Animal ABC's: Who's Who At the Zoo

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Beginning

If you don’t know just what to do

Or you feel mad or sad or blue

Why don’t you go down to the zoo

And check what’s what and see who’s who?

(This rhyme gives you a clue or two)

A Is For Aarvark

There is no better place to start

Than with the wacky weird AARDVARK

With donkey ears and piggy nose

And monkey tail and claws for toes

Could there be a stranger beast?

And that’s not all, he likes to feast

His sticky tongue on termite ants

(The kind you don’t want in your pants!)

He’s rather shy – you would be too

If you looked like him down at the zoo

B Is For Bear

Now can you see (but please don’t stare)

There is a fuzzy wuzzy BEAR

She could be black or brown or white

Or mauve with spots (no, that ain’t right!)

She likes to munch on juicy fruits

Or smoke a pipe of bamboo shoots

But don’t you kiss or hug her tight

She’ll eat your face off in one bite

(except for teddy bears like Pooh)

Which bear will you see at the zoo?

C Is For Crocodile

See that log with a toothy smile?

Don’t be fooled, it’s a CROCODILE

With scaly skin and googly eyes

His wangled teeth should win a prize

But don’t say “ugly”, if he hears

He’ll start to cry crocodile tears

And mind you don’t stand on his head

He’ll chomp you like a piece of bread

He lived when dinosaurs lived too

And now he’s living at the zoo

D Is For Dolphin

If you prefer a friendly grin

Then you should meet the dear DOLPHIN

You’ll find her in the swimming pool

She thinks her moves are super cool

She’ll flash and splash and show you tricks

Like fetching balls and doing flicks

She makes a happy squeaky sound

And gobbles fish up by the pound

What’s more, she counts to twenty two

And waves to greet you at the zoo

E Is For Elephant

What’s next? Let me give you a hint

It’s huge, yes it’s the ELEPHANT

He sucks up water through his nose

Then squirts it out just like a hose

He likes to bath in dirty mud

And when he runs his feet go thud

But if you’re quiet, you’ll hear him rumble

That’s his language of the jungle

He’s just a gentle giant who

Gives kids free showers at the zoo

F Is For Fox

Now if you look inside that box

You just might find the wily FOX

They say she’s clever and she’s sly

And you may ask the question “why?”

It’s just because she likes farm hens

And steals them right out of their pens

Or maybe it’s her bushy tail

That covers up her secret trail?

Nobody really has a clue

But you might spot her at the zoo

G Is For Giraffe

A creature that will make you laugh

Is super-tall, it’s the GIRAFFE

His neck is stretched to touch the sky

He must get dizzy, it’s so high!

You’ll see him eating purple leaves

Right from the tops of thorny trees

Since he’s so tall you’d surely think

He’d need a straw to help him drink?

I have no doubt he will see you

But will you see him at the zoo?

H Is For Hippopotamus

Down by the lake, what’s all the fuss?

My gosh, a HIPPOPOTAMUS

She opens up her mouth so wide

You see her breakfast deep inside

And when her head is not submerged

She gets her ears cleaned by the birds

And that’s not all, I swear there’s more

She walks across the zoo lake floor

I bet when she yawns, you do too

But don’t get tired, you’re at the zoo!

I Is For Iguana

While you’re eating your banana

Why not visit an IGUANA

You’ll find him in the reptile pit

Counting flies and spitting grit

His forked tongue licks his lizard lips

He wants to taste your fingertips

His other treats are mice and bugs

And if he’s hungry, even slugs

Imagine finger-mouse-slug stew!

That’s what’s for dinner at the zoo

J Is For Jackass

Now tell your mom you’re not being crass

But can you see the wild JACKASS?

He’s not a donkey or a horse

He’s half way in between of course

They say he’s stubborn (not just thick)

He likes the carrot, not the stick

And if you only feed him straw

He will protest – “hee-haw! hee-haw!”

And if you’re called a jackass too

At least you’ve seen one at the zoo

K Is For Kangaroo

Guess who’s hopping glad to see you?

It’s bopping, bouncing KANGAROO

I’ll tell you something, she can box

She’ll knock you right out of your socks!

And mommy kanga’s got a pouch

Where baby roo can just hang out

With all that jumping, kanga makes

The most delicious roo milkshakes

I’m sure you’re mighty thirsty too

From all your bouncing round the zoo

L Is For Lion

I hope that you have nerves of iron

It’s time for you to meet the LION

As you well know, he’s king of beasts

And he thinks kids make tasty feasts

When he roars, your legs will shiver

And his teeth will make you quiver

But in the zoo he’s behind bars

So thank your lucky lucky stars

He’s just a pussy cat that grew

And now he’s king of all the zoo

M Is For Monkey

Now what’s that over there, come see

The swooping whooping mad MONKEY

Look! He’s making silly faces

Oops! He’s chewing on your laces

Eeew! Now his finger’s in his nose

He’s just like you, without the clothes

Even though he is more hairy

That’s just evolutionary

He’s from your family tree, it’s true

He’s like your cousin at the zoo

N Is For Night-owl

Let’s not forget the feathered fowl

That fly the skies, like Miss NIGHT-OWL

She likes to hunt for squeaky mice

And scoffs them without thinking twice

Her head can turn the whole way ‘round

(Just like some mothers’ heads, I’ve found)

She sees so much with those big eyes

That’s probably why she’s very wise

She’s knows ta-whit, ta-what, ta-who

She is the brains behind the zoo

O Is For Octopus

It sure would be a shock to miss

The multi-coloured OCTOPUS

Go shake his hand (don’t hesitate)

He’s holding out not one but eight!

