The 17 Weirdest Things I Learned at the Zoo

Thanks so much to everyone at the Denver Zoo! If you ever have a chance, it is a complete delight! denverzoo.org/
Sign up for We're Here before the end of the day and you'll be put in our "Founder's Club" though I'm not entirely sure what that is going to be yet!!
werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe
----
Subscribe to our newsletter! werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Learn more about our project to help Partners in Health radically reduce maternal mortality in Sierra Leone: www.pih.org/hankandjohn
If you're able to donate $2,000 or more to this effort, please join our matching fund: pih.org/hankandjohnmatch
If you're in Canada, you can donate here: pihcanada.org/hankandjohn

[@DenverZooConservationAlliance]

Oh hey, that's us! Thank you so much for spending a few hours at Denver Zoo and for sharing some of these wild and weird facts! It's always a pleasure when we're able to share our animal care and wildlife conservation stories with awesome people like you! Don't be a stranger!!

[@gravityvertigo13579]

Your zoo seems awesome! Glad you helped make this video happen

[@DasGanon]

Cool to see this from my local* zoo! (*I live 100 miles away)

[@fossilfighters101]

:0

[@untappedinkwell]

Thanks for all of your hard work! Please tell the animals I love them.

[@Concorde1059]

I'm so excited Hank Green gave such a glowing review to yall, my very own local zoo (approx 25x as local as that 100mi person 😅)!!!! I'll have to come back soon :) clearly you all didNFTBA

[@alleycaaat]

HANK! You don't have a time limit for videos, yet you only gave us THREE SECONDS OF PENGUINS RUNNING ABOUT BEING ADORABLE?!

[@nene_blimboblambo]

Yes. This. I mean, it felt like a teaser but it was VERY CUTE AND OMG PENGUINS!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

The first second drew us all in and then we got hardly any penguins.

[@RainaRamsay]

+

[@emilycarr2913]

I give the newsletter “We’re Here” 5 stars.

[@kapitol.]

The anthropogreen reviewed

[@duuuumb]

i second that! inspiring the evil baker in me!

[@ponyote]

How very Anthropocene of you

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

+

[@parachutes_party]

+

[@sdc319]

"I love your shoelaces!" "Thanks, I got them from the President... of DFTBA"

[@alissa6380]

I do wonder what percentage of current nerdfighters were also avid Tumblr users in 2012. Like, it's gotta be in the two digits at least, but like... is it a third?? 'Cause that sounds ambitious, for reasons I cannot quite put into words.

[@kaleidoslug7777]

The President... of Space!

[@MinurielLai]

Woah. Haven't heard that in years!

[@alissa6380]

@@kaleidoslug7777 off topic but you have the most gorgeous avatar I've ever seen 😍 🎨🖌️ Is it an illustration from something in particular or just found around the interwebs?

[@sdc319]

@@alissa6380 That's a crop of Light by ryky on DeviantArt.

[@conqu2]

"to increase.... health. .......... IT DOESN'T WORK!" I laughed so hard 🤣

[@st.orville2285]

love that "night keeper" is a real job title that real people have

[@Mother_boards]

Ooooh, that makes more sense than "knight keeper"...

[@dohndabe3472]

I thought he said knife keeper 😭

[@ziwuri]

Reminds me of Lightkeepers from the Candela Obscura universe... idk which occupation is cooler though

[@nicklas7377]

@@Mother_boards Knight keeper: Someone who takes care of the knights. They give positiv reinforcement, read bed time stories and clap and cheer during tournaments.

[@WhataMensch]

Hey when do you guys think hank and john will get around to mentioning theri governments backing of whats going on over in G A Z A

[@disasmiles]

It was a pleasure and an honor to share my favorite place and my best animal friends with you and the fam. ☺ Next time I'll make sure you meet the BEST giraffid, Sekele, and we'll check out all the cool primates!! John, the invitation is open to you as well.

[@AndreaCrisp]

Are you the famous Night Keeper? Thank you!!❤

[@untappedinkwell]

Thanks for all of your hard work! Please give my best to the animals!

[@RainaRamsay]

:D

[@Quartermistress]

I love how that Giraffe's expression is like "yeah I did get a selfie with Hank Green, what about it?"

[@justyourlocalrat_]

+

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

so like do giraffes consider vlogbrothers videos to be adults-only

[@untappedinkwell]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 I *so* want to know the answer to this question.

