Hey guys! It’s me Nikki
and it's time for a new Nikki's Wiki!
Today’s report is all about zoo animals!
Zoos are places where you can see animals from all over the world.
I like zoos where the animals roam free in big open spaces,
with lots of plants,
and other animals to play with.
There’s one like that being built in Europe, called Zootopia.
Hey, just like the movie!
Zoos have been around longer than you might think.
All the way back in 1500 BC
a queen named Hatshepsut opened a zoo in Egypt.
And ancient Greeks had zoos so that they could study the animals.
Now let’s fast forward about a thousand years to Austria in the 1700s,
where an emperor built a zoo that’s still open today!
That makes it the oldest zoo in the world!
That zoo was originally a gift for the emperor’s wife.
Oh I love zoos!
NIKKI: Hold on, a whole zoo?
Awesome!
Back then, there was no internet,
no TV,
no airplanes,
and no wikis.
So zoos were really the only way for people to experience wildlife from other parts of the world.
But this is a wiki,
and we can go anywhere we want!
So let’s travel the world and see these wild animals in their natural habitats!
It’s time for a worldwide safari!
This is the savannah, home to one of my favorite animals of all time,
the African elephant!
Elephants are amazing!
They are SUPER smart.
Aw shucks!
NIKKI: And can communicate from miles away by sending vibrations through the earth.
Did you just feel the floor shake?
Okay, let's head to the congo where my favorite ape lives.
Introducing the bonobo!
Bonobos are close cousins of the chimpanzee,
Fun fact: bonobos laugh when they’re tickled!
Ha ha ha ha ha! Cut it out!
I'm ticklish!
Now let’s travel to Antarctica!
Brrrr, it’s cold!
But that’s good,
it needs to be cold for the penguins who live here.
Penguins are super “cool”.
They’re birds, but they don’t fly...
Instead, they swim!
They also waddle, jump, and slide!
Best thing about penguins, though,
is they look like they’re wearing tuxedos! Fancy penguins!
Where to next?
I know! Let’s go to China and see a giant panda!
Some do still live in the wild.
They mostly eat bamboo.
Yep, pandas kind of look like they have eye patches like pirates.
Arg!
Next up, the Amazon rainforest of South America!
That’s where the toucan lives!
The toucan is a colorful bird with a beak that’s almost as big as its body!
Toucans eat fruit and insects.
Here, have a crunchy beetle!
Uh... no thanks.
Last stop on our real-life zoo adventure,
let’s go to St. Helena Island.
That’s where the world’s oldest living animal is.
Meet Jonathan, the 184 year-old tortoise!
He was actually given to the governor as a gift in the 1800s,
back when people did things like that.
Open your present, George!
Why, it’s a giant tortoise! How grand!
Now open yours, Penelope!
Ahhhh!! It’s a tiger!
To sum up my report, zoos have been around for a long, long time
because humans have always been interested in animals
and because, well,
animals are awesome!
But we have to remember that animals deserve our respect...
especially when they’re also our elders!
That’s right, ya little whippersnapper.
What’s your favorite zoo animal? Tell me in the comments!
And hit “like”, subscribe, and click over here to watch more Wikis with me, Nikki!
Bye!!
Bye!