Hey animal lovers! Yeah, I'm looking at you.

Welcome to Truth is Stranger than Fiction — an occassional BiblioCommons list devoted to special topics in non-fiction. The focus of this month's list is on quirky animal stories! From elephants to oysters, pandas to puppies, there is sure to be a story to make even the greatest of grinches smile. 

For most of us, it would be quite difficult to just hop over to Australia to spend time with a kangaroo. But did you know that a 'roo is but a subway ride away, at the Prospect Park Zoo? Planning to jump in the frozen waters of the Atlantic with the Polar Bear Club this year? Why not include a trip to the New York Aquarium while you're down at Coney Island, and meet the Black-footed penguin. Monkey around Manhattan at the Central Park Zoo all year round, as winter is the perfect time to meet the snow monkeys! And there are more things flying around Queens besides planes at LaGuardia Airport. Take a gander at the Thick-billed Parrots of the Queens Zoo.

If you wish to explore beyond the scope of NYC, check out New York's Watchable Wildlife, a statewide directory of where and when to plan an outdoor wildlife spotting adventure. Hint: December is a great month for spotting weasels! 

Doing research about animals? Check out one of our online encyclopedias, such as Amazing Animals of the World.

If you feel compelled to do more than just read about our fellow creatures, you can get in touch with many advocacy groups, such as the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and the National Audobon Society.

For more interesting animals in nonfiction, see Jenny Baum's Kangaroo Run blog post.