A Horse Is A Horse, Of Course Trivia Quiz

Answer: New Mexico

Originally called "Hotfoot Teddy" and later simply "Smokey Bear", this American icon was rescued from a forest fire that raged in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, in 1950. His namesake, "Smokey" Joe Martin, was a New York City Fire Department hero who suffered burns on his body and blindness in a 1922 fire.

After Smokey Bear's rescue and physical treatment for burns incurred on his paws and hind legs after he had climbed a tree in a futile attempt to escape the fire, he was removed to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. where he resided until his death in 1976.

He received so much mail from fans, that in 1964 the U.S. Postal system assigned him his own zip code. According to the Ad Council, Smokey the Bear was recognizable by 95% of adults and by 77% of children in the U.S. in 2001, as the most avid "spokesman" against wild fires.

Smokey is buried in what is now called "Smokey Bear National Park", in Capitan, New Mexico.

Answer: False

Laika was actually a vagrant dog who lived at the mercy of people on the streets of Moscow. She was deliberately chosen for her mission for that reason, based on the the rationale that strays had already adapted to harsh conditions of survival. The scientists and the government knew that she would die on her mission, as there was no return mechanism in place to retrieve either the spacecraft, Sputnik 2, nor its sole passenger.

She became the first animal to orbit the earth, but contrary to Soviet press releases at the time which claimed that she was euthanized before her oxygen ran out, she actually died within hours of take-off, probably due to overheating in the tiny cabin of the spacecraft.

Prior to the launch, one of the Soviet scientists took her home with him to play with his children. Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky later wrote in a book about the so-called "space race" - "I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."

I suppose the best way that I can find to look at this sad story is to know that due to the advances made in the field of medicine and the benefits of "space-age" technologies, many human lives have been improved or lengthened due to the sacrifices made by both man and animal during this time frame.

Answer: housecat

This cat has a unique history. Chase-No-Face wasn't born with a problem, but an automobile accident left her missing a leg and her face, yet she is not in any pain, after a series of surgeries. She is an internet star, of sorts, and has been used as an encouragement to children and adults who suffer from disabilities and disfigurements, according to her owner, veterinary assistant, Melissa Smith.

Be forewarned, though, you might be upset by her pictures, and Ms. Smith cautions that she frequently has to mentally prepare guests at her home concerning her appearance. I think that it is with an amazing kindness that she and her children are able to love this not-so-cute little critter, and are able to teach others about the depths of inner beauty and of true love.

To quote Ms. Smith, "She didn't have an owner, and I said I would take her home ... to get the extra attention and it's been seven years. She's my cat now."

Answer: Fido

Carlo Soriani named his wounded friend Fido, which is Latin for 'faithful one'. The dog lived up to his name, for after he was recovered, he went with his master everyday to the bus stop as he boarded to go to work and went to greet him as he disembarked to return home. This established pattern continued for two years, until finally a day came during which an Allied bombardment of the area killed thousands of people, including Carlo Soriani.

This did not stop Fido, however; he continued coming to the bus stop each day, for the next fourteen years as he awaited his master's return in vain. Fido died on June 9, 1958, still waiting for Carlo to return home.

Now that is the definition of "faithful", is it not?

Answer: a chimpanzee

This could be called the story of the 'Little Boy and the Chimp'.

Gua, the chimpanzee, was born in 1930 in Havana, Cuba, but when she was 7 and 1/2 months old, was donated to the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Orange Park, Florida.

The Kellog couple had a ten-month old son, and their goal was to do a comparison study of Gua and their son Donald, giving them identical environs in which to live and then comparing the differences and similarities between them. During the course of their study, which lasted for nine months, they found that Gua usually tested well ahead of Donald in levels of understanding. She also learned to walk faster, as well as using a cup and spoon before Donald did.

Although for a time the two were similar in overall physical strength, Gua eventually became much stronger than Donald. By the time that Donald was 16 months old he was beginning to communicate, but Gua could not speak. After a total of nine months the experiment was stopped when Donald began mimicing the vocal sounds made by Gua.

In 1933, Gua died at the age of three, from complications of pneumonia, and on an even sadder note, Donald Agger Kellogg committed suicide in 1972. Hopefully, since there was a difference of over 40 years between the deaths of the two, it might be reasonably assumed that there was no direct correlation to the experiment.

This study, along with others that have been conducted over the years, have probably been quite useful in aiding us in the behavioral understanding of our animal friends, the chimpanzees, gorillas and apes.

Answer: Unsinkable Sam

Out of the 2,200 German personnel that were on board the Bismarck when it went down, only 115 people and 1 cat, Oscar, survived.

Wait, you say! I thought his name was "Unsinkable Sam", not Oscar! Hang in there, it's comin' around...

