What happens when a zoo animal gets sick? For most of the history of zoos, that question had an answer most visitors never saw. Now, one of the world's oldest zoological societies is building a facility designed to change that — and what they're planning goes well beyond routine checkups.
The Zoological Society of London is constructing a new wildlife health center that will allow visitors to observe animals receiving medical care firsthand. Some of what they'll see will be routine — weight checks, dental exams, the kind of maintenance that keeps zoo populations healthy. But onlookers may also get a window into surgical procedures, and in some cases, postmortems. It's an unusually transparent approach for an institution that has traditionally kept its medical operations behind closed doors.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics argue the center is more about capitalizing on public curiosity than genuinely benefiting the animals in its care — that making medicine into a spectator sport serves the zoo's revenue more than its residents.
ZSL pushes back on that framing. The center is designed to be more than an exhibit. It's intended to function as a global training resource for wildlife vets, a hub where expertise in animal medicine can be developed and shared across institutions worldwide. The argument is that visibility and conservation aren't in conflict — that showing people what it actually takes to keep wild animals healthy is exactly the kind of thing that builds the public understanding zoos increasingly depend on to justify their existence.
The deeper question the center raises isn't really about one zoo or one building. It's about what zoos are actually for — and whether letting people watch is a compromise of that mission or an extension of it.
Did somebody say CAT scan? The Norfolk Zoo is doubling down on the idea of a big CAT scan by giving a big cat a scan! A tiger named Mishka is one of many animal patients that the zoo is sending through a CAT, or CT, scan. Short for “computerized axial tomography” or “computed tomography,” depending on how much time you have and how much you want to impress your friends, CT scans use a combination of X-rays and computer technology to help see inside bodies, produced detailed images of bones, organs, and soft tissue.
To the untrained eye, the scan’s grey and white blobs may look like, well, blobs. But, skilled professionals will be able to see if they show any abnormalities in bones or soft tissues. In addition to Mishka, the zoo also checked out other animals like a vulture, penguin, and sloth.
Their scans will not only help animals at the zoo, but in the wild, too. The findings will be added to the base knowledge on a species or animal, which can be shared with experts and vet colleagues globally.
Check out Bingo's jigsaw. There are soooo many animals in the world — from bald eagles in North America to koala bears in Australia. Can you help her find the one's she's looking for? Plus, match the close-ups to the right animals on the map. You can even write their names if you know them.
Winter is a season of frosty magic, silent snowfall, and some truly astonishing animal superpowers. But how much do you really know about the creatures that survive — and even thrive — when the temperature plunges?
From Arctic foxes that change coats like fashion pros to bears mastering the art of long naps, wood frogs that freeze without fear, and woolly bear caterpillars predicting winter’s mood swings, this quiz is packed with wild wonders and icy surprises. Only the sharpest nature buffs and winter-survival whiz kids will claw their way to the top of the leaderboard.
The article "Amazing Animals of Madagascar and Where To Find Them" from BBC's Discover Wildlife is a guide to the extraordinary animals found only on the island of Madagascar. It describes different species like lemurs, aye-ayes, fossas, and giraffe-necked weevils, and the parks and reserves where visitors can see them in their natural homes.
The article "Animals evolve larger limbs to adapt to rising temperatures" from BBC's Science Focus discusses how climate change is prompting warm-blooded animals to develop larger appendages, such as ears, beaks, and limbs, to better regulate body heat.
Invite students to draw and color an ocean animal. What kinds of creatures live in the ocean?
We designed these worksheets for use in grades 3–8. Show one of our many short animal videos, and use the worksheets to get students to synthesize and extend their learning. Students can choose which worksheet to complete based on their interests, or you can assign one that best fits their learning needs.
Journey into the heart of the rainforest and explore the four amazing layers that make this ecosystem so unique. From the sunlit emergent layer high above the trees to the dark and humid forest floor below, students will discover how different plants and animals survive and thrive in each part of the rainforest.
This Kahoot examines the rainforest’s distinct layers — the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor — and the important roles they play in supporting biodiversity. Students will learn how animals adapt to life at different heights, how plants compete for sunlight and water, and how all the layers work together to create one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders hidden within each layer of the rainforest.
On one futuristic farm, robots do almost everything — feeding cows, cleaning barns, and even milking the animals with laser-guided machines. Farmers say the high-tech system is faster, cheaper, and more precise than human workers, helping produce more milk while lowering costs. But not everyone is impressed. Critics argue that cows are becoming part of an assembly line instead of living animals, since many never roam outside or eat fresh grass. As robots take over more jobs once done by humans, this farm raises a bigger question: when technology makes life more efficient, what might get lost along the way?
For many people, a dog or cat is much more than a pet — they’re part of the family. Some owners see their pets like a son, daughter, or best friend. But under the law in many places, pets are still treated as property, more like a car or a piece of furniture than a family member.
That legal label can create big problems when families split up. In divorces or ownership disputes, courts may focus on who bought the pet or whose name is on paperwork, instead of what is best for the animal or which person has the strongest bond with it.
Now some people are pushing to change that. A petition to the UK Parliament argues that pets should be legally recognized as family members. Spain has already made similar changes, allowing courts to consider the pet’s welfare and emotional relationships when making decisions.
The debate raises a bigger question: if millions of people treat pets like family, should the law do the same?
In Welcome to the Park!, Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers visit a city park. Join them as they learn why parks are good for the environment and for animals and insects, like bees, and humans, like us! This video is excerpted from BBC's Ranger Hamza’s Eco Quest, a nature exploration show in which Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers go on quests to discover nature’s wonders and the important role they play in our environment.