His skin can change to different hues

(It’s hard to find him matching shoes!)

And watch him close, or when you blink

He’ll squirt your shirt with purple ink

He’s got not one heart or just two

But three, as you’ll see at the zoo

P Is For Platypus

If there’s a prize for wackiness

It goes to the cute PLATAPUS

He has a bill just like a duck

But cannot quack (what rotten luck!)

He swims in streams just like a fish

But has no fins (to swash and swish)

His tail is like a beaver’s (flat)

But he lays eggs (imagine that!)

It’s like his parts are stuck with glue

From other creatures at the zoo

Q Is For Quagga

To spot the next one will be tougher

Have you ever seen a QUAGGA?

Half her body’s streaked with straight stripes

Like the zebra, in blacks and whites

The other half is brown and faint

As if she just ran out of paint

And even though she’s so distinct

The sad thing is, she’s gone extinct

(That means there’s less than just a few)

But still, her photo’s at the zoo

R Is For Rhinoceros

There’s still a few treats left for us

Can you find the RHINOCEROS?

He’s got two horns upon his nose

(But not the kind a jazz band blows)

And if you tried to tickle him

He wouldn’t feel it through his skin

His eyesight is not very good

I bet he thinks you’re made of wood

(Let’s tap your head, see if it’s true)

Now what else is there at the zoo?

S Is For Snake

I’m ssssure there can be no misssstake

That ssssilky rope is Mrssss ssssnake

She likes to sssslither in the ssssun

Or sssshed her sssscaley sssskin for fun

Ssssilently she sssschemes and plots

To tie her ssssupper up in knots

And then she sssswallows as they ssssquirm

Like ssssucking up a sssslimy worm

Sssso sssstep back if she sssstares at you

Or you’ll be ssssnack food at the zoo

T Is For Tortoise

Slow down, you wouldn’t want to miss

The peaceful plodding Sir TORTOISE

If you’re patient and kind as well

He may just come out of his shell

It’s true he’s slow around the track

Because his house is on his back

But still he won the rabbit race

By sticking to his steady pace

His slowness helps him grow old too

So he’s the grandpa at the zoo

U Is For Unicorn

What magic beast has just one horn?

Of course, the fabled UNICORN

It’s possible to see her, but

Only if your eyes are shut

And only if you have been kind

Then she appears there in your mind

Her mane is laced with pretty flowers

And you can ride her back for hours

I’ve heard all wishes can come true

If you just glimpse her at the zoo

V Is For Vulture

Now here’s a bird that’s lacking culture

Have you ever seen the VULTURE?

His beak is hooked, his shoulders hunch

He likes a bag of bones for lunch

I hope at home you never eat

The way he does (on rotting meat)

He’s always fighting over food

Quite simply put, he’s vile and rude

But give a bird respect that’s due

He’s cleans things up around the zoo

W Is For Whale

Look over there, a mighty tail

I bet that’s from the big blue WHALE

She’s bigger than a car or house

So big that you feel like a mouse

And have you ever heard her song?

Sometimes it’s several hours long

I wonder if she dreams big dreams

And if she’s happy as she seems

Why don’t you ask her if it’s true

When next you see her at the zoo?

X Is For X-Thing

I’m sure you’re wondering what is next

Well, so am I, it’s called an “X”

That means it’s anything you like

Maybe a monster nicknamed Mike?

Or dinosaur without a head?

Or peanut butter fish called Fred?

It could be just your favourite cat?

Or zog from space, come for a chat?

Whatever you decide to choose

We’ll see that X-thing at the zoo

Y Is For Yak

It’s nearly time for going back

But first let’s go and see the YAK

He used to live in far Tibet

(A place you’ve never seen, I’ll bet)

He’s like a cow, but he’s more bold

His woolly coat’s made for the cold

His milk is used for buttered tea

I think that’s weird, would you agree?

It’s good to find out something new

What better place than at the zoo

Z Is For Zebra

Last but not least is dear Debra

She’s the stripy friendly ZEBRA

She made the trip from Africa

Where wildlife is fantastica

She’ll tell you how when she got flyin’

She’d outrun the fastest lion

Now she lives a life more tranquil

And she’s secretly quite thankful

She’s always happy to see you

And hopes you’ll come back to the zoo

Ending

So now you’ve done the thing to do

(I hope you’re not still sad and blue)

And since you’ve been down to the zoo

To check what’s what and see who’s who

Why don’t you tell a friend or two?

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