Animal tragic - British children struggle to identify basic wild animals

While we pride ourselves on being a nation of animal lovers – it seems we’re not passing our vital knowledge onto our kids. According to a new survey out today thousands of British children struggle to identify even the most basic of wild animals such as gorillas, cheetahs and chimpanzees.  

When it comes to recognising animals that you would see on a trip to the zoo, one in eight children polled could not name a gorilla, over four in ten (44%) were unable to identify a leopard, despite its distinctive spotty coat, and more than half (56%) were confused as to what a crocodile was.

The survey, carried out by videogame publisher THQ to mark the launch of a brand new kids’ game, World of Zoo, revealed that a further 12% struggled to identify a chimpanzee, while one in seven did not know the difference between a lion and a lioness.

Learning about animals firsthand is a hugely important part of a child’s education. Despite this, almost a quarter (23%) of British children have never visited a zoo or animal safari park. Many kids have. One in twenty children (4%) have never even seen a wildlife show on television.

TV presenter and wildlife specialist Michaela Strachan inspired a love of wildlife in millions of us during her time on The Really Wild Show. She says, “The fact that so many British children cannot identify basic animals such as lions and tigers is really shocking. Learning about animals is a hugely important part of a child’s education and while visiting a good zoo is a great way to do so, it isn’t always easy for parents to take their children to a zoo due to distance and cost.

“A game such as World of Zoo gives children and their parents the opportunity to learn about over 90 species of animal in a fun and entertaining way. What is really cool about this game is that children can actually create their own favourite animal and not only learn about its specific behaviour but also develop respect, trust and a great relationship with them.’’

For more information visit worldofzoo.com.