Fun At the Zoo

Antisocial anacondas don't associate in numbers; Bears and beavers don't become the best of friends. Civet cats catch rats, so is it any wonder On doleful dingoes dire dilemmas do descend? Effete elephants eschew jumping, it's ungraceful; "Frenching" frogs will never fetch nor wart nor prince. Beware lest grim gaboons give you a face full; Hyena's haunting laugh makes haughty hippos wince. Iguanas ignorantly ignore sunscreen on their eyelids; Jaguars judiciously adjure a jungle nook. Kangaroos are kind of cute when they have cute kids; In Lima llamas leap and lastly look. Mountain lions may masquerade as pumas; Nimble narwhal's noble spear's his joy and pride. Opossums opt not to oppose those "play dead" rumors; Prosaic penguins probably take leglessness in stride. Quails quibble querulously in quorums; Raccoons rinse their rations when they eat. A snail can wreak some slimy harum-scarum; Tarantulas tout tasty toads as treats. Urutus usually undulate in jungles; Vultures vainly vote for haute cuisine. A wildebeest's a waggish work somebody bungled; Xeric xenops don't exactly tan, they just stay green. Yenta yaks may yell and yowl when they feel chatty; Zany zebra's zoned in black, or white, if you prefer. I pray this piece will play and not seem "catty", SPCA's raucous ridicule I'd rather not incur, For these bits of critterary trivia, A to Z, Are things I never learned from Marlin Perkins*, R.I.P. *For those of you, dear readers, who may not know, or who may not remember, Marlin Perkins was the host of the long-running NBC nature series, "Wild Kingdom", which aired on Sunday nights from 1963-1971.