I’ve bought several sets of both these animals and the Learning Resources Jungle Animal Counters (https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Jungle-Counters-Animals/dp/B000BZ6TZE/ref=pd_ybh_a_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VFYC74NWHDRJRWRY1G20). Both sets are about the same size and generally comparable, assuming that you just want a set of mini wild animals and aren’t looking for any specific type of animal. But on the whole, I prefer the Terra set, mainly because the animals stand up better. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two sets: Animal assortment: Both sets have five each of 12 different animals. Both sets have lions (only male lions), tigers, zebras, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, hippos, gorillas, and cheetahs. The other three animals in the Learning Resources set are gnus, gazelles, and ostriches (only male ostriches). The other three animals in the Terra set are camels, bears, and moose. (Mooses? Meese? Whatever. But only males). Appearance: The Learning Resources animals are somewhat more realistic. For example, the Terra giraffe is kind of a sickly pale yellow with orange spots. The Learning Resources giraffe is orangey-yellow with brown spots. It’s not quite the color of a real giraffe, but it’s closer than the Terra giraffe. Adults might prefer the appearance of the Learning Resources set, but I doubt toddlers will care one way or the other. (By the way, a weird feature of both sets is that both sets have gorillas with red eyes. Really. They’re kind of scary-looking. I don’t know how two different executives at two different companies both approved the same dubious design choice, but they did. However, I’d say the Terra gorilla is somewhat less horrifying than the Learning Resources gorilla, so…there’s that, I guess). Durability: Both sets are somewhat flexible, rubbery plastic and the animals are all molded in one piece, so there’s nothing that breaks easily and both sets should be about equally durable. However, the Learning Resources set comes in a somewhat better container that can be reused, at least for a while. The Terra container is thin, flimsy plastic, and even if you manage to cut the tape that holds the lid on without destroying the whole container (not a guarantee, believe me), it won’t hold up to any amount of use. Price: Both sets fluctuate in price, but the Terra set is usually cheaper. If you’re not in a hurry to buy, put them on your wishlist and watch the price for a while to see if you can get a deal. Standing ability: This is the main factor that sold me on the Terra set over the Learning Resources set. There are just too many animals in the Learning Resources set that won’t stand up. Out of the package, almost all of the Learning Resources ostriches and many of the gazelles have bent legs and refuse to stand. Sometimes you can get the gazelles to stand if you bend their legs back and forth and fuss with them enough, but the ostriches are generally hopeless. On the other hand, out of my last set of Terra animals, everything stood up right out of the package except two giraffes, and I managed to fix one of the giraffes. The last giraffe seems to have one leg shorter than the others and is apparently a lost cause. Still, that’s 59/60 animals from the Terra set that stand up versus 53 or 54/60 from the Learning Resources set. So, which should you buy? Buy the Learning Resources set if (a) you want the more realistic-looking animals, (b) you find a price that’s too good to pass up, or (c) you have your heart set on gazelles, gnus, or ostriches. Otherwise, get the Terra set because it’s usually cheaper and much easier to play with.