Anyway, this cat, whose name on Bismarck had been Oskar, now had a new, British name, Oscar. Ironic as it may seem, no one knew what his name had been on Bismarck, as the cat was the only survivor picked up by HMS Cossack since the surviving people on board were rescued by another ship.

Well, now this cat was soon destined to get yet another name, Unsinkable Sam. For you see, HMS Cossack soon sank off the coast of Gibraltar. Go ahead, guess who survived, even though 159 crew members died? Man, you're good!

Yes, our buddy Unsinkable Sam was brought ashore at Gibraltar, whereupon he was transferred to the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, which, coincidentally (?) had helped to destroy the German ship, Bismarck!

Oh, but our story about Unsinkable Sam doesn't stop there. Oh, no!

A few months later, Ark Royal was torpedoed and sunk about 30 miles from Gibraltar. The ship sank so slowly that all but one crew member was saved, including Sam. He was found clinging to a floating plank and was said to be "angry but quite unharmed."

Sam had visited two other ships during the war in 1941, the HMS Lightning and the HMS Legion. These were also both sunk later in the war, but of course Unsinkable Sam was not on board either at the time of their sinkings. He survived the war and lived on until 1955.

Some cat! (Must have eaten his 9-Lives everyday!)

Answer: a yellow Labrador retriever

Former Petty Officer of the British Navy Allen Parton suffered serious head injuries during the Gulf War, including a 50% memory loss. His assistant was a dog named Endal! He was able to understand literally hundreds of verbal and signed commands and to respond appropriately to each, incredible as it may seem.

Not only was Endal intelligent, he was also brave, as evidenced in an incident that occurred in 2001. Endal received worldwide attention when it was revealed that he had helped to save Allen Parton's life.

Allen Parton had been knocked out of his wheelchair by a passing motorist and was left in an unconscious state. The famous yellow Lab pulled Allen into a recovery position, retrieved his mobile phone, then fetched a blanket and covered his master in order to keep him warm. Then he began barking for help while he ran to a hotel to get the attention of people inside!

On March 13, 2009, Endal died at the age of thirteen, but he will always be remembered as one of the most devoted and gifted assistance animals ever.

Answer: a pigeon

The pigeon Cher Ami (French for "Dear Friend") was tasked with a mission in October, 1918.

More than 500 U.S. soldiers became entrapped behind German lines, in a small depression in the Forest of Argonne, on 3 October 1918. For four or five days, they withstood the enemy onslaught, only to begin receiving friendly fire from their own artillery and troops.

The German troops were well aware that pigeons were being used to relay messages, so they managed to shoot down and instantly kill two other birds that were sent out at the same time as Cher Ami. While he was also shot later along the way and wounded severely in the chest, he managed to arrive at his destination with his message attached, but with one leg nearly severed and blinded in one eye. The message that he delivered was this one:

"We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven's sake, stop it!"

That message allowed help to arrive and 194 men's lives were saved. The Army medics worked hard to save Cher Ami's life, and were successful, but the nearly severed leg was a total loss. He was given a carved wooden leg and later became their mascot until he died on 13 June 1919, from the wounds that he had received in action.

His body may be seen today in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Answer: Cincinnati

Cincinnati, General Grant's favorite horse, was presented as a gift to him during the U.S. Civil War. Cincinnati was a large horse, standing 17 hands high, and was a powerful horse with lots of energy.

General Grant rode him to accept the surrender of General Robert E. Lee, thereby ensuring Cincinnati's place in the annals of U.S. history. Nearly every picture or statue of General Grant sitting on horseback shows him riding on Cincinnati, his personal favorite.

Answer: Raced to deliver a diphtheria vaccine through Alaska

Both dogs were Siberian Huskies who helped to save lives.
First, a man named Leonhard Seppala and his dog Togo, then another man, Gunnar Kaasen and his dog Balto, raced across Alaska in an emergency effort to deliver a diphtheria serum for vaccine, traveling 674 miles between the two of them and the dog teams they led. Togo led his team of sled dogs for the longest and most hazardous part of the journey. They made a round trip of 365 miles, after which Togo was never able to run again.

Balto's team then picked up the race, traveling the rest of the way to Nome,
a distance of of about 350 more miles. During the "Great Race of Mercy", 20 mushers and roughly 150 sled dogs participated in the race against time, covering the distance in 5 and 1/2 days.

The total distance covered by both teams from Anchorage to Nome was conducted in extremely brutal weather conditions in which the dog teams and their human mushers faced a blizzard with temperatures of −23° F (-31° C) and strong winds.

Who knows how many lives may have been saved from suffering the deadly effects of diphtheria, due to the actions of these brave men and their determined and loyal furry working companions?