All Animals Are Equal Trivia Quiz

Answer: New Zealand

There is a uniqueness about the kiwi that has drawn the New Zealand nation to put it forward as a representative to showcase all that is special and unique about its country, its wildlife and its heritage. In addition, the bird, as an endangered species, has become the flag-bearer for the country's conservation and environmental movements. Deeper than this though is the kiwi's link to the Maori culture where the bird is revered as a treasure.

It is a symbol of status and the prized kiwi feathers can be seen woven into the capes of those of higher rank.

Answer: Afghanistan

The Snow leopard or Panthera uncia is a rare beast with as few as four thousand of the creatures believed to be in existence. The cat, which reflects the brave character and majesty of the Afghan people was, at one time, believed to be extinct in Afghanistan.

In recent times a small pocket of approximately one hundred leopards was located in the country's hinterlands. Biologists have employed former hunters of the beasts to now provide their expertise in their location and preservation.

Answer: South Africa

The Springbok was proudly held up as South Africa's national symbol during a period of white minority rule in the country. So strong was its association with the country that it was adopted as the logo for the nation's airline, South Africa Airways, as an emblem for the country's Air Force, as a mascot for a number of its sporting teams and it was placed on the country's coat of arms. During the 1970s it was also a symbol for the land's motor car, the Ranger, a vehicle billed as "South Africa's Own Car". With the fall of apartheid it was decreed that going forward all of South Africa's sporting teams would be called the Proteas.

The one exception has been the nation's rugby teams, which was allowed by President Mandela as a show of goodwill.

Answer: The Netherlands

Lions have been used in heraldry in the Netherlands as far back as the 12th century, even to the point where some maps of the country were drawn in the shape of lions. The Dutch Republic Lion was emblazoned on badges in 1579 to commemorate the Union of Utrecht and it is this lion that now sits on the country's coat of arms.

This stemmed from a move by William VI of Orange who was declared the Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands in 1813. Two years later, as King, he installed the Dutch Republic Lion onto his own Nassau coat of arms and, with the addition of a crown, created the new coat of arms for his country.

Answer: Mauritius

The Dodo bird was made the national symbol of Mauritius out of respect for the creature and the brutal manner in which it was wiped out by man. The Dodo had settled in Mauritius over four million years beforehand. It had no predators and, as a consequence, it lost its need to fly and laid its eggs in nests built on the ground.

When the Portuguese arrived in 1505 they discovered a fifty pound bird which was a welcome source of fresh meat and hunted the birds in vast numbers. The Dutch would later use the island as a penal colony and, in the process, deliberately introduced pigs and monkeys and (accidentally) rats, which soon wiped out the bird's eggs.

The last Dodo was killed in 1681.

Answer: Denmark

The Mute swan was made famous by Hans Christian Andersen, whose statue graces the Rosenborg Castle Gardens in Copenhagen, in his story "The Ugly Duckling". During the 1920s the creature bordered on extinction in Denmark. However, it was placed on the protected species list (1926) and with further careful management has seen numbers improve dramatically.

It became Denmark's national bird in 1984, not by decree, but by a people's vote. Prior to this the national bird was the Skylark, Alauda arvensis.

Answer: Bangladesh

The tiger in Asia represents royalty, fearlessness and wrath. In Eastern Asian culture it is seen as the "King of the Beasts". Sadly it is estimated that there are fewer than four hundred of these noble creatures in existence within Bangladesh. The tiger has been used by members of the Bangladesh Army's East Bengal Regiment, known as the "Bengal Tigers", as its logo and it has also been adopted as the symbol for the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Answer: Finland

Finland has seven national symbols and amongst these the bear is both feared and honoured. Finns consider the bear to be the "King of the Forest" and the creature features prominently in their myths and legends. The most notable of these is Lonnrot's 19th century epic "The Kalevala" in which a great bear is sent to inflict torment upon the people of Kalevala. Arctolatry, or bear worship, was once very common in Finland.

Answer: Scotland

The unicorn first appeared as a symbol of Scotland when William I incorporated the creature onto his coat of arms. Prior to that the unicorn had featured prominently in Celtic mythology as a totem of innocence and purity and was also seen to represent power and masculinity. A free unicorn is considered to be a dangerous beast which is why, on Scotland's coat of arms, it is chained.

Answer: Canada

Royal assent was given to mark the beaver, which has played a significant role in Canada's economic development, as the national animal for the country on March 4, 1975. Canada's early growth was established on the back of the fur trade, in fact, from the 16th century, it remained the backbone of the country's fortunes for almost three hundred years.

The beaver, whose pelt could be used to make a range of items from felt hats to winter coats, stood proudly on the coat of arms of the Hudson Bay Company, one of the major players in the fur trade, as early as 1621.