[@OlessanYT]

Lady vulture is really throwing as much shade as possible at himbo vulture and he tries so hard. 😭

[@osmia]

+

[@ndemers]

It's got to hurt to do your best and make the most beautiful nest you can, and think, "Maybe this year!" and she's all "nah"

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

Sometimes the heart doesn't move, man (/lighthearted) Now I'm so curious about these vultures, though. x) Like, I didn't think most wild birds laid eggs if they weren't hatchable, fsr? Do their kind (of vulture) usually pair-bond or are they more serial daters [using this metaphor as a joke]? Are these two already bonded and she's just unimpressed with his wood-gathering skills

[@raf.raf.]

Maybe it's a defense mechanism. Like "if I build my little nest next to the huge one nobody is even gonna see it."

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

I've never related to a vulture before. What a dark and cold society this is for men and vultures.

[@elisamayr2217]

Did they check your pockets for any hidden lemurs when you left?

[@sara-ww8eq]

+

[@ickzilla]

+

[@NinaDmytraczenko]

@Denver Zoo, please count the lemurs rn!!

[@Junosensei]

Guide: "Okay, so giraffe mating-" Hank: "Oh, I already know about all that."

[@SofosProject]

So I guess the thing to remember about antivenom is that, if you have to receive it from a zoo, make note of which zoo you get it from, and then donate the cost of the antivenom to that zoo. I assume this is the proper move, because it seems not great for them to take a loss on saving your life.

[@jenrose1002]

Which is awesome, but expensive. Anti venom costs $40k to $70k. I assume people who get it from hospitals have insurance that pays. (For all doses needed. That’s multiple vials at 11-13k each)

[@kyrab7914]

I believe the hospitals bill, but ymmv

[@Alex-ki1yr]

Never forget the hospital markup - hatd to know the "real" price. Damn insurance (and capitalism)!

[@alymj3304]

​@@jenrose1002in Australia antivenom is between AU$500-2000 per vial, so there's definitely a big markup if those are the numbers being quoted for USA

[@kanderson-oo7us]

​@@kyrab7914 the hospital bills *you* for administering the antivenom, but the zoo apparently can't charge the hospital for the antivenom itself! So yes, those who can do so should make a large, tax-deductible donation to the zoo that provided their life-saving antivenom!

[@GingerGenower]

'IT DOESN'T WORK' - 10/10 summery of drinking blenderised frogs

[@The8BitPianist]

4:37 these Giraffe selfies are adorable!

[@conqu2]

I now want one of those iphone-generated slideshow videos with the royalty free music but it's only pictures of hank beaming with his giraffe friend

[@justyourlocalrat_]

+

[@patrick-west]

Tbf my Iron gets too high if I don't have it taken out occasionally I've tried sticking to a "low iron" diet, and it helps keep me in the "high" but not "too high" range. But yeah... doctor was like "you should give blood"... and when I responded with "I do" he was like... "probably more often then if you can". I have "bad days" where I can't really work out why I am... then I get a text from the NHS telling me that my blood has saved someone's life, and I remember that along with Arthritis, and increased risk of Heart Disease and Diabetes my genetic lottery came up with "really Irony blood"... and every 3 months someone gets my super blood and maybe they don't die. Don't supposed there's much call for Rhino blood... but I got such a text this week and it helped deal with work... so... I kinda just wanted to shout my Iron related anecdote

[@osmia]

+

[@CircleThinker]

From someone who has normal iron-y blood but the wrong shaped blood cells to utilise it properly - thank you for being a blood donor! I've had 2 transfusions in my life, both as a child, and I just think it's a super cool thing for people to do.

[@Tinkerluv17]

You, clearly have not forgotten to be awesome. Thanks for gifting your super human blood to those in need!

[@disasmiles]

I don't believe Rudy the rhino has donated any whole blood, but we do have his plasma banked in case he or other rhinos need that! Plasma transfusions have saved several of our young calves (giraffe, okapi, kudu, gerenuk) that didn't successfully get the transferred immunity from their moms. I also donate plasma, and I loved so much when he was donating, too!

[@b33thr33kay]

​@@disasmiles Your profile picture is hilarious and adorable ❤ Thank you for everything you do.

[@ellamcdonald-lee2186]

My favourite fact I learned when I recently went to a zoo was the penguins have dual camouflage, which is why they’re both black and white. They have white tummies so that when they’re in the water if predators look up at them, they mix in with the light/water, and black backs, so that when predators look down at them, they mix in with the water/depths.

