Beast in Show semifinalists announced

Microsoft has announced the 10 semifinalists in its Beast in Show contest. Visitors to Microsoft's Zoo Tycoon Web site can now vote for one of the 10 animals, and the three animals that receive the most votes by November 30 will advance to the final round of judging. The winning animal will be included in a future update to Zoo Tycoon, Microsoft's zoo management game, and the animal's zoo will receive a $20,000 donation toward animal care.

These are the 10 semifinalists' names, species, and home zoos:

Colliet and Chumbee, koalas, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland
Farrah, fossa, Dallas Zoo, Dallas
Hansa, Asian elephant, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
Jewel, hippopotamus, Sacramento Zoo, Sacramento, Calif.
Kubi, silverback gorilla, San Francisco Zoo, San Francisco
Liberty, southern bald eagle, Houston Zoo, Houston
Magnet, polar bear, Baltimore Zoo, Baltimore
Starlet O'Hara, African elephant, Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta
Shere and Shaka Khan, twin Siberian tigers, Virginia Zoological Park, Norfolk, Va.
Tombi, rhinoceros, Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tenn.

Zoo Tycoon, which was released in October, lets players build and manage their own zoo. Players must oversee the construction of habitats, the acquisition and care of animals, and the management of concessions stands, gift shops, and admission prices. To succeed, players must keep both the park guests and the animals content. For more information, read our full review of the game.