Zoo Vet (Windows, Mac)

ZOO VET from Legacy Interactive is a compelling computer simulation that teaches about healing sick zoo animals. Players become veterinarians at a zoo. Using more than 30 realistic medical tools, kids examine 25 species in 30 hands-on scenarios. In one, they will heal an otter that is spitting out food, and in another, they'll discover why a polar bear has become lethargic.

In a short video sequence, the concerned zookeeper briefs the player; the program offers hints and suggestions of how to examine and then treat each ailment, with more direction being offered on the easiest of three levels of difficulty. For example, faced with a rhino that has loose stools, the player will be directed to use the magnifying glass to look at the stool and then use a stool sample kit. When worms are discovered in the stool, the player learns to medicate the rhino's feed. The zoo's head veterinarian mentors the player and critiques each case.

Kids who are squeamish about blood might not like the few scenarios that involve using a scalpel to cut skin. While the blood doesn't ooze, the inside of the cut looks realistic. This easy-to-play simulation provides a hands-on way of teaching children about zoo animal illnesses and how to make sick animals well.