[@myladycasagrande863]

And here I thought it was because they are going to a black tie dinner and are already in their tuxedos!

[@meganesia1]

The biological term for that is “countershading”. 😊

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

+

[@ellamcdonald-lee2186]

@@myladycasagrande863 I’m sure that’s also part of it!

[@ellamcdonald-lee2186]

@@meganesia1 I’ll have to remember that for the next time I want to tell this fact, thanks for the addition!

[@mikamekaze]

Honestly the przewalski's horse pronunciation was the thing that got me

[@SylviusTheMad]

The *rz pronunciations in Polish are wild.

[@osmia]

+

[@KayleeDavisBlueBox]

Polish, amirite

[@wiktoriatluvi]

There is also supposed to be an audible "p" at the start :D other than that it's great 👌

[@tobybartels8426]

​@@wiktoriatluvi: English has a tradition of not pronouncing a P that comes at the beginning of a word before a non-liquid consonant. Thus usually applies to Greek words that start with PS or PT, but the same logic would apply here. It surprised me when I first heard him say it, but then it made sense.

[@7timestheawesome]

When I was a zoo educator, I would use SciShow and Eons videos as resources and training materials! Thanks for contributing to conservation education!

[@untappedinkwell]

Awww yayyyy

[@yoXneo]

"we're everywhere! Even at the zoo...at NIGHT! 😁🙌 Lmao love this

[@rockstargirl5555]

That's where I work! I saw you as you were leaving and wanted to say hi but I didn't want to overwhelm you after what I'm sure was a long day. So cool to see all these animals I know in one of your videos! Thanks for your visit!

[@justyourlocalrat_]

+

[@AndreaCrisp]

++

[@rachel_rexxx]

If I was the night keeper, you wouldn't be able to know me without knowing that

[@cbpd89]

I think I'd mention it too loudly at every party, and just to make sure everyone caught it I'd make sure to bring up work in every conversation so they have to ask what I do.

[@justyourlocalrat_]

+

[@disasmiles]

So you'd appreciate the fact that my license plate is NITEKPR ☺

[@NinaDmytraczenko]

​@@disasmilesI aspire to your level of awesome!!

[@tbella5186]

Hank comes full circle to be known as a Giraffe Enthusiast again! You are such a joy Hank, and I'm glad you are here!

[@RamenNoodle1985]

Omg my cat loved those shoelaces! They were his favorite toy to play with (I bought them just for him, and after he died, I put them on a piece of embroidery I did with his name on it. He was my soul cat, and prolly the last cat I'll ever have). So thank you for Pizzamas shoelaces! They were much loved and chewed on ❤

[@JasonFrankenstein]

I worked for a well known, AZA accredited zoo for a while. We had one call for antivenin while I was there. From my understanding, they needed ALL of what we had. I hope that person made it, but i never found out. Also, I didn't feed the prezvalski horses Doritos. Nope, not me. I hear they like them very much...

[@Valca.Design]

That lady vulture just wants a platonic friendship and the boy vulture will. not. take. the hint.

[@justyourlocalrat_]

+

[@breebell468]

+

[@roadrunnercrazy]

She's laying a fertilized egg, so I don't know how platonic she really wants it to be.... more like friends with benefits?

[@jesanne]

Or incredibly petty lmao

[@thethoughtemporium]

"we're everywhere, including a zoo... AT NIGHT!" I don't know why, but that made me spit out my drink laughing. Caught me off guard XD

[@untappedinkwell]

+++

[@danielquinn8694]

Penguins love to chase flies is probably all I’ll remember

[@TiggerIsMyCat]

Like the video of the baby elephant chasing birds

[@MrKelsomatic]

Lake Titicaca frogs look like they don’t breathe. Like I wanna be surprised but look at em Also, “cheval” is horse in French so they’re basically “Horse-ky’s Horse,” or a horsey horse, if you will.

[@lynnaschaefer]

I love this. ThNk you

[@shaiannwyatt7749]

This is the best! Definitely talk to zookeepers if you see them wandering around and they're not busy! One time at the Chicago aquarium, we happened to run into one of the keepers and he told us all about the belugas and how he tells them apart based on their subtle markings and personality. Another time at the Dallas Zoo, we found this guy stationed at a kiosk who mentioned that some of the elephants were rescued from one part of Africa together, and then when they added more elephants from a different region, the two groups seemed confused by each other. His theory was that they were confused by each other's different "accents."

