WELLINGTON ZOO

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2129, 22 April 1914, Page 8

WELLINGTON ZOO

flow IT WAS FOUNDED

MAUD & HER SltK BROTHER

ANIMAL AFFECTION

(By Johil Crowes, President of tho Wellington Zoological Society.) Tho Wellington City Council has granted to tho Rev. D. C. Dates and myself the privilege to enter the Zoo at all times tree of charge. I cordially approvo of tho council's recognition ot the. great service Mr. Bates rendered to the Citr, and, through it, to tho Dominion when he, by placing a young lion in Newtown Park, founded the Zoo. Other men had imagined a Zoo in the park; I had written a suggestion that an aviary should be placed there; Mr. Travel's, who is now tho curator of tho museum at Newtown, had suggested a scheme by which ho thought a Zoo could bo founded; tho Rev. Goo. Bond, a Methodist minister, when stationed at Trinity _ Church, Newtown, predicted a magnificent aquarium and Zoo for the park; but wo all demonstrated tho truth of tho old saying. "Words can build no walls" to dofend a city, or to start a zoo, words are not i tho principal things. Mr. Bates got hold of a lion, and with it founded the Zoo; ho also worked with a committee of citizens to obtain several animals which with the young lion, formed an attractive nucleus. Mr. Bates must ever be recognised as tho actual founder of tho Wellington Zoo. I also gratefully accept the privilege granted to mo. Councillor Frost, the chairman of tho Reserves Committee, knows what I have done for the Zoo, and I am pleased that' he moved the City Council to grant tho privilege, which was entirely unsolicited. Councillor Frost took a great interest .in tho Zoo when its promoters were not in exact accord with each other, and.his tact lias greatly contributed to the union of hearts that is lifting tho . Zoo into prominence and rapidly increasing its popularity and tho number of its patrons. To His Worship tho Mayor and all tho members of tho City Council l tender heartfelt thanks for the friendly act, by which has been demonstrated tho fact that there is a cordial agreement between tho City Council and tho Zoological' Socioty, of which I am president, and a' kindly feeling between tho City Council and myself.

I am also pleased that one of the first to express pleasure at the privilege that had been granted to me was Mr. Langridge, tho curator o*f the Zoo. -My position between tho public, the City Council, my socie|y., and Mr. -Langridgo has been somewhat peculiar, but the manner in which the proposal to grant the privilege I have received has been treated has demonstrated that it is possible for us all to work harmoniously for the improvement and promotion of the Zoo.

Are Eagles Musloal? '• I confess that I have only just begun to. consider whether eagles arc musical birds. Consequently, when Mr. Roband, the head-keeper of the Zoo, pointing to the ; eagles, said, "Your canaries have been whistling." I couldn't imagine what ho meant. Wile I was standing talking -with him, however, one of the eagles gave a bar of something that was not unmusical. It may bo that in Nature's great orchestra eagles contribute more to the general effect than I had imagined. Be this as it may, the eagles in our Zoo are brightening as they becomo used to their new conditions, and thoy do not intend to be" "silent members." If they cannot sing liko canaries, they will play a part between them and the laughing jackasses or .kingfishers.

George and Maud. Well, I think that he has improved since I issued my last bulletin. Great attention is being given to his diet, and I think that ho is taking sufficient convenienfc food to carry him through his trouble. AH girls and boys should notice the "behaviour of Maud during this timo of her brother's indisposition. Anything mora beautiful I have never Been in animal affection. The two have been together from the beginning .of their lifetime, and I have never noticed a serious disagreement between them. And Bince George became sickly and dull Maud has tried to gently fondle him and play with him, and cheer him up, and inspire him with hope. As plainly as one animal, can 6pcak • -to another, 'she says to her brother : "Don't look so hopeless. Georgia dear, you mustn't die; I couldn t afford to -lose my only brother." It is worth while having a Zoo, if . only to 6how how brothers and sisters, and now parents and children, should behave towards each other. Wo have read about angry lions growling and fighting, and been told that it is their nature toj but wo notice that in a Zoo the nature of some of tho wild animals is to mako tho best possible of their circumstances, and to chorish towards, each other Buch kindly feelings as would bo creditable to. human beings in Christian homes. At times when I havo watched the lions on Sunday afternoons, I have felt that tho lessons to be learned from them have been very unlike, and very much better, than some of the lessons taught to me in Sunday School.

