Object Voice Guide

Meet the Animals

Tap an animal to talk with them — or type a question below.

About this project →

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How this works

You're standing at the glass, and a hundred questions drift through your mind. What is it like in there? Do they know you're watching? What do they do all day?

For once, you can simply ask. Tap the animal you'd like to meet, give them a moment to swim over — then ask them anything you like.

Tap an animal
Any object on the grid. They'll say hello and introduce themselves.
Just talk — ask anything
Anything you've ever wondered about them. How they hunt, how they sleep, how they ended up here. There's no wrong question.
Interrupt any time
Start speaking and they'll stop to listen — just like a real conversation. No need to wait for them to finish.
Noisy around you? Push to talk
Switch on Push to talk and a button appears. Hold it while you speak, let go when you're done — the animal only listens while you're holding, so the crowd can't talk over you. Press it again to cut in while they're answering.
Pause to talk it over
Tap Pause and the microphone switches off, so you can discuss what you heard without the animal listening in. Tap Resume to carry on where you left off.
They speak many languages
Just start talking in yours and they'll follow — including English, Te Reo Māori, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, German and Spanish and many more.
Rather type?
Use the box at the bottom. Handy if the exhibit is noisy — the animals answer either way.
They remember you
Tell them your name and they'll use it. Meet another animal later and they'll know where you've been today.
Switch any time
Tap a different animal to go and meet them. There's a short pause while they swim over.
If it goes quiet
After a couple of minutes of silence the animal goes back to their day. Tap them again whenever you like.

Your phone will ask permission to use the microphone — that's how the animals hear you.