how to tell wild animals

“How to Tell Wild Animals” is a humorous poem by Carolyn Wells that playfully explains how to “identify” wild animals in ways that are exaggerated, illogical, and obviously dangerous, which is exactly why it feels funny and memorable for students.

What the poem is about

The poem imagines you walking into the jungle (or even your yard) and “learning” to recognize animals from what they do to you, instead of from safe field‑guide style descriptions. The joke is that by the time you’ve “identified” the animal, it has already attacked, eaten, or crushed you.

How each animal is “told”

• Asian Lion : Described as a tawny (yellowish‑brown) lion in eastern jungles; if it roars at you and you die of fear, you can be sure it was an Asian Lion. The humour comes from the idea that you recognize it only when you’ve already been scared to death.

• Bengal Tiger : A “noble wild beast” with black stripes on yellow skin; if it eats you, that “simple rule” helps you know it was a Bengal Tiger. The playful logic is: if you were eaten, now you know what it was.

• Leopard : It has a hide “peppered” with spots; as soon as it has leapt on you and keeps leaping again and again despite your screams, you know it’s a Leopard. The repeated “lep and lep again” adds comic rhythm to the danger.

• Bear : If, while you walk in your yard, a creature hugs you very tightly, it is a Bear giving you a deadly “bear hug.” If you are still unsure, the bear will give you “one more caress,” which is darkly comic because the hug is actually lethal.

• Hyena and Crocodile : A Hyena “laughs” with a wide, grin-like face, while a Crocodile sheds “crocodile tears” as it swallows its victim. The poet jokes that you can distinguish these cruel animals by whether they seem to laugh or cry.

• Chameleon : A small, lizard‑like animal with no ears or wings that changes colour to match its surroundings. The poet says if you see “nothing” on the tree, it may actually be a chameleon perfectly blended in—so you “see” it by not seeing it at all, which is a witty paradox.

Tone, theme, and why it’s popular

The tone is humorous and light, even though it talks about dangerous animals and attacks. The central idea is to entertain while showing how absurd it would be to rely on such risky “rules” to identify wild animals, indirectly suggesting that real‑life caution and knowledge are important.

For Class 10 learners, the poem is often used to teach:

• Playful rhyme and rhythm
• Personification and exaggeration
• Irony (the method of identification is funny but completely impractical)

Mini “Quick Scoop” recap

• The poem is by Carolyn Wells , a humorous poet.

• It appears in the CBSE Class 10 English book First Flight.

• Animals covered: Asian Lion, Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Bear, Hyena, Crocodile, Chameleon.

• Main trick: you know the animal by what it does to you—roaring you to death, eating you, hugging you, or disappearing into the background—which makes the whole idea comic and memorable.

Meta description:
A friendly, student‑focused explanation of the Class 10 poem “How to Tell Wild Animals” by Carolyn Wells, covering meaning, animal descriptions, tone, and central idea in a clear, engaging way.

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