Zooniversity is the Teaching Zoo that Comes to You!

VOTED "BEST OF THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX" 2009, 2010 & 2011!

Zooniversity is a traveling wildlife education company that introduces children and adults to the fascinating world of exotic animals. Each year we deliver more than 700 conservation-based programs at schools, day cares, libraries, churches, scouts, community and corporate events and private parties throughout Texas and surrounding states.

Small Group Classroom Programs
Large Group Stage Shows
Multi-week Zoo Schools

Educational Displays
Birthday Parties
Strolling zookeepers

Professional wildlife educators will introduce you to our amazing collection of animal ambassadors—all former unwanted, injured or abused exotic animals, who now have a permanent home with Zooniversity. Our wildlife programs are all carefully crafted to entertain, as well as to educate. And with more than 50 species of exotic animals to choose from, you’re sure to have more than one favorite. Zooniversity is setting the standard in wildlife ed-zoo-cation!

Read our newest blog entries:

“Teddy” had WAY TOO MUCH Corn on New Year’s!»

Our North American porcupine, named "Teddy Bear," shows what happens when you over-imbibe while celebrating the New Year in his newest video "Teddy, the porcupine has WAY TOO MUCH corn on New Year’s." He, and all our staff at Zooniversity, wish you a safe holiday and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

Happy New Year, Teddy Bear!

 

“Teddy Bear” Wishes You a Merry Christmas!»

He’s back! "Teddy Bear," the porcupine is back to wish all his friends and fans a Merry Christmas. And, let us answer those questions right up front: "How did you get that hat on him?" Not a problem, he actually LIKED it! Teddy wore his Santa hat for about an hour before it fell off. "Isn’t a gingerbread cookie bad for a porcupine?" It wasn’t a cookie. It was a low-sugar dog biscuit — we keep our big guy on a healthy diet. More questions? Just ask!

As Teddy is quick to tell you — Merry Christmas! (And, never share your holiday cookies.)

 

“Teddy” the Porcupine is a Viral Video and TV Star»

Dallas, Texas, USA, December 7, 2011 — Welcome to the unpredicatable, rather insane, world of the Internet. Where else would a one-minute, handheld video clip of a porcupine eating his favorite snack, end up being watched by a million people across the globe and be aired on all three major US televison networks in just one week? "Teddy Bear," an 8-year old North American porcupine owned by Dallas-based Zooniversity, is now a viral video and TV star. Teddy’s first video was just named #1 "Best Animal Video of 2011" by The International Business Times.

The video, entitled "Teddy Bear, the porcupine, doesn’t like to share," went viral in late November 2011, when YouTube viewers shared the clip on dozens of other video sites. Within days the video topped half-a-million views. Why? Well, the corn-hungry porcupine is rather vocal about not wanting to share his corn and English-speaking viewers insist they heard him protesting in human words, saying "It’s my corn," "Stop that," and "Get Back" — or even some stronger explitives. Then, the video went global. German viewers say he is speaking German, Dutch viewers insist it’s Dutch, and now Russian viewers hear Russian words in his grunts and groans. Even more surprising, some folks feel that his human-like sounds are more than coincidental. The International Business Times (UK) writes "the video has gained soaring popularity among viewers with most agreeing that it is an example of animals borrowing the human language to communicate with us, and have labelled it as "clear intelligence"." Huh?

National TV shows quickly jumped to air the popular video. "Teddy Bear" has already been featured on THE TODAY SHOW (link pending), GOOD MORNING AMERICA, INSIDE EDITION, RIGHT THIS MINUTE and RED EYE (at 19:50). Numerous regional TV and radio stations across the U.S. have also broadcast the video, but it has surprisingly not yet hit the radar of local Dallas/Fort Worth media.

And, the Internet is continuing the buzz. Videos are popping up of people recording the reaction of their pet while watching Teddy’s video. And, some websites are featuring the video to illustrate their mission – several Christian sites are sharing it as "an example of God’s amazing creation," and a healthy eating site says that Teddy’s corn gluttony "is nothing more than a porcupine version of our human snacks laden with high-fructose corn syrup."

Zooniversity’s owner, Allison Blankenship, hand-raised Teddy since he was an ophaned baby and says "Teddy’s always been vocal…and a bit spoiled. But, the viral video came as a huge surprise. I never heard the human-like words when I posted it ." Teddy is a popular education animal at the Dallas-based wildlife education company. As one of their animal ambassadors, Teddy travels to schools, libraries and events throughout Texas and is known for his ewok-like chatter while he nibbles on a wedge of sweet potato during  his part of the wildlife show. "He’ll usually mumble and moan into my microphone, while I teach audiences about his natural behaviors, " says Blankenship, "He always steals the show." Well, it looks like he stole it again!

Watch Teddy’s NEW video: "Teddy, the talking porcupine, likes pumpkin, too!"

Teddy now has a Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/TeddyPorcupine and he’s on Twitter www.twitter.com/TeddyPorcupine