[@CircleThinker]

I love talking to keepers and guides cos they just always want to share all their favourite information. We were in an very quiet aquarium once and we spent a happy hour chatting to one of the staff members, and she basically guided us between the tanks talking about all her favourite things about the species in them. I asked her if she thought Octopuses could take over the world cos they're so clever and she genuinely thought about it for a second before replying "No, but only because they don't live long enough to pass on what they know, so every baby Octopus has to start from scratch. If they evolve longer lifespans maybe we should worry!" 10/10 interaction

[@Cherri_Stars]

YES! Zookeepers always have so much interesting stuff to share! The Smithsonian Zoo in DC even has a schedule with times the zookeepers will be at their exhibits that you can ask them questions. I asked the elephant keeper so much, it was amazing

[@kyrab7914]

Some zoos do keeper tours as well!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Never expected xenophobic elephants to be a thing.

[@AndreaCrisp]

@@CircleThinker Cool story! That is actually a running joke amongst octopod lovers. I am a follower of OctoNation, the world’s largest octopus fan club and they sell a sticker that says “Welcome Octopus Overlords.” 😂 I have it on my car. 😊🐙🦑💖

[@jase_allen]

I love Hanks child-like enthusiasm for his zoo excursion. It's pure joy.

[@kmjc1213]

It makes me sad that zoos have such a bad reputation. Not only do they provide a fulfilling life for animals that wouldn't survive in the wild, but they also help breed endangered species which can then return to their natural habitat. That's really cool.

[@wxlurker]

I just absolutely love that image of a fish in its little box with towels and sponge, ready for a CT scan. (I do wonder if they have to keep misting the gills or how long it can stay outside of water like that)

[@R-zg4zg]

I think because of the sponge it's okay? Coz the sponge is wet?

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

^ I assumed the sponge helped with that as well It mmto a photo of someone axolotl's who had to get an x-ray, they put them on like warmish/wet towels and then Taped Them Flat with a kind of medical clingwrap x) The axolotl was fine!

[@mariannetfinches]

I've never anaesthetised a fish & don't know all the options, but one is to pump drug water into the mouth which washes over the gills. You dissolve the anaesthetic in the water. I guess it's more for longer procedures. Anyway, if you fancy a giggle I recommend an image search of fish anaesthesia

[@kf10147]

@@mariannetfinchesomg that was so funny just them flopped over on a table with a blanket over it. Quite a laugh

[@disasmiles]

When fish are anesthetized, they run water over their gills to keep them oxygenated.

[@terezaherrmannova8354]

Good try on the Przewalski's horse pronunciation! The zoo in Prague where I live has been doing a ton of work on this species. There's a small reservation near a castle in Prague where the horses roam around. Amazing!

[@SewlockHolmes]

So how is it pronounced? Is there a video with someone saying it that I can use to impress my friends? 😅

[@terezaherrmannova8354]

@@SewlockHolmes kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2KpqKaVmKeMZtksi=-fZh63ZAtDWptaKD go to 0:28, he says "koń przewalskiego" (the kóń is in a different case, maybe accusative, not sure). You can hear the "rz" sound. It's so cool! My language has it too. When I taught kiddos to say that sound, I would teach them the trilling R (by rapidly repeating "tdtdtd") and when they got that, I'd tell them to put their teeth together which kinda adds a "sh" sound to the trilling R.

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

@@terezaherrmannova8354 Thank you!

[@myblueheather8240]

The fish fact is true for goldfish, too. As well as other pet fish. They can end up swimming upside down or off kilter. It's called "bloat" which impacts their swim bladder and it's the same procedure to help them recover: feed them shelled peas. With a little TLC from their human mom or dad, they'll have a good poops and be able to swim upright again. 😊

[@geeksdo1tbetter]

Woah! What's in the peas, yo?!

[@danielshauly6300]

The pelicans in the zoo near me are also slightly pink because they are bullies and steal food from the flamingoes. Also, their names are Bob and Marley, and they have one wing each (same side, so sadly, they can not team up to be one big flying pelican).

