Amazing Animal Encounters writing contest

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications


This summer, we invited kids, ages 6 – 12, to submit their short stories about a Northwest animal encounter, fiction or non-fiction, to our MyZoo magazine Amazing Animal Encounters writing contest!

Here are the winners!

Our Grand Prize winner, Alice Yang, 11 years old:

One morning, I was eating breakfast before leaving for my friend’s house to go to a birthday party. I was looking out our glass sliding door, next to the dinner table. It was a gloomy day; I wouldn't have been surprised if it rained. 

There was a small patch of forest next to our house, but it was fenced off. I looked at the fence and saw something strange. There was a brown cat on it! It had been very still and I hadn't noticed it. The cat was in the neighbor's side of the fence, and I stared at it.  

Suddenly it turned around and I saw its rather short tail. It suddenly dawned on me that it was much too large to be a regular house cat, and the short tail must've meant it was a bobcat. How did I not notice the small “beard” on its face? Once I realized I had just seen a rather rare wild animal, the bobcat leapt from the fence into the forest.  

I never saw the bobcat again, but I did get a motion-sensor camera. It caught plenty of pictures of Northwest animals. But that’s a story for another time.

Alice will receive a ZooParent wolf adoption and penguin feeding tickets for her family!

Runner up for most humorous is Zion Eagle Bowers, 9 years old:

Once upon a time a Pacific tree frog named Padden went over to the temperature gauge. Padden loved sitting there. When she got there, Weed, another tree frog, was sitting in her spot! 

"GET OFF MY SPOT!” said Padden. 

"Okay,” said Weed. "I’ll have the pond.”

"WAIT!” shouted Padden. "You have the temperature gauge and I’ll have the pond.”   

"NO!” said Weed. "I’m having it.”  

"But I want it,” said Padden. “I need to keep moist.” 

"Well, so do I,” said Weed. "Fine,” sighed Weed, "I’ll have the last cricket.”  

 "NO!” shouted Padden. 

"YES!” screamed Weed. Just then Lake, yet another tree frog, came over and ate the last cricket! 

"What?” said Lake. 

“I WAS GOING TO HAVE THAT!!!” said Padden and Weed. 

“Well life’s not fair” said Lake.    

THE END                                                      

And Runner up for most inspiring is Jamila Eidt, 10 years old:

One day last summer I observed something spectacular in my garden. It happened during the late afternoon hours on a warm summer day in my yard. I have a good eye to watch all the animals in my garden. There are squirrels, birds, raccoons and my cat Kendy. We even had a bobcat once, and my Mom saw a wild wolf running through our yard one day! All of a sudden on that summer day, I saw a big raccoon climbing down from one of our trees. I carefully went in the opposite area of our garden, where I could watch what he was doing. He wandered around on the grass, when a big shiny dragonfly was flying directly above him in circles. Out of nothing the raccoon jumped about 5 feet high into the air, as straight as a stick, clapping his paws together to catch the dragonfly within a second! It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen happening in our garden!

Thank you to all who submitted stories and be sure to check your MyZoo magazine for more contests, games and trivia in the MyZoo Kids sections!