howdy process n.— «Vivian, who arrived at the old Central Texas Zoo in 1966 as a teenager from the wild, had literally bitten the heads off two previous suitors. But the third time was the charm: Vivian reacted well during the “howdy”...
This week’s “Slang This!” contestant from the National Puzzlers’ League tries to decipher the difference between zoo planes and zipper clippers. She also puzzles over a sentence in which the words brindle and verse used in...
If Grandma thinks you’re coming down with the epizootic, she’ll probably want to put you to bed and bring you a bowl of soup. But what’s an epizootic, anyway? And does being diagnosed with it make you feel better or worse? This is...
animal enrichment n.— «At one point in the afternoon, an Oakland Zoo employee tossed two boxes covered in camel hair and filled with meat cutlets into the tiger pit, a process called “animal enrichment” that simulates prey...
toyger n.— «Its hypnotic eyes and threatening stalk make the tiger one of the most captivating attractions at the Los Angeles Zoo. Judy Sugden was so captivated by the world’s largest feline that she became the first to breed domestic...
frozen zoo n.— «During her eight years of service, she has advanced from washing lab slides to keeping the computerized inventory of what is sometimes called the “frozen zoo.” That includes thousands of animal sperm and...