THE ZOO.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 11

THE ZOO.

LITTLE GEORGE CAUSES TROUBLE. NAMING THE CUBS. (By John Crowes, president of I lie Wellington Zoological Society.) { Readers of my notes know that little Ucorge, alias little Richard, (lie young lion at the Zoo, is a very precocious ,Youth. Tliey therefore will not bo surprised to karji that just at this stage of Ins precocity ho is causing considerable anxiety. He sees his mother eat flesh, and of course he must eat flesh. But his. mother sometimes crunches bones, and of course little Giorgio must try tho bono crunching-. Well, one day he became so proficient that he got a. piece of bone into jus mouth, andafter crunching and twisting and turning tho awkward morsel for awhile, he got it down his throat. Then there was trouble". But the tact and dexterity of tho ever-watchful curator proved equal to the occasion; the osseous obstruction, such as has caused death to many older lions than Georgio was removed, and tho fortuuato littlo fellow, having caused a sensation, settled down to normal conditions. Zoo Finance Tho wizards who could always provo that tho cost of tho Zoo was mounting up by leaps and bounds that it was estimated to be ,£IBOO in the year just closed, and would soon be at tho rate of ,£2OOO a year, have been strangely silent lately. When 1 suggested that it was possible to improve the Zoo and diminish tho cost of maintenance at tho same time, I was laughed at. But tho Zoo has been greatly improved, and tho cost has been so diminished that tho actual cost of tho upkeep and the new buildiiugs last year was more than .£IOO less than tho estimate, and tho actual receipts from tho Zoo exceeded the estimate by ,£BB. It will be seen then that tho licit cost of tho Zoo last year was more than ,£2OO less than tho estimate. I hope that electors will remember this on Wwlnosday and will, by their votts give the credit duo to Councillor Frost and his. supporters, who, with tho excellent curator ot tho Zoo, and his efficient staff hare brought about such a desirable result. Tho Names of tho Young Lions. More than a • thousand adults, with a good many girls and boys, drew up oil tho bank opposite tho den of lions on Sunday afternoon, but many of then) did not vole to no lire the cubs. The twins showed up ivell ami Councillor Frost, who was present, seemed highly delighted at the great interest evinced by tho cro\Vd of citizens that enjoyed their study of lions in. tho perfect we.ither wl'ich on Sunday supported my oft-repeated contention that outside of heaven there is no climate superior to the climate of Wellington. Tho result of tho voting has not been declared; but, from the looks of the intelligent voters that approached the ballot-box, and from other indications noticeable I confidently prognosticate tliot it will bo found that the people have endorsed my nominations, ami placed Maud and Georgo at the head of the poll. Councillor Frost well deserves tho honoiir : thus conferred upon him. lie helped to start tho Zoo, he. has worked for it ever since, he brought the lioness to the Zoo, and by his influence from the chair of the Reserves Committee ho has largely contributed to the great success of the Zoo during the lost year. My society has no municipal ticket, but I its a citizen deeply interested in the Zoo would like to see Councillor Frost at the top of the poll, with Secretary Castle a good second, and the other supporters of the Zoo well up to support them. Every lover of the Zoo should vote for Frost and Castle.