Do you know how to be a good animal observer?

Suggestions on how to observe the animals

Observing the animal’s body:

• Try to determine the animal’s gender.
• Describe as many body parts as possible (Suggestion: trunk, antlers, tail, head, etc.).
• Describe a particular body part including every detail you notice. (Suggestion: they walk on two toes, their nostrils are thin and long, their ears are short, etc.).
• What are the different body parts designed for? (mane, short tail, long claws, large ears, long neck, etc.).
• Why do they look the way they do and in what way would they be different had they been living in a different environment? (Suggestion: The ostrich has only two toes; this enables him to run fast).

Let’s compare the bodies of animals belonging to the same species:

• Let us list as many differences between two individuals of the same species as we can (Suggestion: Let us compare two zebras).
• Why do these differences exist? What is their significance?

Let’s compare the bodies of animals belonging to two different species:

• Try to find as many similarities as you can (Suggestion: Compare the ostrich with the zebra or the giraffe with the scorpion).
• Try to find as many differences as you can (Suggestion: Compare the lion with the leopard).
• Why do these differences between individuals exist?

Let’s observe their reactions to the environment:

Animals can only survive in an environment, where all their needs are met: feeding, drinking, sleeping, contact with other individuals of the same species, mating instinct, and need for space.

• What is the animal doing at this moment?
  
  Is the animal sleeping, feeding itself, drinking, breathing, nurturing another individual of the same species or trying to defend itself from the attack of another animal?
  
  
• What objects in the enclosure enable the animal to satisfy its basic needs and what needs are being fulfilled on its own? (Suggestion: The water trough is there so the animal can drink water from. The animal sleeps on the ground.)
• What other objects do you think we should place within the enclosure for the animal to display some additional behaviors?
• Has the animal shown attention to something located outside of the enclosure? What object would that be? What senses made it aware of it?
• Which animal from the group is closer to the water? Which one is closer to the food? Does this have a special meaning? (Suggestion: More dominant animals are able to occupy better positions).
• Have you noticed how the animals have changed the inside of the enclosure? (Suggestion: Try to observe where they are scratching their fur, where they sleep, where they are sharpening their teeth, etc.). • Are there any strange, manmade objects inside of the enclosure? What do the animals use them for?

Let’s observe the behavior amongst animals of the same species:

• What is the distance between animals of the same species? Are they close together or are they farther apart? Suggestion: People, too, would rather touch friends than strangers.
• Do they touch? What do they touch each other with? Is this touching friendly or aggressive?
• How are they turned to one another (with the head, tail)? Are they close to one another with their front- or their hind part?
• Which animals, according to their sex and age (compare the heights of the animals), are closer and which ones are farther apart?
• If one animal moves, does the other one follow?

Let’s observe the behavior amongst animals of different species living in the same enclosure:

• What are the similarities between animals living in the same enclosure?
• Are the animals far apart or do the stay close to one another?
• Do they consume the same food? Do they feed together?
• Do individual animals belonging to different species touch one another?
• Do different species of animals play, hunt or attack together?
• Which species is the farthest from the food or water source?
• Where are each species of animal located?

Let’s compare the animals’ body and behavior with that of the human:

• What parts of the body look most similar to the human body parts?
• What body structure do humans lack? What structures or devices do humans use instead should they find themselves in a similar environment or situation, where such body structures would come in handy (i.e. webbed feet of geese, fins for people to swim under water)? 
• What animal behavior are you observing right now that reminds you of human behavior?