Hey, parents.
Trusty here.
You know what I hear constantly from homeschool parents in the Whosmarted community?
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That's ixl.com slash smarted.
And now it's time for Who's Smarted.
Oops.
Hey, smarty pants, see if you can guess where I am.
Mm-hmm.
I'm hearing a lot of you saying it sounds like I'm in a jungle or maybe on a safari on the plains of Africa.
Those are great guesses.
But nope, I'm not in a jungle.
I'm not on safari.
And I didn't have to leave New York City.
So how are you hearing all these animal sounds?
It's because I'm at the famous Bronx Zoo located in New York City, the perfect place to safely see and experience a wide array of exotic animals.
Everything from lions and tigers to monkeys, polar bears elephants giraffes, great apes and much, much more.
And, lucky for us, I'm getting to take a very special guided tour with a zookeeper, so you and I can learn more about.
Zoos?
Hey, trustee, and hey there, smarty pants.
My name is Brianna and I'll be showing you around the Bronx Zoo so you can see and hear what goes on behind the scenes at one of the biggest and wildest zoos in the United States.
Oh boy, I can hardly wait.
I've always loved coming to the zoo ever since I was a teeny tiny narrator.
What about you, Smarty Pants?
Do you enjoy visiting a zoo either near your home or when you're away?
Either way, you're in for a real treat, as we're about to find out the answers to questions like where do zoos get the animals?
What do the animals need in their enclosures?
How are the animals cared for?
And what do the zookeepers do?
Get ready for a wild whiff of science and history on Who's Smarted?
Who's Smarted?
Who's smart?
Is it you?
Is it me?
Is it science or history?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smart?
Okay, Smarty Pants.
As Brianna the Zookeeper mentioned right before the theme song, the Bronx Zoo is one of the biggest zoos in the United States and it is an awesome place to see, discover and learn about animals.
So when do you think the Bronx Zoo first opened?
Was it in A, the 1890s, B, the 1920s, or C, the 1980s?
If you said A, the 1890s, you got it.
The Bronx Zoo opened on November 8, 1899 with one mission entertaining people while educating them about animals.
Amazing.
On Who Smarted.
Our mission is entertaining smarty pants while educating them about everything, including lots of different animals.
And speaking of smarty pants, what do you think were the first animals at the Bronx Zoo?
Were they A, elephants, B, giraffes, or C, prairie dogs?
Hmm, I'm not sure, Brianna.
Personally, I'd probably guess elephants.
Is that what you said, smarty pants?
Well, while it makes sense to picture big animals like elephants when you think of zoos, the first animals that the Bronx Zoo received were actually a pair of prairie dogs.
Oh, wow.
That's surprising and very adorable.
Smarty Pants if you're not sure what prairie dogs are.
They're small burrowing animals similar to squirrels.
No offense, Brianna, but I'm glad the zoo got some bigger and more exotic animals after that.
Going to the zoo just to see some animals that look like squirrels isn't quite as exciting.
I hear you, trustee.
The good news is other animals arrived before the zoo first opened its gates.
And like most zoos, we have a pretty big variety of animals today.
You know, come to think of it, I can't really remember a time without zoos.
How long have there been zoos in the United States of America?
Great question.
Over 20 cities in the USA had created zoos since the end of the Civil War in 1865.
Whoa.
That is a lot of zoos.
I love it.
Now, here comes a big question.
How do zoos care for all these animals?
Smarty Pants, we'll be back with the answer to that question and more right after this quick advertising break and a word from our sponsors.
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Now back to Who Smarted?
Okay Brianna, picking up where we left off, I'm looking around and seeing lots and lots of different animals.
How is it a zoo can care for all of these animals?
Well, as early as 1901, the Bronx Zoo had a small staff of veterinarians to care for the animals.
Smartypants.
I'm sure most of you know this, but just in case you don't a veterinarian is a special doctor that treats animals.
Oh, I thought it was someone who doesn't eat meat cake.
No, no, that's a vegetarian, Grandma.
Or just someone who likes their food to taste edible.
Hey!
Anyway, back to zoos.
It's a good thing zoos have veterinarians to care for the animals if they aren't feeling well or just need to be cared for.
Exactly.
And trust me, trustee, when I say the care has only gotten much, much better over the years.
In the early days of the zoo, many people didn't know very much about animals' lives in the wild.
So unfortunately, there was a lot of misinformation about what they needed to stay happy and healthy.
Yikes!
How did people find out what the animals needed?
