There are animals in our world with “magical properties” like the fantastic beasts in Harry Potter’s world. While augureys are known to predict rainfall, there are equally powerful weather-forecasting and earthquake-predicting animals among us. And like wizards strategically utilize demiguise hair to make invisibility cloaks, our scientists utilize scorpion, bee, and snake venom for cancer treatments and incorporate snail secretions in anti-aging face creams.

This presentation by Rebecca Lai will provide a comparison between several notable fantastic beasts in Harry’s world and a few of our more magical earthly creatures.