Saturday Morning Wildlife Watching

Why do kids think wolves are mean? Why do owls have a reputation for being wise? Are bears really that ferocious ? Or are they more like Winnie the Pooh?

Where do kids get their impressions of animals?
Well, a lot of it comes from cartoons. Think about the last Disney movie you watched. Were the animals behaving like their real counterparts? Do lions and tigers really walk on their hind legs? Of course not. Sometimes it’s easy to separate the cartoon characters from the real thing. But sometimes it’s not. So here’s an activity to try next time you’re watching cartoons.

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE CARTOON OR MOVIE . . .

What real animal is the character based on?
___________________________

Is that real animal wild, tame, or both?
___________________________

Now think about the behavior of the cartoon animal versus the real animal and compare them. Here’s a list of behaviors to think about. Write yes or no for each animal.

BEHAVIOR OF . . .                REAL ANIMAL                    CARTOON CHARACTER

Can it talk?                           ______________               ________________________

Can it walk on four legs?      ______________               ________________________

Can it walk on two legs?       ______________               ________________________

Does it have hands?            ______________               ________________________

Can it run fast?                    ______________               ________________________

Does it wear clothes?          ______________               ________________________

Is it smart?                           ______________               ________________________

Now think about your first impressions of the following animals. Are they really true? For example: When you think of owls, the first thing you might think of is wise. Is this true? If you’re not sure, do a little research on the Division of Wildlife’s Website at www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife and look for our Species page for help.

                NAME YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION         TRUE OR FALSE

Bear          __________________________               _____________

Fox            __________________________              _____________

Snake        __________________________              _____________

Spider        __________________________              _____________

Bat             _________________________               _____________

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The above activities were adapted from Project WILD © 2001 Council for Environmental Education