclosure might lead to serious or deadly injuries. Some animals, like elephants, never see ice in the wild. Nature did not give them feet designed for walking on it.

So, once you snuggle into your coat and pull on your hat, mittens, and boots, pay a visit to a local zoo in winter. You might be surprised at who you see enjoying the snow.

Thanks to heated pools, this friendly otter swims in warm water year-round.

Unless it’s very cold outside, flamingos do just fine in cool weather.

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Noe Besso/Shutterstock.com

Zhukov Oleg/Shutterstock.com

Noe Besso/Shutterstock.com

Llamas, alpacas, and camels belong to the same animal family. Their body shapes are similar. The camel is the largest. Next is the llama. The alpaca is the smallest of the three. They have all been used by humans for transportation for thousands of years.

They all are known for spitting. But which can spit the farthest?

Because of its towering height, the camel wins the prize. It can spit up to 120 feet! But camels don’t actually spit saliva. If they are threatened, they vomit up material from their stomachs and spit that at predators.

The offensive smell will scare other animals away. Llamas and alpacas also spit food from their stomachs when they are annoyed or frightened.

The alpaca spits up to 10 feet. Llamas can spit up to 15 feet. So, between these two, llamas win.

Camels live in deserts and have either one or two humps. Large, flat feet help them walk on sand without sinking into it. Llamas and alpacas come from the mountains of South America. To tell them apart, look at their size, fur, and heads. The llama is bigger, has a thick coat, and long, banana-shaped ears. The alpaca is shorter, has a small face with pointed ears, and shaggier fur. The llama mostly likes to be alone. The alpaca is timid and just wants to blend in with its herd.

1. Which animal is a kind of car?

2. Which animal eats her food too fast?

3. Which animal always comes in twos?

“Another bad hair day, Leo?”

by Norm Jung

(parrot) (wolf) (cougar)

Riddles:

“Quit monkeying around!”

by Brandon Fall

If an Elephant Were Yellow

by Neal Levin Some people might snicker, Some people might faint If an elephant fell in A bucket of paint.

But not me – I’ve got me A much better plan, For I’m an incredible Elephant fan.

I’d stand up and yell, “Oh, that elephant’s yellow!”

I’d holler and bellow, “He’s no longer gray!”

I’d greet him, “Why, hello, You yellowish fellow.

That suits you quite well!”

Oh, boy, that’s what I’d say.

“How’s the weather up there?”

by Jack Flynn

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ninii/Shutterstock.com

Some of her fun behaviors are jumping, waving, and getting a ball in the water. Learning husbandry behaviors is necessary. They allow Hailey’s keeper to keep an eye on her health.

This is very important because Hailey can’t tell her keeper when she isn’t feeling well.

One day, Hailey’s keeper Susan noticed that Hailey’s gums were swollen and red. A veterinarian looked at Hailey’s teeth. She had a gum disease and needed to learn to have her teeth brushed.

KARI K/Shutterstock.com

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belizar/Shutterstock.com

Hailey the harbor seal lives the typical life of a zoo seal. Sunbathing and swimming make up most of her day. But just like you, Hailey goes to school every day. The person that takes care of Hailey is her teacher. Hailey’s classes are called training sessions. During these sessions, she practices two different types of behaviors: fun behaviors and medical, or husbandry, behaviors.

Hailey already knew the first step, which was to hold her mouth open. Next, she learned to have her face touched with the toothbrush. Once Hailey felt comfortable being touched with the toothbrush, Susan touched Hailey’s tooth. Then Susan began to brush the tooth. Each day, Susan added another tooth. Soon Hailey graduated to the last step of having all her teeth brushed with a special dental solution for animals.

Learning these behaviors is good for Hailey. It exercises her mind. Performing high-energy, fun behaviors, like jumping, provides Hailey with exercise for her body.

Husbandry behaviors teach Hailey how to cooperate with her medical treatment. Now Hailey’s gums are healthy again, and she has the brightest smile in the whole zoo!

Send Us...

your stories, photos, drawings, poems, and jokes & riddles for publication! We can’t wait to see what you send in!

EMAIL TO: kidscorner@funforkidz.com

OR MAIL TO: Kids Corner, PO Box 227 Bluffton, OH 45817-0227

LEO’s Way Home

by Samia Zafar, age 11

Cousins having winter fun

I made myself a snowball As perfect as could be.

I thought I’d keep it as a pet And let it sleep with me.

I made it some pajamas And a pillow for its head.

Then last night it ran away, But first it wet the bed.

Leo is a very curious kitten. He likes to know everything.

One day, Leo finds a line of ants. Leo wonders, “Where are they going?” Leo follows the ants into the deep, dark forest. While walking, Leo stops, looks around, and thinks to himself, Where am l? Leo is scared. He looks around to find a way home. But he’s never been in this part of the forest. It’s almost sunset. Leo sits down and starts to feel sad, lonely, and scared. But just when all seems lost, Leo spots the ants he had been following.

He starts to follow them again, and before he knows it, he’s back home again. “Thank you, little ants!” says Leo. He runs into his mother’s lap and falls asleep.

THE END

by Hunter, age 9

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The Crews Family Dallas, TX

Dear Ziggy, My hobbies are all sports. I really like horses and want to have one. It is very cold now where I live. Last night it snowed 6 inches.

That’s a lot of snow! My brother and I shoveled our sidewalks and our neighbor’s sidewalks too. His name is Garrett, and he’s 11. I am 9.

A fan, Matthew Kisloski Billings, MT

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Elephant Crossword on page 13

Mystery Picture Puzzle on page 12

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©Liz Ball www.hiddenpicturepuzzles.com

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Warthogs Sudoku on page 13

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Who’s There? on page 12 Fraction-nition on page 13 What is a hippopotamus’s favorite game?

SQUASH

30

MONKEY

Photo Credits: Macropus giganteus – Brunkerville by JJ Harrison [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons 6 (bottom); Mei xiang and xiao qi ji – by angela n. from Washington DC [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 14 (bottom); Giant panda Tian Tian – by Cliff [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 15 (left); Cub 20210412 – Smithsonian’s National Zoo 15 (right); Asian forest scorpion – by Chris huh [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 19 (top); Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 21 (top); Wild aye-aye – by nomis-simon [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 22 (bottom).

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V i s i t U s O n l i n e ! F a c e b o o k . c o m / F u n F o r K i d z • w w w. F u n F o r K i d z . c o m Vol. 21 No. 2 • MAR/APR 2022 Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards Editor: Marilyn Edwards Associate Editor: Diane Winebar Graphic Design: Gaurakisora Tucker Marketing Director: Jonathan Edwards Circulation Manager: Mark Studer Science Editor: Larry White Science Illustrator: Alan Wassilak Cowboy Clark & Larry Editor: Lisa Rehfuss Cover Artist: Chris Sabatino

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