[@gummihu]

I had a co-worker who had too much iron in his blood regularly, he essentially had to go every few weeks for essentially a bloodletting

[@mamatales]

Yes my husband has that condition. It’s called hemochromatosis…at least in humans

[@TheAechBomb]

would that technically be iron retention? I imagine it normally cycles its way out of your bloodstream

[@wildflower1397]

I was relieved that they didn't say they use magnets to get the iron our of the rhino. 😂

[@gretl01]

@@wildflower1397 totally what I expected to hear!

[@mamatales]

No it doesn’t cycle through the system for people with hemochromatosis. The iron deposits collect in the organs and too much iron deposits can create a bunch of different serious health problems depending on which organ it is. My husband’s mother died young, supposedly from cancer, but he thinks it was caused by his mother’s hemochromatosis.

[@loura246]

Zookeeper here! Lots of animals are susceptible to TB, and most animal facilities require all their animal staff to get yearly TB tests

[@fifiwozere]

The vulture nests is my favourite story 😂

[@amarvelousgeek222]

Okay so I grew up going to this exact Zoo with my grandparents all the time so it's both incredible and a complete acid trip seeing you walk around looking at all the familiar exibits and enclosures. But this zoo is amazing and helped me foster a life long love for animals that probably helped lead me to channels like this one so in a strange way things just came full circle

[@DancingInDreamWorld]

I was like "I wonder what zoo Hank went to, it couldn't've been the Denver Zoo" and then you said it was the Denver Zoo and my mouth dropped open 😂 I haven't even finished watching the video yet, I'm still reeling from that moment

[@kachnickau]

I am so happy to see which other Zoo is taking care of Převalského horses 😁 I knew it about our Prague Zoo in Czechia, now I know two of them. Thank you!

[@bouncingbean]

The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC also has a Przewalski's horse program. We always like to see them when we visit that zoo. And I learned this from the zoo’s website: “Przewalski's horses have 66 chromosomes, compared to the 64 that domestic horses have. It is unusual in that they can produce fertile hybrids with the domestic horse (65 chromosomes) that are able to breed and produce offspring. The hybrids look like Przewalski's horses, and the only way to identify them is through chromosome testing.” Also, they “are called ‘takhi,’ which means ‘spirit’ in Mongolia.”

[@AV-we6wo]

There are several zoos in Germany that take part in this programm, too. Three I know of are the zoos in Berlin, Cologne and Munich.

[@shawnwales696]

I got licked by a giraffe when i was a kid (60 years ago), they have amazingly long, dextrous tongues, which makes sense given that they browse on leaves that are high up and often there are thorns on the branches. I've loved zoos ever since, when well done, they are amazing resources.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

[to the tune of "Kiss from a Rose"] lick from a giraffe

[@TheCheck999]

I saw the animal hospital at Denver zoo. It is super cool! The guide told me about the time they got a human dentist to do dental work on a tiger.

[@myladycasagrande863]

Took me longer than it should have to figure out that you meant "human dentist" as opposed to "veterinary dentist". Like, obviously, the dentist is human, a tiger dentist wouldn't be able to hold the instruments. 😂

[@untappedinkwell]

@@myladycasagrande863 ahahahahahaha okay but how epic would art of a confused tiger dentist be?

[@kf10147]

My favorite is when a zoo brought in a human ob-gyn do a c section on a gorilla! The zoo then named the baby after the doctor!!!

[@CircleThinker]

IMAGINE that being your work day when you normally deal with only human teeth. Must have felt very out of their depth!

[@milesprower8]

I work next door! I know that person. we're literally everywhere!

[@myblueheather8240]

+

[@untappedinkwell]

awwww, nerdfighters for the win! DFTBA!

[@laurensalzmann3152]

I work at a zoo, but I come from a Spanish major background. Watching your genuine giggly school girl excitement as you rattled off new animal facts was absolutely wonderful. This is how my work makes me feel everyday. Thank you for speeading the joy!

[@taunicrisp9861]

Thanks for supporting AZA Accredited Zoos and sharing the good work that they do. Zoos can't do what they do without the support of people like you!

[@mcgee779]

When they breed animals in captivity to increase their numbers, how do they avoid inbreeding when the number of individuals is so limited?

[@vlogbrothers]

Oh they spend a huge amount of time managing the gene pool of endangered and captive populations!!

[@ssl3546]

they have a massive family tree in a computer and set the animals up on dates to maximize diversity

[@timtetzlaff2836]

@@vlogbrothers Indeed. The Associations of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Population Management Center and connected population biologists provide scientific guidance to AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium staff for over 500 Species Survival Plan Programs. Another long-time nerdfighter and Director of Conservation at Naples Zoo (USA).