After all, caring for a rhinoceros is a lot different than caring for a dog.
Any ideas, Smarty Pants?
Basically, lots of scientists observed animals in the wild and gathered information about them, which they then passed on to zookeepers and veterinarians.
According to my findings, gorillas are social animals and feel their best when they have social interaction.
My advice would be to make sure the zookeepers socialize with the gorillas.
And that includes giving them hugs.
I gotta say I think it is so cool that you get to interact with animals to make sure that they are feeling their best.
Absolutely.
It's one of the best parts of my job.
Now, if you'll follow me, let's go check out one of the most popular exhibits at the Bronx Zoo the African Plains.
Even though this exhibit opened in 1941, people still love visiting it today.
Hmm, Smarty Pants, what kind of animals do you think we'll see in the African Plains exhibit?
Go ahead and shout out some answers.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, I'm hearing some great answers.
Let's give an audio clue to one of them.
Yep, if you said lions, you're right.
The Bronx Zoo has its own pride of lions living in the African plains.
Let's check in with them.
Ooh, I have an idea.
I can use my interspecies smarty translating app so that you, me and the smarty pants can understand what they're saying.
Really?
You can do that?
It's a podcast.
We can do anything.
Here we go setting up the translation app so they can understand us and we can understand them.
Wow, this is a first for me.
I can't wait.
Excuse me, Lions.
Trusty narrator here from Who Smarted.
Hello.
I'm kind of curious.
I can't help but notice you're in your area along with zebras, but you're not eating them.
Why is that?
Look, the lions are looking at you.
They understood you.
This is incredible.
It's just another day on Who Smarted?
But Smarty Pants, before the Bronx Zoo Lions give their answer, why do you think they're not eating the zebras?
Is it because A, the lions are trained not to eat the zebras?
B, the zebras were sprayed with a powerful lion repellent?
Or C, zoo enclosures are built special so animals don't eat each other?
I'm not sure.
Lions, what do you say?
Smarty Pants.
If you said C, zoo enclosures are especially built so animals don't eat each other, you're right.
While in the wild lions love to eat zebras, but at the zoo we are separated from them by hidden motes.
Obviously, we want our visitors to the zoo to be able to enjoy watching and photographing zebras, not being munched on by a lion for a meal.
But don't worry about us.
Me and the other lions get plenty of delicious meat from the zookeepers and lion wranglers.
That reminds me.
Is it feeding time yet?
Soon.
You've still got another 30 minutes.
Oh, well, never hurts to ask, especially when you can understand me.
Okay, I'm turning off the app now.
There.
That was truly wild, trustee.
Okay, moving on.
Let's go check out the Bronx Zoo's first immersion exhibit, Jungle World.
Smarty Pants, do you know what the word immersion means?
If not, I'll tell you.
It means being fully involved in an experience.
So an immersion exhibit called Jungle World means...
We're going into a jungle?
Yes.
And no.
The Jungle World exhibit is not a real jungle, but it is designed to look and feel as realistic as possible.
Visiting Jungle World is as close as it gets to taking a walk through Southeast Asian jungle habitats, which is something most zoos try to do with their animals and visitors.
You want to replicate an animal's natural habitat as much as possible.
And you want the visitor to get a true sense of where these animals live in the wild.
Yep, that makes perfect sense.
So what animal will we be seeing next?
Let's go check in with the taper.
And feel free to use that app again if you want to talk to it.
Hi, Taper.
I'm the trusty narrator.
What you doing?
Not much.
I'm just waiting in my pool.
Ooh, lucky you.
You get to have a pool.
Well, being a taper, I just love the water.
So my enclosure was built with a pool so I could enjoy my natural behaviors.
My neighbors in the exhibit.
The small-clawed Asian otters also love water, and so do many other zoo animals.
Gotcha.
That reminds me, Brianna.
I've been meaning to ask, where do all of the animals at the zoo come from?
Great question, trustee.
And it's one we get a lot.
So, back when the zoo first opened, animals were brought here from the wild.
However, these days, that's something zoos try to avoid doing.
In fact, some animals are born at the zoo, and other animals come from other zoos.
What?
Smartypants, why would zoos need to get animals from other zoos?
Yep.
I don't know either.
Brianna, please explain.
Certainly.
It's quite simple, really.
Because many of these animals were born in one zoo and since zoos all around the world cooperate with each other, they tend to donate animals to each other.
Or, in some cases, they might trade.
So, you're saying I could trade you my cat for a tiger?
No.
