WELLINGTON ZOO

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2125, 17 April 1914, Page 8

WELLINGTON ZOO

HOW IS GEORGE?

TROUBLES OF A YOUNG LION

A TWO-SIDED MATTER

[By John Crowes, President of the Wellington Zoological Society.] The two young lions that'were born in tho Zoo rather inoro than a year ago grew rapidly, and, until recently, weio in tine condition. But recently, rather later than I expected, George has failed and'his condition has caused the patrons of tho Zoo ■ much anxiety. Sonio observers, speaking of him, havo said, "He is a bag of bones," and we cannot deny that wo. would'like* for him to put on-llcsh. But he is changing bis teeth, and, like some boys when cutting theirs, he is in painful trouble. Some friends have asked why it is that though ho is so thin and yet feeds when tlesh is given to him ho is ilot favoured with an extra allowance just now. To that the answer is that the Curator of the Zoo would be very glad to increase tho quantity of food if the lion could digest it. It is not tho quantity s(fallowed; but the quantity masticated and digested that tells when a young lion has weak or soro teeth. Mr. Langridgo and his assistants' are deeply interested in the animals that are in their care, and I think that wo may safely trust tho worthy caretakers to do all that can be done to pilot young George through his trial. Flesh, I am told, is not the only food that Georgo receives.

"Is Nature Cruol?" 3J;i simple notes are not designed to j call ic-rih controversy; but most of theni are immutably founded upon the truths of Nature, and my remarks must all stand every test of honest criticism. The simplicity' of the notes is their chief charm; irat as I aeo them thoy are profoundly scientific, and quito up to date. Fortunately they cannot blush, or the modesty of some of them would have killed them by the attention-they have attracted. ■ My last contingent appeared on a ; fine morning. The first gentleman I spoke to that morning had read them boforo I met him, had compared them witli.au article in his encyclopaedia, and then,- with his daughter, who is studying science,, was hurrying in an interval between important business engagements up to.the Zoo to see and study and classify the eagles with which my article in The Dominion was alive that morning. The visitors 1 had no sooner entered the Zoo than the headkeeper met them, and, alluding to Zoo Notes, exclaimed, "It is quite true our eagles aro not mopish." "But," 6aid the visitor, "you should read Zoo Xotcs in The Dominion." "I have read them," said the keeper. On went the visitors, and studied tho eagles. Having classifiedthem, the classifiers hurried back to business, but on the way they noticed chalk marks on tho side path. "What are these marks?" exclaimed paterfamilias. , "Why, surely, they aro sketches." _ "Yes," said tho daughter. "Aye," said the father,, "some boys have been drawing the forms of eagles' heads on the side path, and the sketches are good." The next day out came The Dominion, having a leading article on an important question raised by mj> notes on keas and eagles. I -will not criticise the classification put forth by my friends, nor will I attempt to controvert anything that was published in tho _ leading article. To have awakened genius. in schoolboys, and stirred business men to find relaxation in change of mental exercise; to have aided a young lady)-.in, her,'(Science,studies',','.and moved an editor to write a leading article, are gratifying successes. Much had beeu said l about one side of Zoo life. 1 simply contended that there are two sides to it. To the whole of the leading article I am ready to subscribe; and I contend that a Zoo kept as tho Wellington Zoo is, is not a den of cruelty, but is a home of much happiness, and is a school of great utility. In this I agree with our editor, but we both admit that we are dealing with a two-sided matter.

Good Friday at tho Zoo. The charge for admission did not prevent a large number of-people from going to tho Zoo on Good Friday; but it did enablo tho public to learn how many adults entered. Moro than sixteen hundred persons paid' for admission. All the children under fifteen years of age that pased in were admitted free, It is well known that 1 have. always opposed the policy of 'charging; but since tho power to charge was obtained I have said but very little against the exercise of it. If we could not have what ■ I wanted we must bo thankful that we have the Zoo on existing conditions. The thousands of persons that went to the Zoo on Good Friday saw- there somo beautiful little canaries. The canaries reminded me of the law of sacrifice, in honour of which Good Friday is kept'in commemoration. The canary is perhaps the most quickly susceptiblo bird in the world. Men carry canaries down into, deep, dangerous mines, and keep the birds there. As tho air in the mine becomes dangerous the canary begins to droop. It is perhaps the best of all indicators of tho measure of tho danger of foul air. Now it is argued, and.l think fairly, that it is right to sacrifice a canary to save the fife or even'the health .of a man. Oil the same principle, I argue that instead of killing wild animals, or even in dealing with animals that might safely he allowed to roam, tho keeping of animals in a zoo for educational purposes and for the. other legitimate purposes of a zoo, is not only justifiable, but is actually;commendable. And when 'we think:of the sufferings of vegetarian animals from scarcity of vegetable food at times, and of tho terrific carnage bv which the carnivora are fed, wo cannot help thinking that the averago lot of animals in a zoo i.tnot harder than that of a large proportion of wild life in the open. On Good Friday, in the •light of progress as it prevails through sacrifico throughout the universe, I could not help feeling that tho keeping of animals in a well-furnished zoo is strongly warrantable. Whatever religion a. man holds, or even if not acknowledging any religion, every person can sec that progress through sacrifico is a great law of the universe.

Politics in thn Zee. When on Good Friday I was looking at tho eagles in tho Zoo, and studying why the heads of our bald, or white, headed eagles are neither bald nor white, a gentleman who thirty years ago heard me speak on political questions camo up with a friend and reminded me of stormy meetings that ended in calm, and great predictions that have since been fulfilled. Then I ventured to set before tho distinguished visitors a desirablo object. There aro tho lions I, pointing in one direction, said, and there, pointing in another direction, aro tho eagles. Stretch a rainbow of- promise from the British lions to tho American eagles, and do tho most you can to insure the peace of tho world, by uniting tho English-speaking peoples. Bovs and girls who study lions and eagles in our Zoo should ever remember them as emblems, and strivo to prevent anv mist from obscuring the rainbow. Mr. Masscy is willing to do it. President Wilson is making ft noble effort towards it. To every prayer of such noble efforts h-t every Britisher tho wide world over suy "Amen I" But to end where 1 began, why are the heads of our white-headed envies brown? The answer is, I think, because the birds aro not much more than two years (.•{ age, if two, and young eagles do not put whito on their heads before they are two years oldi