Book excerpt: Come behind the scenes at an Australian zoo as the zookeepers share amazing stories, for children aged 9 to 12. Why does each koala in a zoo need 1000 trees? How do you check a Tree-kangaroo’s pouch for joeys? Why is a wombat’s poo square-shaped? And how do dogs help look after ‘extinct’ bandicoots? Discover all this and more, as we take you behind the scenes of a modern Australian zoo and animal hospital. Find out what it’s really like to be a zookeeper and hear their funny and fascinating stories about the animals they look after – from the koala who regularly escapes her cage, to cheeky Tasmanian devil cubs nipping the keepers’ ankles for food; and from Jess, the majestic wedge-tailed eagle, to tiny but precious frogs and skinks. These delightful and fascinating stories for children aged 9 to 12 reveal the essential role of zoos today, from preserving and rehabilitating endangered species to making groundbreaking scientific discoveries and uncovering more about how animals think. Packed full of fascinating facts, Ninja Bandicoots and Turbo-Charged Wombats is the perfect read for animal-loving kids.