What happens when a zoo animal gets sick? For most of the history of zoos, that question had an answer most visitors never saw. Now, one of the world's oldest zoological societies is building a facility designed to change that — and what they're planning goes well beyond routine checkups.
The Zoological Society of London is constructing a new wildlife health center that will allow visitors to observe animals receiving medical care firsthand. Some of what they'll see will be routine — weight checks, dental exams, the kind of maintenance that keeps zoo populations healthy. But onlookers may also get a window into surgical procedures, and in some cases, postmortems. It's an unusually transparent approach for an institution that has traditionally kept its medical operations behind closed doors.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics argue the center is more about capitalizing on public curiosity than genuinely benefiting the animals in its care — that making medicine into a spectator sport serves the zoo's revenue more than its residents.
ZSL pushes back on that framing. The center is designed to be more than an exhibit. It's intended to function as a global training resource for wildlife vets, a hub where expertise in animal medicine can be developed and shared across institutions worldwide. The argument is that visibility and conservation aren't in conflict — that showing people what it actually takes to keep wild animals healthy is exactly the kind of thing that builds the public understanding zoos increasingly depend on to justify their existence.
The deeper question the center raises isn't really about one zoo or one building. It's about what zoos are actually for — and whether letting people watch is a compromise of that mission or an extension of it.
Did somebody say CAT scan? The Norfolk Zoo is doubling down on the idea of a big CAT scan by giving a big cat a scan! A tiger named Mishka is one of many animal patients that the zoo is sending through a CAT, or CT, scan. Short for “computerized axial tomography” or “computed tomography,” depending on how much time you have and how much you want to impress your friends, CT scans use a combination of X-rays and computer technology to help see inside bodies, produced detailed images of bones, organs, and soft tissue.
To the untrained eye, the scan’s grey and white blobs may look like, well, blobs. But, skilled professionals will be able to see if they show any abnormalities in bones or soft tissues. In addition to Mishka, the zoo also checked out other animals like a vulture, penguin, and sloth.
Their scans will not only help animals at the zoo, but in the wild, too. The findings will be added to the base knowledge on a species or animal, which can be shared with experts and vet colleagues globally.
Check out Bingo's jigsaw. There are soooo many animals in the world — from bald eagles in North America to koala bears in Australia. Can you help her find the one's she's looking for? Plus, match the close-ups to the right animals on the map. You can even write their names if you know them.
Winter is a season of frosty magic, silent snowfall, and some truly astonishing animal superpowers. But how much do you really know about the creatures that survive — and even thrive — when the temperature plunges?
From Arctic foxes that change coats like fashion pros to bears mastering the art of long naps, wood frogs that freeze without fear, and woolly bear caterpillars predicting winter’s mood swings, this quiz is packed with wild wonders and icy surprises. Only the sharpest nature buffs and winter-survival whiz kids will claw their way to the top of the leaderboard.
The article "Amazing Animals of Madagascar and Where To Find Them" from BBC's Discover Wildlife is a guide to the extraordinary animals found only on the island of Madagascar. It describes different species like lemurs, aye-ayes, fossas, and giraffe-necked weevils, and the parks and reserves where visitors can see them in their natural homes.
The article "Animals evolve larger limbs to adapt to rising temperatures" from BBC's Science Focus discusses how climate change is prompting warm-blooded animals to develop larger appendages, such as ears, beaks, and limbs, to better regulate body heat.
Invite students to draw and color an ocean animal. What kinds of creatures live in the ocean?
We designed these worksheets for use in grades 3–8. Show one of our many short animal videos, and use the worksheets to get students to synthesize and extend their learning. Students can choose which worksheet to complete based on their interests, or you can assign one that best fits their learning needs.
Journey into the heart of the rainforest and explore the four amazing layers that make this ecosystem so unique. From the sunlit emergent layer high above the trees to the dark and humid forest floor below, students will discover how different plants and animals survive and thrive in each part of the rainforest.
This Kahoot examines the rainforest’s distinct layers — the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor — and the important roles they play in supporting biodiversity. Students will learn how animals adapt to life at different heights, how plants compete for sunlight and water, and how all the layers work together to create one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders hidden within each layer of the rainforest.
On one futuristic farm, robots do almost everything — feeding cows, cleaning barns, and even milking the animals with laser-guided machines. Farmers say the high-tech system is faster, cheaper, and more precise than human workers, helping produce more milk while lowering costs. But not everyone is impressed. Critics argue that cows are becoming part of an assembly line instead of living animals, since many never roam outside or eat fresh grass. As robots take over more jobs once done by humans, this farm raises a bigger question: when technology makes life more efficient, what might get lost along the way?
For many people, a dog or cat is much more than a pet — they’re part of the family. Some owners see their pets like a son, daughter, or best friend. But under the law in many places, pets are still treated as property, more like a car or a piece of furniture than a family member.
That legal label can create big problems when families split up. In divorces or ownership disputes, courts may focus on who bought the pet or whose name is on paperwork, instead of what is best for the animal or which person has the strongest bond with it.
Now some people are pushing to change that. A petition to the UK Parliament argues that pets should be legally recognized as family members. Spain has already made similar changes, allowing courts to consider the pet’s welfare and emotional relationships when making decisions.
The debate raises a bigger question: if millions of people treat pets like family, should the law do the same?
In Welcome to the Park!, Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers visit a city park. Join them as they learn why parks are good for the environment and for animals and insects, like bees, and humans, like us! This video is excerpted from BBC's Ranger Hamza’s Eco Quest, a nature exploration show in which Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers go on quests to discover nature’s wonders and the important role they play in our environment.