Not unless you're a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Ah, that's good.
Besides, I don't have room for a lion anyway.
Okay, moving on.
You ready to ride the Wild Asia monorail and meet some other animals?
What do you say, smarty pants?
Why, of course we're ready.
Then let's board the monorail.
This is such a cool exhibit because it was built without glass or bars, so you get an up-close look at the animals.
Let's meet a southern white rhinoceros.
Hi there, southern white rhinoceros.
I'm the trusty narrator from Who Smarted?
It's really cool seeing you up close.
And a little intimidating since you're so big.
Smartypants, how much do you think an adult rhinoceros weighs?
Is it over 3,000 pounds, over 4,000 pounds, or over 5,000 pounds?
If you said over 4,000 pounds, you're right.
That's how much my SUV weighs.
Yep, which is why the zoo gave me a lot of space to move around in.
They also provide me with a lot of mud.
Since they know I love a good mud wallow.
I'm sure glad they provided me with a monorail so I'm not getting splashed with said mud.
Again, one of a zoo's top priorities is providing a comfortable habitat for each individual animal and a good viewing experience for our guests.
Which reminds me there's a zoo in France that puts to good use something that would be a lot worse to be splashed with than mud.
Ooh, that sounds interesting.
We'll find out what it is right after a quick ad break and a word from our sponsors.
Welcome back to Who Smarted?
As you heard, I was worried about getting splashed with mud from the rhinoceros, but apparently there's even worse things you can be splashed with.
Yeah,
It's something all zoos have to deal with.
Because all animals make it.
Oh boy.
Smarty Pants, can you guess what gross thing all animals make?
Go ahead and shout it out.
That's right.
It's... Poop.
Poop.
Yep.
And with over 11000 animals here at the Bronx Zoo, that's a lot of.
But the Beauval Zoo in France uses the animal poop to make something useful.
Oh, what do you think that could be, smarty pants?
Is it A, electricity?
B, a poop palace for animals to live in?
Or C, fertilizer for plants.
If you said A, electricity, that was a shockingly good answer.
At the Boval Zoo, they put the animal poop through a special process that creates biogas.
No, not that kind of gas.
The biogas is then used to make electricity to heat and light parts of the zoo.
Amazing!
It sounds like zoos have come a long way in caring for animals and the environment over the years.
Smarty Pants, how long have zoos been around?
Is it hundreds of years?
Thousands of years?
Or millions of years?
If you said thousands of years, you're right!
But were they always like the zoos we know today?
They were not.
For many years, zoos were private collections of animals owned by important people, like royalty.
Having a collection of wild animals made them feel important.
You're a giant anteater, my lord.
It wasn't until 1835 that the zoos we know today started taking shape.
The first modern zoo opened in London, England.
At first, only scientists were allowed in.
But by 1846, anyone who could pay the penny admission fee... could visit the zoo.
And zoos have gotten better and better over the years.
This is mostly because how much scientists, zookeepers and veterinarians have learned about the animals and how to care for them.
Everything from what they eat, how they interact, and most of all, their enclosures.
That's right, trusty.
In the old days it was sadly common for animals to be kept by themselves in cages with thick metal bars.
But we know animals prefer natural surroundings and the company of other animals.
Most zoos even give animals special toys and enrichment activities so they don't get bored.
Aww.
And remember, Smarty Pants, when you can see the animals, they can see you too.
So be sure to be respectful when you visit a zoo, even if you can't talk to them like I can.
What exhibit would you like to check out next, trustee?
We could see the monkeys, chimps, gibbons, and lemurs.
Or we could visit the snakes and other reptiles.
Or we could check out the penguins.
Oh, I was thinking we could hit the Dancing Crane Cafe for a personal pizza.
It's the trusty narrator's feeding time.
A big overseas shout out to Jacob, Ollie and their mom Emily, who loves smarting with us in Bychester, United Kingdom.
Thanks so much for letting us know how much you love listening to Who Smarted in the car at tea time and after school.
I'm so glad we've made learning and education fun for your family.
Keep on smarting, my smarty friends.
This episode, Zoos, was written by Sarah Sweetick and voiced by Melissa, the bull, Shafter.
Kim, King Cobra, Davis.
Sarah, Snow Leopard Sweetick.
Max, Okapi Kamaski.
Adam, Ibex, Davis, and Jerry Kolber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh, the Iguana Han.
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Squirrel Monkey Suarez, with lyrics written and produced by Adam Tex Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an Atomic Audio production.
Too smart and...
