WELLINGTON EMU WINS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22517, 27 September 1938, Page 13

WELLINGTON EMU WINS

THREE HEALTHY CHICKS HIGH DEATH-RATE AT AUCKLAND [THE PRESS Special Servlce.l AUCKLAND, September 26. Of the three emu chicks recently hatched at the Auckland zoo, only one survives. One young bird was a weakling when hatched, and died almost immediately, and a second has since perished. Originally the male emu at the zoo sat on 14 eggs; but most were spoiled, presumably when abnormal floods covered the nest during stormy weather in July.

Auckland zoo authorities are delighted with the achievement of the Wellington cock emu in producing three healthy chicks from a clutch oi six eggs, particularly in view of the "earthquake, rain, and hail, and almost consistently unfavourable weather, including two extremely severe storms. Although Wellington may claim the paternity record for 1938, it is felt that the event is yet another triumph for Auckland, seeing that Auckland originally supplied Wellington with its stock. "We are very gratified that we sold Wellington such a strong and healthy strain," said the curator of the zoo, Lieutenant-Colonel E. RSawer. ' "**•» Another fine example of Auckland stock will be sent to the Wellington zoo shortly. This is a female llama, a South American member of the camel family, which was born at Auckland. Noted for its sureness of foot and endurance powers, the llama is used in Peru and other countries as a beast of burden. A large quantity of new stock is expected at the Auckland zoo from East Australia and 3Torth America during the next two months. This includes a hippopotamus, an alligator, chimpanzees, a moufion, a kinkajou, wild duck, pelicans, and pheasants. I AUCKLAND CLAIM DENIED

FATHER IMPORTED FROM AUSTRALIA

[THE PRESS Special Servlce.l

WELLINGTON, September 26.

Informed of Auckland's pretensions to having supplied the Wellington Zoo with its emu blood stock, and so vicariously sharing in the glory of the Wellington cock emu's recent brooding record and high paternity average, the curator of the zoo, Mr J. Langridge, to-night effectively disposed of any such claims. He said that both the adult emus at present at Newtown were originally imported from Australia. The emus obtained from Auckland, like so many other Auckland emus, had died. As a matter of fact, the good health enjoyed by these delicate and high-spirited birds in the rigours of a climate far different from that of their natural habitat in the arid and sun-scorched interior of Australia, is ascribed entirely to Wellington's bracing and invigorating atmosphere, and not to any accident of origin or birth. The Wellington Zoo is also expecting large consignments of stock from abroad, including a herd of bison, a beaver, and a number of bears from North America, and monkeys, wild fowl, and possibly a buffalo from Australia and the East.