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Ok, I widely failed my two latest matchsticks puzzles, so here's another attempt, part of the 22nd Fortnightly Topic Challenge.

As you can see, you have in front of you eleven matchsticks forming the word zoo:

enter image description here

You have to move one matchstick, and remove one matchstick to create a 4-letter word, which is the name of an animal.

You cannot break or stack the matchsticks.

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    $\begingroup$ Nice simple, clear and with a good solution. I think this is an excellent example of how a good matchstick-puzzle should look like. +1 from me. $\endgroup$
    – BmyGuest
    Commented Dec 13, 2016 at 12:12

5 Answers 5

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Nice one! Here is my solution:

Solution

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    $\begingroup$ Drat! Ninja'd while I was hastily making the image. $\endgroup$
    – TheGreatEscaper
    Commented Dec 12, 2016 at 11:05
  • $\begingroup$ Looks like you've moved more than one stick here $\endgroup$
    – Rob
    Commented Dec 13, 2016 at 1:15
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    $\begingroup$ One stick from the last O in zoo has been removed, and another stick from the last O has been moved. The image is turned 90 degrees anticlockwise. $\endgroup$
    – TheGreatEscaper
    Commented Dec 13, 2016 at 1:40
  • $\begingroup$ Completely, didn't see it that way - makes it more impressive :) $\endgroup$
    – Rob
    Commented Dec 13, 2016 at 1:41
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I also came to the accepted answer, via a slightly different method.

Lion Lion puzzle solution

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    $\begingroup$ П? Like in Russian :-D? $\endgroup$
    – IAmInPLS
    Commented Dec 12, 2016 at 15:12
  • $\begingroup$ @IAmInPLS Resembles lower case 'n' too. $\endgroup$
    – Fᴀʀʜᴀɴ Aɴᴀᴍ
    Commented Dec 12, 2016 at 16:32
  • $\begingroup$ @IAmInPLS Or Greek. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Dec 13, 2016 at 1:07
  • $\begingroup$ @randal'thor: Now if we could make a four-letter TA-Π-R or a Π-GGY from the given layout ... $\endgroup$
    – M Oehm
    Commented Dec 13, 2016 at 6:54
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I can get:

A lion(Reading from right to left and rotating the first matchstick by 90 degrees)

An image:

enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ It could be nice to add an image to your reasoning if you want the tick :)! $\endgroup$
    – IAmInPLS
    Commented Dec 12, 2016 at 11:14
  • $\begingroup$ Drat!, hold on a bit... $\endgroup$
    – Sid
    Commented Dec 12, 2016 at 11:16
  • $\begingroup$ Ha, that is what I thought. I was expecting @TheGreatEscaper solution :), because you rotate the z and he does not. $\endgroup$
    – IAmInPLS
    Commented Dec 12, 2016 at 11:25
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Not four letters. Colloquially, at least, this is an animal name:

cow

An image:

enter image description here

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    $\begingroup$ Well, I precisely asked for a four letters animal. $\endgroup$
    – IAmInPLS
    Commented Dec 12, 2016 at 14:13
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    $\begingroup$ Some do pronounce W as double V. So you have COVV, 4 letters! $\endgroup$
    – yurnero
    Commented Dec 13, 2016 at 19:31
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I am a bit late, but I actually got a different answer than others.

I got COLT (Baby horse). The L and T are a bit scrunched but I think it's solid. Colt

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