It Was the Worst of Times for Animals Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. These animals were suspected of spreading the virus during the polio epidemics of the 20th century, but they later were instrumental in developing a treatment for the disease. Which animals are they?

Answer: Cats

It was the worst of times for cats. When polio epidemics hit the United States in the early 20th century, people blamed everything from animals to immigrants. Cats took the brunt of the blame, however, with over 70,000 estimated to have been slaughtered.

It was the best of times for cats. Interestingly, cats played a role in saving many polio patients. Philip Drinker and Louis Shaw had both used pressurized containers in their work with cats. Drinker's brother had used them to keep cats alive during surgery, while Shaw used them to study cat respiration. Together, their research led to the development of the iron lung that saved polio patients.

2. By the early 20th century, these animals had been eradicated from many parts of the western United States, including Yellowstone National Park, but in the late 20th century, they were successfully reintroduced. Which animals are they?

Answer: Wolves

It was the worst of times for wolves. They were considered to be too much of a threat to livestock and were purposely killed by the United States government throughout the West. The last wolf in Yellowstone was believed to have been shot in the 1920s.

It was the best of times for wolves. In the 1990s, wolves from Canada and Mexico were successfully reintroduced into various areas of the West. Although ranchers continued to oppose the effort, researchers studying the impact of the wolves on Yellowstone found that some native trees and other flora, which had all but disappeared during the 70 years that wolves were gone, were now thriving at Yellowstone. The conclusion they drew was that the population of grazing animals had grown out of control and that the wolves had returned balance to the area.

3. Poor Perky had a really bad day. She was shot, dragged by a dog and put in a refrigerator, but miraculously she survived. What type of animal was she?

Answer: Duck

It was the worst of times for Perky. After being shot by a hunter who thought she was dead, she had been stuffed in a refrigerator for a couple of days. The hunter's wife had quite a shock when she opened the refrigerator and saw Perky raise her head.

It was the best of times for Perky. The hunter's wife took Perky to a veterinarian. After surgery to fix the wounds to her wing and leg, she went to live at an animal refuge where she could safely live out her life.

4. Thousands of these animals were killed when they were blamed for being the source for the disease SARS, but they were later found to make great coffee. Which animals are they?

Answer: Civet cats

It was the worst of times for civet cats. The cats were a local delicacy in Asia, and it was believed that this was the main source of transmission of the disease SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). There was conflicting research as to whether civet cats, which look like a mix between a weasel and a domestic cat, were the actual source of the disease.

It was the best of times for civet cats. In an odd twist, civet cats are now popular for their droppings, of all things. One of the cats' favorite foods is coffee berries. The hard centers of the berries aren't digested and are passed through in their droppings. The droppings are then cleaned, roasted and ground into a gourmet coffee that sells at a very high price. Maybe your local Starbucks will soon be carrying cat poo coffee.

5. Criticism of the use of animals in these places had been levied for many years, and in 2009, Bolivia reportedly became the first nation to ban their use. What type of animals are they?

Answer: Circus animals

It was the worst of times for circus animals. Allegations of animal abuses have been made against circuses throughout the years, and documented abuses have occurred. An undercover operation by Animal Defenders International (ADI) confirmed that animals were beaten and confined to small cages.

It was the best of times for circus animals. After an ADI presentation to the Bolivian Congress, the Bolivian government decided to ban their use in circuses. Although other countries have banned the use of wild animals in circuses, the Bolivian government banned the use of all animals to include domestic ones.

6. These primates are only native to a few islands and are among the most endangered animals in the world, but thanks to a silly-walking Englishman, programs have been established to shore up the native population with captivity-bred animals. What animals are they?

Answer: Lemurs

It was the worst of times for lemurs. Native to Madagascar and the Comoros Islands off the eastern coast of Africa, some lemur species were on the verge of extinction due to hunting, trafficking and habitat loss.

It was the best of times for lemurs. John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, worked to increase public awareness of the lemurs' plight, and in 1998, financed the first release of captivity-bred lemurs in Madagascar. His work with lemurs led to having one species, the Avahi Cleesei, named after him in 2005.

7. Some species of these animals were hunted to near extinction in the 20th century, but thanks to mid-century conservation efforts and a 1986 international moratorium on hunting them, their numbers have recovered. Which animals are they?

Answer: Whales

It was the worst of times for whales. They had been hunted over the centuries to the point that several of their species were on the verge of extinction.

It was the best of times for whales. The International Whaling Commission was formed in 1946, and in 1986, a moratorium on commercial whaling was established. There were exemptions for scientific research or native people's subsistence hunting, but the overall result was that some species recovered and were removed from the Endangered Species Act list.

8. The last breeding ground in the United States for these birds was threatened by excessive hunting at the beginning of the 1900s, but thanks to the efforts of a local resident, President Theodore Roosevelt established the area as the first wildlife refuge in the U.S. Which birds are they?

Answer: Brown pelicans

It was the worst of times for brown pelicans. They would nest on Pelican Island in Florida only to become the victims of hunters. After the Florida legislature passed a law protecting non-game birds, hunters murdered two of the wardens hired to protect the birds.

It was the best of times for brown pelicans. Local resident Paul Kroegel was the first to protect the birds by standing guard on the island. Kroegel told the curator for the American Museum of Natural History, Frank Chapman, about the threat to the pelicans, and along with naturalist William Dutcher, Chapman approached Theodore Roosevelt to ask for federal assistance. In 1903, Roosevelt established Pelican Island as the first wildlife refuge.

9. The local population of this primate was near extinction during World War II, but thanks to the efforts of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, their numbers recovered. Which animals are they?

Answer: Gibraltar macaques

It was the worst of times for the Gibraltar macaques. Although referred to as the Apes of Gibraltar, they are actually Barbary macaques, a tailless monkey. During World War II, their numbers decreased due to natural causes.

It was the best of times for the Gibraltar macaques. Legend has it that if the macaques disappear, the British will leave Gibraltar. Whether Winston Churchill was motivated by the legend can be debated, but nevertheless, he had more of the primates imported from their native Morocco, and the Gibraltar population has since recovered.

10. Oscar faced a bleak future in an animal shelter, but after being adopted by the staff of a nursing home, his "grim reaper" skills made him famous in a medical journal. What type of animal was he?

Answer: Cat

It was the worst of times for Oscar. He was just a kitten when he was turned over to an animal shelter to face an uncertain future.

It was the best of times for Oscar. He was adopted to be a resident cat at a nursing home where he became known for his ability to predict patients' deaths. He would make rounds each day, checking out the residents. If he curled up on the bed of a patient, the nursing home staff would call the family to let them know that death was imminent. At the time that Oscar's skills were noted in the New England Journal of Medicine, he had predicted more than 25 deaths.

Source: Author PDAZ

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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Luckily, it later turned out to be the best of times. Let's look at some of the highs and lows for individual animals and animal species throughout the years.

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