Oakland Zoo

Sasha and His Five Drones Visit the Oakland Zoo

One sunny morning, Sasha woke up with a big idea.
"Let's go to the Oakland Zoo today!" he cheered, bouncing out of bed.

The drones whirred in excitement, spinning around him like little stars.
"Zoo! Zoo! Zoo!" they sang.

First stop: the giraffes!
The giraffes had long, long necks that reached the trees.
Fireye flew way up to wave at them.
"Hello, giraffes!" said Sasha, laughing.

• 🦒 Giraffes spend most of their day eating — sometimes for 16 to 20 hours!
• 🦒 They hardly sleep at all, maybe just a few minutes each day.
• 🦒 When a baby giraffe is born, it falls about 6 feet to the ground, but it's okay! The baby, called a calf, is already really big — as tall as a grown-up person and very heavy. After just five minutes, the baby can stand up on its wobbly legs, and after about 20 minutes, it can start drinking milk from its mom!
• 🦒 Giraffes are the tallest animals on Earth! They can be up to 19 feet tall — taller than three grown-ups standing on top of each other!
• 🦒 They have super long necks, but only seven neck bones — just like people!
• 🦒 Giraffes have blue or purple tongues. Their tongues can be 18–20 inches long — perfect for grabbing leaves!
• 🦒 They love to eat leaves, especially from tall trees like acacias.
• 🦒 A group of giraffes is called a tower. That’s funny, because they’re so tall!
• 🦒 Giraffes can run really fast, up to 35 miles per hour for short bursts!

Then, they saw the African lions.
The lions were sleeping under a tree.
Fireye buzzed very softly so he wouldn't wake them up.

• 🦁 Lions are called the "King of the Jungle," even though they usually live on grassy plains!
• 🦁 Boy lions have big, fluffy manes. Their manes make them look bigger and protect them during fights.
• 🦁 Girl lions are called lionesses. They are the ones who do most of the hunting!
• 🦁 Baby lions are called cubs. They are super playful and love to tumble around.
• 🦁 Lions live together in groups called prides. A pride can have up to 30 lions!
• 🦁 Lions can roar really loud — you can hear a lion’s roar from up to 5 miles away!
• 🦁 They are big nappers. Lions can sleep for about 20 hours a day!
• 🦁 Lions are carnivores, which means they eat meat.
• 🦁 Lions are big, beautiful animals that are like kings of the animal world. But today, lions are in big trouble. A lot of lions have disappeared — almost half of them are gone in just 20 years! Now, lions live in only a tiny part of Africa where they used to live a long time ago.

Next, they visited the chimpanzees.
The chimps were swinging and playing on ropes!
Slymeye and Rocky spun around, trying to copy them.
"You guys are silly!" Sasha giggled.

• 🐵 Chimpanzees are super smart! They can use tools like sticks to get food.
• 🐵 Chimps are really good climbers. They spend a lot of time swinging and playing in trees.
• 🐵 They are our closest animal cousins. Chimps share about 98% of the same DNA as humans!
• 🐵 A group of chimpanzees is called a troop. A troop can have lots of chimps living together.
• 🐵 Chimps talk to each other using sounds, hand signals, and even facial expressions.
• 🐵 Baby chimps love to play. They swing, chase each other, and even tickle!
• 🐵 Chimpanzees eat fruits, leaves, and sometimes insects. They are omnivores — meaning they eat plants and meat.
• 🐵 They can live up to 50 years (or even longer!) in the wild or in zoos.

One more stop Sasha was excited about: the crocodile pool!

The crocodiles lay lazily in the warm sun, their sharp eyes watching everyone.

Sasha stood back a little, but Fireye flew over the water, getting a closer look.

"Look at their huge jaws!" Sasha whispered.

Watery zoomed in circles above, amazed at how still and quiet the crocodiles were. "Wow, they're like big, scaly dragons," said Sasha.