[@taunicrisp9861]

look up "species survival plans" if you'd like more info on how this works :)

[@mcgee779]

@@vlogbrothers that’s good to know, thank you for the response! DFTBA ❤️

[@pinbackcat]

This was so cool to watch--I work at a zoo (not a keeper) and I remember being confused when I was asked to take a TB test before starting! We have to get TB tests every year out of (understandable) precaution. Also, our male elephant just went out of musth, but prior to doing so, he was spraying dirt onto visitors out of frustration.

[@RedirectMyDay]

I worked at a zoo for 2 years. Absolutely fascinating place to work. So much goes on. And such important skills for conservation work.

[@amberbydreamsart5467]

bird mating rituals are just similar enough to human dating rituals for us to find their savage rejections so funny. i think that's wonderful.

[@caseyleichter2309]

"Backstage" tours at Zoos are the best! I was lucky enough to be a docent at the Miami MetroZoo way back in the 1980s, and had many opportunities to see things visitors don't: the kitchen where critters' meals are prepared (better equipped and cleaner than mine), the nighthouses, a couple pregnancy watches... hearing the baboons and siamangs call at night....One of the best things I've ever done.

[@7timestheawesome]

Lots of nerdfighters in the zoo community! So glad you had a cool experience!

[@moiradarling97]

The new news letter is so good!!! I replied but also want to say here to anyone who worked on it, you did an amazing job.

[@Skip6235]

“Nightkeeper of the X” sounds like an incredible title for a DnD villain

[@levilukeskytrekker]

+

[@elijahhelton737]

“i know a lot about giraffes” he doesn’t elaborate but longtime nerdfighters know why

[@MsKnitsAlot]

I love this! I’m a zoo enthusiast (AZA only of course) and I’m a big fan of the many zoo TV shows. There’s so much cool stuff going on with progressive zoos! Whenever I visit a zoo or aquarium I go in with a few goals: to learn about a new species, to learn something new about a species I already know, and to be inspired to aid conservation efforts for a species. I also love to learn about the animals as individuals and my favorite part of a visit is if I can find a passionate volunteer who I can talk to and learn from. Zoos always make me feel good because everyone there is working to make the world a better place for animals.

[@elisamayr2217]

I am going to the zoo with a group of friends tomorrow. Can’t wait to tell them all, did you know elephants can get tuberculosis? The same kind that people get! And did you know there is a company that makes a great diagnostic test for human tb, which turns out same as elephant tb, but they way overcharge for it and because of that people are still dying of tb even though we know how to cure it!?

[@Starlysh]

4:38 Those giraffe photos are so wonderful!! 🧡

[@arin2747]

YES FINALLY YALL MENTION THE ASIAN ELEPHANTS GET TUBERCULOSIS FUN FACT! A beloved family friend who passed away a few years ago had the job of testing the denver zoo elephants for TB!!!!! She was such a cool and remarkable woman for many so reasons that "my job is testing elephants for TB" wasn't even the coolest thing about her. She was much loved and is much missed.

[@nene_blimboblambo]

I bet she was an amazing example! 😊

[@geeksdo1tbetter]

May her memory bring blessings!

[@MagicHasArrived]

Hank, if penguins will chase flies, will they also chase laser pointers!?

[@lynnaschaefer]

Asking the important questions!

[@wildflower1397]

I really need to see that

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

It's time for science!

[@disasmiles]

Very strong possibility as they do chase light reflections from phones and such. 🤣

[@kellyosullivan990]

I love how excited you are about going to the zoo Hank.

[@NosirrathOfficial]

Hank do you think you could do a tour of Maya Higa's Alveus Sanctuary? That would truly be a wonderful collab day ❤️❤️❤️

[@andybearchan]

There was a time when there was very little difference between zoos and circuses. The amount of research, teaching, and rescue varies from zoo to zoo, but it in my lifetime, it has increased tremendously. Keeping animals healthy, socialized, and stimulated while educating the public on how important and unique our ecosystems are.

[@amys3168]

Ahh. I moved from Denver fairly recently. This made me very homesick and kinda weepy. I’m glad you had fun there. Going to go cry in a corner now.