Paragons of Beauty and Interest. Many visitors have ifelt that tlik monkeys recently purchased by my society and placed in the Zoo have, by their interesting appearance and antics, provided more than -fjhreepenny-wortli of entertainment i'or each visitor that lias watched them. The baby lionnetmonkoys are really the most self-con-fident, vivacious, amusing little creatures I havo ever seen. They are, I think, more precocious than either the rhesus or the common macaque babies which preceded them in the Zoo. I have noticed spectators, four deep, standing in a. crowd straining, to see the amusing performances of a baby bonnet-monkey; wliilo tho little creaturo, seeming to know that ho was there to provide entertainment, tried to mako it as funny as possible, and yet educative. The large pig-tailed monkeys also havo attracted much attention. They are so interesting that visitors tarry long in front of them [ to watch and 6tudy and wonder. Tho monkeys aro objects of uniquoperen- , nial intorcst. Other objects of intense interest just now are tho littlo why-dah birds. They aro in the small birds' aviary, are darkish in colour, and aro almost tlio size of canaries, but they havo long black tails of ribbon, causing; us to wonder how such birds can, in Wellington breezes, wear such tails, and keep them in such perfection. Then thero are'tho golden pheasants A few months ago they wero young, | plain, brownish, uninteresting birds, but now they shino in gorgeous splendour, that to some judges seems unrivalled. The cranes also havo wonderfully improved since they moulted. They aro now in perfect condition. Tlien there aro the Amherst pheasants, or hybrids between the Amherst and golden species, or varieties, as tho caso may be, now in splendid plumage. And in this connection it is only fair to liotico that no person! lias done as much to furnish tho Zoo with such attractions, in fact, I may say as much towards making the Zoo as a whole what it is, as my friend Mr. Castlo has done. Night and day he has worked,-and worried. so that if the freedom of the Zon is to be considered a great honour..and it should be, then, knowing that what I have done could not have. Ken accomplished witbwt the help of worthy

coadjutor, 1 would suggest that he should bo honoured as 1. have been. Sunday at tho Zoo. On tine Sunday afternoons largo numbers of intelligent, well-dressed, healthylooking pcoplo visit tlio Zoo. Any city iu tho world might justly bo proud oi tho congregation that stood on tho terrace facing the lions' cages when tho lions wero fed last Sunday afternoon. And for pcoplo who will spend their Sunday afternoons out of doors, there is no bettor meetiug-placo than New town Park. Thcro old friends meet, and talk over 'reminiscences of days Jong gone by; memories of departed friends, whose forms onco well-known iiro now resting beneath the, flowers blooming in our ccinotories, aro revived; numerous questions are asked; now acquaintances aro begun, and old friendships aro renewed ; history is reviewed; science is discussedand religion is raised into consideration. In tlio great temple of Natyiro tho wonders of tho Zoo fill tho minds of thinkers with serious questions. Thither tho aged wend their way, and there they quiotly observe and nicditato. There invalids find subdued delectation in fresh air, bright sunshine, and everchanging scenes, close to their city homes. Often the £oo reminds.mo of Newton Goodrich's monologue "Writton in the Fiteroy Gardens, Melbourne." It is a very uneven piece of poetry, but some parts of it aro beautiful, and tlio spirit of it touches mino with exquisite pathos as I read it, and re-read it, lime after time, and often. Very natural is tho | description given of tho gardens awakening in tho morning: •I've watched it from its smiling dream Awaking, in tho golden gleam. To breezes sweet, that shook Its feathered choir to early praise; And could havo lingered ail my days

Upon its charms to look. And what heart-searching memories thrill somo of us as we read:

And that meek maid—who'll Iny her head ' Beneath the turf she now doth tread, 1 Ero the next snowdrops peep— Pauses to listen—with her soul More softened to the beautiful As nearer to hor sleep. The verses describing tho visit of "ono grown old" touched me quickly last Sunday, as. I recollected that a few weeks a.go ono of Wellington's old identities was taking a quiet stroll through the Zoo grounds when I met him. Ho used to watch for "Zoo Notes" and read them carefully. When last we conversed 'he assured mo that in his judgment my notes were even better and better, and that the last lot ho read were tho best I had written. Only a . very few weeks have parsed since that Sunday -afternoon, but my old' friend with whom. I enjoyed a pleasant talk has since passed into the mystery of "the great beyond'." The Zoo is a very interesting place on Sunday afternoons.

A Creat Day-Dream. During tho last few _ tears a largo Sambur deer lias lived in loneliness in tho Zoo. My society once asked tlie Now Zealand Tourist Department to supply a mate for liim, but arrangements could not then be made todo so. Now, however, tho Government is moving to get two or three young females; and their advent may bo expected. Mr. Castle, our secretary, is in communication with tho Tourist Department, and as good temper prevails on both sidepj pleasing results are anticipated. Will some person or persons gct_a pair of elands, and hurry on tho time I have dreamed of, when the Government of the Dominion shall dine with the City Council and the pcoplo of the Dominion annually, feasting on kangaroo soup and tho flesh of elands, deer, goats, turkeys, swans, geese, ducks, pheasants, _ partridges, quail, etc., ctc. all reared in. the Zoo. Let our Zoo dinner on Dominion Day, or in connection with the city's carnival, take such a place here as the Lord Mayor's banquet does at tile Guildhall in England. Tho Government is. providing the sambiir. The acclimatisation of elands, which the Duko of Bedford is over ready to promote, is desirable. I see tho dinner coming. Hurry it ©n!