• 🐊 Crocodiles are ancient animals. They've been around for over 200 million years! That’s even before dinosaurs!
• 🐊 Crocodiles can grow really big. Some can be as long as a school bus — about 20 feet!
• 🐊 They have super sharp teeth and strong jaws. They can bite really hard, but they only chew their food in small pieces.
• 🐊 Crocodiles have very thick skin that acts like armor to protect them from danger.
• 🐊 Crocodiles can swim very fast. They can swim up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts!
• 🐊 They love the sun. Crocs often lay on the riverbanks, basking in the sun to warm up their cold-blooded bodies.
• 🐊 Crocodiles are good parents. Some species, like the Nile crocodile, help their babies get to the water after they hatch.
• 🐊 Crocodiles can hold their breath for a long time. They can stay underwater for up to an hour!
• 🐊 They have excellent night vision. Crocs can see really well in the dark to catch their prey at night.

Sasha said, "Let's go to the otter pool!"

They rushed over to the otters, who were splashing and swimming in the water. Sasha laughed, watching them twist and turn like they were dancing underwater.

Icy flew low to get a good look at the otters, while Watery zoomed around pretending to swim like them. Rocky twirled above, and the otters swam toward her playful buzzing.

Sasha giggled. "They're so cute!" He crouched down, watching them float on their backs with little rocks on their bellies like treasures.

• 🦦 Otters are super playful! They love to splash around in the water, chase each other, and even slide down mud or snow banks — just like a big otter slide!
• 🦦 Baby otters are called pups. When they’re born, they can’t swim right away, so they hold on to their mom’s back while she swims.
• 🦦 Otters have a favorite rock! They use it to crack open shellfish to eat, and they often keep their special rock in a pocket under their arm.
• 🦦 They have super thick fur. Otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom — over 600,000 hairs per square inch! It helps keep them warm in cold water.
• 🦦 Otters hold hands when they sleep so they don’t float away from each other. It’s like a big otter hug!
• 🦦 Otters are great swimmers. They can swim really fast and use their webbed feet to paddle through the water.
• 🦦 They make cute noises. Otters “talk” to each other with squeaks, chirps, and growls — just like little otter conversations!
• 🦦 Otters like to eat seafood. They love fish, crabs, and clams, and they often eat their food right in the water.

After that, Sasha pointed up a big hill. "Let's go up there!" he said.
They all climbed into the gondola — a little car that hung from a wire and floated up, up, up the hill!
Sasha looked down and saw the whole zoo getting smaller and smaller.

At the top of the hill, they found the wolves.
The wolves were running and howling!
Icy zoomed in circles, pretending to be a wolf too.

• 🐺 Wolves live and hunt in groups called packs. A pack is like a big wolf family!
• 🐺 Wolves are great at working together. They help each other find food and take care of pups (baby wolves).
• 🐺 Wolves howl to talk to each other. A howl can be heard from miles away!
• 🐺 Baby wolves are called pups, and they love to play, just like puppies!
• 🐺 Wolves are very good at taking care of each other and always stick with their family.
• 🐺 Wolves have an amazing sense of smell. They can smell animals from far, far away.
• 🐺 They can run fast, up to 40 miles per hour when chasing prey!
• 🐺 Wolves have thick fur coats. This helps them stay warm in cold weather.
• 🐺 Wolves love meat. They are carnivores and hunt animals like deer, elk, and rabbits.

Finally, they went to the bear area.
Big brown bears were splashing in the water.
Watery twirled above them, being very careful not to get wet!

• 🐻‍ Brown bears are huge! Some can stand over 8 feet tall when they stand up!
• 🐻‍ They have super strong claws. Their claws help them dig and catch food.
• 🐻‍ Brown bears love to eat. They eat berries, fish, plants, and sometimes small animals — they are omnivores (they eat plants and meat!).
• 🐻‍ They hibernate in winter. That means they find a cozy den and sleep for months when it’s cold.
• 🐻‍ A baby brown bear is called a cub. Cubs stay with their mothers for about 2–3 years!
• 🐻‍ Brown bears can run fast, up to 30 miles per hour — faster than a human!
• 🐻‍ They have a special hump on their shoulders. It's made of muscles to help them dig and be super strong!
• 🐻‍ Grizzly bears are a type of brown bear. Grizzlies are known for their big claws and powerful build.