[@lindanason9349]

PleasePLEASE do more zoo stuff! This is so wonderful! I love how these zoo keepers are so dedicated to keeping their charges happy and healthy so that endangered species will (hopefully) be able to return to their rightful places in their homelands. Your enthusiasm made me feel so happy !

[@susannahallanic1167]

Thank you for the news letter. So very glad I subscribed. What a delight so many tidbits I was not aware of. Thank you! *also for this video. I miss going to the zoos.

[@possiblymohamed]

I think all of us nerdfighters know a little too much about giraffes :4)

[@Bec-Son]

This is a 5 year old coming back from the zoo to explain everything at you and i adore it

[@JoelMatton]

I like that Night Keeper sounds like a horror movie or a comic book supervillain but is actually just a nice person who takes care of animals

[@handleforyoutube]

You should do a collab with Maya at Alveus animal sanctuary

[@MechBlank]

oh that would absolutely RULE

[@blaireshoe8738]

idk who this is but I'm always down for more hank and more animals, especially with more facts!

[@harmonicaveronica]

Regarding the pronunciation of Przewalski: the in Polish, the letter z is very often used in the way the letter h is in English - which is to say, it gets paired with other consonants to make a new sound that is neither a z sound nor the sound of the consonant it's paired with. So sz = sh and cz = ch. All that to say, rz sounds nothing like r or z, but rather it represents the sound that in English is at the start of the word genre and in the middle of the word measure. And then of course the w makes a v sound, but you find that in a few different languages. And as for the dropped P sound at the start, it wouldn't be dropped in Polish, but English doesn't have that consonant cluster so the P is mostly just dropped

[@laineylarsen245]

Is it purely coincidence that it sounds similar to the French word for horse, "cheval"? Or are Polish and French related in some way?

[@KayleeDavisBlueBox]

​@@laineylarsen245p sure it's gotta be a coincidence, since Przewalski is the Polish spelling of a Russian surname...

[@SewlockHolmes]

So in Polish, the P is pronounced as it is in "paper"?

[@KayleeDavisBlueBox]

@@SewlockHolmes yeah. so Przewalski is pronounced a bit like pshe-val-skee, accent on val (about 95% of Polish words have accent fall on the last-but-one syllable)

[@myblueheather8240]

This was a delightful and educational read. Thanks so much! DFTBA

[@RenameUranus2Caelus]

Imagine being everybody's cool Science Uncle, and they just invite you to hang around at all the places. #NEAT!

[@untappedinkwell]

Thank you to Hank and the Denver Zoo for this wonderful video. I love learning about animals and all of their cool facts!

[@mommys-lil-tortlet]

the chemotherapy rat given to the cancer cobra got me, that is somehow really funny

[@mamatales]

I really loved this video. Zoos are a great place to learn all sorts of random facts about the many many creatures in our world even if you don’t get a special behind the scenes tour. But do take the regular tours or classes-so interesting!

[@confusedwhale]

A zoo being forced to give their antivenom for free to a hospital that charges their patients $100,000 just for the antivenom is ridiculous.

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

Big Pharma is evil

[@firesandflowers]

I signed up for the newsletter earlier this week but I guess the button didn't work because I never was taken to the page with the optional survey (I didn't know it existed!) and I never got the newsletter. 😢 I wonder if that was just a weird glitch for me or if others also had this happen. It may have been my internet, who knows. Anyway, I just entered my email again and it definitely worked this time!

[@stevenchristensen4542]

I've only just met Kurt the Przewalski's Horse, but I think I would die for them if it were required of me.

[@EayuProuxm]

I love that Hank's first fact is mentioning John's worst enemy.

[@louiselincoln]

Giraffe fact: there are animal chiropractors who specialise in giraffes because of their uniquely elongated necks!

[@justyourlocalrat_]

I appreciate all the video about serious topics recently, but I also definitely missed more lighthearted ones like this. This is one of the few spaces in the world where I feel safe experiencing wonder and appreciation, because I know you guys don't use it to dismiss serious issues. I loved this video, and the giraffe selfies were so cute!!

[@MGCooley]

This is one of my favorite Vlogbrothers episodes ever, possibly second after that time Hank went on a rant about calendars.

[@steakdog250]

A note on the Polycythemic Rhino/ having too much iron: theres a very rare identical twin disorder (called Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS)) where the placenta creates an inbalance of blood between the twins causing one to becomes anemic while the other receives wayyy too much blood and becomes polycythmic. It's absolutely wild and as the parent of Twins who were diagnosed with TAPS in utero its a wild ride. I had no idea there was an opposite of anemia until we lived though it.

