Animal Planet Zooventure facts for kids

Animal Planet Zooventure was an exciting American children's game show. It aired on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel from 1997 to 2000. The show was filmed right at the San Diego Zoo!

J. D. Roth was the host, guiding four kid contestants. They played fun games all about wild animals. The amazing grand prize? Getting to be a real zookeeper for a whole day! The show had two main parts, leading up to a big final challenge.

Exploring the First Season Games

The first season of Zooventure had a cool format. Kids competed in different animal-themed challenges.

First Half Fun

Two contestants faced off in the first half. They played three exciting games.

Physical Animal Challenge

The first game was a physical stunt related to animals. It could be anything from crawling like a snake to jumping like a frog! The winner of this challenge earned 10 points.

True or False Animal Facts

Next, a home viewer asked a true or false question about animal behavior. Contestants held up signs saying "true" or "false." A correct answer was worth another 10 points.

Mystery Animal Puzzle

The third game was a jigsaw puzzle with a mystery word. Behind the puzzle pieces was a hidden animal. The mystery word was the animal's name! Players took turns drawing numbered balls. Each ball showed a puzzle piece and a letter in the animal's name. They could buzz in and guess the animal. The first player to guess correctly won 20 points!

The player with the most points in this half moved on to the final round. If there was a tie, a special tie-breaker question decided the winner.

Second Half Excitement

Two new players competed in the second half. They also played three unique games.

Another Animal Stunt

Just like in the first half, the first game was a physical challenge. It was always related to animals. The winner of this stunt earned 10 points.

Zoo Expert Questions

An employee from the San Diego Zoo asked an animal question. There were two possible answers. Contestants held up signs with their chosen answer. A correct answer gave them 10 points.

Animal Category Challenge

Players saw a board with seven animal answers. Three of them fit a secret animal category. Host J.D. Roth read the category. Contestants took turns picking answers they thought fit. The first player to find two of the three correct answers won 20 points!

The player with the most points in the second half also moved on to the final round.

The Final Round Showdown

This exciting final round was called the "Zooventure Challenge." It was a bit like other famous game shows.

Guess the Mystery Animal

The two winners from the main rounds competed. They saw mystery animal names appear letter by letter. Host Roth gave clues about the animal. The first player to buzz in got to guess. A correct guess scored a point! If they were wrong, the other player got a bonus letter and a free guess. This round lasted 60 seconds. The player with the most points when time ran out won the grand prize!

The ultimate prize was being a zookeeper for a day at the amazing San Diego Zoo Safari Park!

Second Season Adventures

The second season of Animal Planet Zooventure brought some new twists to the games.

First Half Changes

The first two contestants played three different games.

New Physical Stunt

The first game was still an animal-related physical stunt. The winner of this challenge earned 10 points.

Quick Animal Questions

Host Roth asked questions with three possible answers. The first player to buzz in with the correct answer scored a point. If they missed, the other player got a chance. The player with the most points won this game.

Game 3

(Details for Game 3 in the second season's first half were not provided in the original text.)

Second Half Updates

Two more players competed in the second half with three new games.

Another Physical Challenge

The first game was again an animal-related physical stunt. The winner earned 10 points.

Animal Habits Quiz

Contestants answered questions about animals and their habits or behaviors. They hit a buzzer to guess the correct habit related to the animal. They played for 30 seconds. The contestant with the most correct answers won 10 points.

Field Trip Matching Game

In this game, contestants watched a video clip about animal habits and behaviors. After the video, they had 20 seconds to match statements about habits to the correct animals on a board. Once a statement was placed, it couldn't be changed. The contestant with the most correct matches won the game and 10 points. If there was a tie, a true/false question decided the winner.

Final Zoofari Challenge

The winners from the main rounds competed in a thrilling race. They had to complete an obstacle course! The first player to cross the finish line won the grand prizes. And, of course, they got to be a zookeeper for a day!