[@primarytrainer1]

0:52 CT scan fish is so cute lol and relatable. i love the energy this video brings! also subscribed to the newsletter. also the tuberculosis class was great

[@risxra]

0:50 omg that was what we did for my goldfish when he got bloated!! He was in poor physical condition for the last few years of his life (probably because we didn’t look up how you were supposed to keep goldfish before we got two of them), and once a month or so, my mom would microwave some peas, shell them, and hand-feed them to him in the tank. He lived a miraculous 7 years, which was 5 more than his tank-mate Goldie. He also survived a week in below-freezing temperatures without heat or food for a week during the 2011 winter storm. Long live Nemo, the immortal goldfish🧡

[@SeiaiGaming]

i feel you vulture-bro, i feel you... dating is tough nowadays 😅

[@JoRiver11]

Love the photo of you right next to the giraffe!

[@AbbyKadabby18]

my ADHD special interest is horses and to hear about Preszwalski's horses makes me so freaking happy

[@neurobabble]

Humans get iron overload too! Hemochromatosis is the term for when a person has excess iron. There's primary hemochromatosis (increased iron absorption due to genetic mutation) and secondary hemochromatosis (increased iron due to another condition, like chronic liver disease or repeated transfusions). Secondary hemochromatosis is often treated by addressing the cause, but in some situations, these patients will undergo iron removal via phlebotomy and/or iron chelators, as will patients with primary hemochromatosis.

[@bheemabachus5179]

My childhood zoo is in a vlogbrothers video!!! Next you should go to the Wildlife Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg. They're even better than the zoo.

[@BanthaWorship]

Back in the 90's we went to a zoo in Michigan and all of the elephants were quarantined indoors because one of them had tuberculosis. No one has ever believed me when I told them that story. Now they must!

[@tjme]

Giraffe selfies!!❤ This entire vid put a huge smile on my face. Thank you for being you.

[@InLiquidColor]

Oh how fun! I used to work with Disa 🥰 So glad y'all had a great time!

[@PDXposadas]

HANK PLEASE LOOK UP ALVEUS SANCTUARY, I NEED THAT COLLAB SO BAD

[@Corvus_albus]

I would love to see an in-depth video about the living conditions of the animals in zoos. I have seen a lot of those and they were never pretty, however, I would really like to see your take on this topic.

[@loura246]

Your experience is most likely affected by selection bias. The vast majority of people/groups that make content about the living conditions for zoo animals do so with an anti-zoo agenda and intentionally highlight either bad facilities or frame things in a misleading way to make good zoos look bad. If you want to know a good starting point for zoos and aquariums that uphold high standards of animal welfare , look up facilities accredited by the AZA (association of zoos and aquariums). Gaining AZA accreditation is a long and intense process that involves an extremely thorough inspection of every aspect of a facility, and their standards are quite high and being updated every year. Accredited facilities have to go through this every 5 years to remain accredited, so if they don't maintain the quality of their care they will lose it

[@disasmiles]

There are several reality TV shows that take you behind the scenes of several zoos in the us. These include The Zoo, The Aquarium, and The Zoo: San Diego on Animal Planets as well as Secrets of the Zoo (Columbus Zoo), Secrets of the Zoo:North Carolina, and Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa on Nat Geo.

[@loura246]

@@disasmiles I love secrets of the zoo!

[@how-2-be]

For those that speak german and want to learn sooo much more about animals: there is a doku soap about the Zoo Leipzig called "Elefant, Tiger und co" that has been running for the last 20(!) years (so there is a TON to binge watch) there are also other german zoo's that did the same thing. I dunno if there are similar series from other countries, if you know please comment so we can gather all of them in one spot

[@Beryllahawk]

Zoo tours are freaking AWESOME and "back stage" ones are even better!!!! What a fabulous experience!!

[@storiesinthedust]

Obsessed with the petty lady vulture being like “I don’t need your fancy nest”

[@amylewis882]

This video gave me so much joy. Can we do more of Hank visiting places and giving us facts about the place please?

[@thewiseturtle]

Another amusing job that zoos have is "pest control" which my old boyfriend, who has had this job for decades now, describes as something like: keeping the animals they don't want in the zoo out of the zoo. Though it really is more focused on mice and insects than gate crashing humans. :-)