ZOO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2271, 3 October 1914, Page 9

ZOO NOTES

THE OPENING OF THE AQUARIUM

A LION IN A BOX

THINGS THAT MUST BE STOPPED

(By Join Crewes, President of tlo Wei-

liugton Zoological Society.;

There was no blare of trumpets, nor was thero any display of bunting, when noiselessly, and unostentatiously, as tho sun appears to open the day to us, tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister of ■Marino, moved up to open tho aquarium in Newtown Park. The afternoon was very cold, and was between a Monday holiday and a Wednesday half-holiday, so that the occasion, important though it was, could not draw a large crowd of people. The meeting that welcomed the Minister, however, was unique and memorable. The Government of tho Dominion, tho AVellington City Council, and tho Wellington Zoological Society, met together publicly for tho first time, and Mr. Geo. Frost presided over a meeting that-had assembled to witness the first public official opening that has taken place in tho Wellington Zoo. The Rev. I). C. Bates, the founder of the Zoo, was there. The Government of the Dominion was worthily represented'by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, and apologies were received from the Right Hon. Mr. Massey,' Prime Minister, and some of his colleagues, who were in full sj'mpathy with tho meeting. The City Council was represented by Councillors Frost, Wright, Thompson, and Fuller, and by Mr. J. R. Palmer, the Town Clerk, and Mr. Langridge, tho Curator of the Zoo. The Zoological Society was represented by Mr. John Castles, our indefatigable secretory and treasurer, who, in working to improve the Zoo, has been the best worker.my society has ever had; Mr. Lockwood, whose interest in the aquarium has not been excelled,-and myself. Ladies also wore well represented. Mr. Fishev was therewith Mr. Fisher, iand was giving close attention to what was going on. Mrs. Fisher has ■ been up to the aquarium more than once, and seems, with her family, to be deeply interested in it. Mrs. Frost was there with Councillor Frost. I believe that Mrs. Frost has long been deeply interested in. tho Zoo.. Mrs. Castle, senr., and Mrs. Castle, junr., were" both there. They,, with Mr. Castlo's children, all study tho Zoo closely. Although not numerically large, compared with some meetings I have attended, Tuesday's meeting was, from a worker's point of view, a great meeting full of promise.

Tho Zoo in a Box. I had waited on the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, then Prime Minister of New Zealand, and- asked .him to use his influence to get for Wellington a Zoo, a powerful telescope, and a powerful mioroscope. Ho gave ino hints of what should bo djne to accomplish my threefold purpose, and promised mo assistance on certain conditions. A little later Mr. Travers, who is v now tho curator of the Newtown Museum, came to me and unfolded a scheme that he had in mind to establish a Zoo in Newtown Park. Before wo could agree to define a project, tho Her. D. C. Bates, Mr. C. M. Luke, and a few others came into view, and Bostock and Wombwell's menagerie arrived. Bostock and Wombwell offered to present a yoxmg lion to tho Wellington Corporation, but the offer was on tho condition that tho animal was to b< 6hown in several parts of tho Dominion before being delivered to tho City. When the company wore ready to deliver tho lion. Mr. Bates went to New Plymouth, and, in tho name of our City, took possession of our Zoo, which was 'ftien enclosed in one' largo box. Of course tho bringing of a young lion, in a box, seems very simple and easy tc some persons, but if my memory does not serve me treacherously/ Mr. Bates, when lie saw his charge moved about at the New Plymouth railway station, had some moments of rather strenuous anxiety. Who would like to be near a lion of the age of the young lioness now at the Zoo if by some mishap some person let hei loose on a railway platform. Fortunately Mr. Bates was able to keep the young lion in security. There was not, as far as I can recollect, any official opening of the box, but with the lion Mr. Bates founded the Zoo. Later some wekas arrived/but who sent them was a secret. Gradually tho Zoo has .grown, and at times very valuable additions have been made. Mr. Bates brought the lion, the king" of beasts, and it was named King Dick. • Soon afterwards Mr. Seddon died. Later at •my suggestion Mr. 11. A. Wright set out to get some ostriches. We did not know who owned any in Now Zealand, but Mr. Wright soon discovered that thoPukekohe Ostrich Farm Co. had some, and that the Right Hon. Mi Massey was interested in the company. Mr. Massey, who was not Prime Minister then, kindly and promptly used his influence with his company, and their manager's son brought to the Zoo two fine young ostriches, which tho company kindly presented. The journey proved too much for on© of them, and it died the day after arrival. Undaunted, Mr, Wright went to the ostrich farm, and the company sold, at a llow ; price, orio to him, and one to my society. Thus it came ,to pass that without any pre-concert or arrangement one side of our Zoo was headed by a lion named after one Prime Minister* and the other sido was headed by a magnificent young ostrich presented on the application of another Prime Minister. Now the Government of New. Zealand has placed an aquarium between the two. .■' Romarkablo coincidencesthese, but undesigned for all that. However, whatever has happened, or may happen, there was a time when tho Wellington Zoo was in one box, and that box was brought to Newtown Park by tho Rov. D. C. Bates.

Protecting tlia Animals. It is said of Belt, the naturalist, that he was "unassuming and ovcn-teinper-ed,' and "was only roused to auger by acts of oppression or wanton cruelty." But when he was roused ho acted with a promptitudo which would "hardly have been expected from his usually placid .demeanour.!' As an illustration of this the following story is told: Ono day ho, looking through a window, "saw a man belabouring a woman. Without saying a.word, he rushed out,'pinioned the offender by tho elbows, and 'running him to tho top of a steep slope in the street, .gave him a kick which sent him flying down tho declivity." Now, I do not suppose that that conduct was strictly .legal; but I am beginning to feel that such conduct ought te bo legalised. A strong man that unnecessarily inflicts pain on a creaturo much, weaker than' himself ought to be kicked. Not long ago a young man, who has tho spirit of a genuine naturalist, was in tho grounds of the Wellington Zoo. There a littlo boar was causing much amusement; and, having been kindly treated by several respectable people, had his mouth open to rcceivo their kindly tit-bits. ' Seeing this, a thoughtless young follow threw the burning butt of a cigarette into tho boar's mouth. Tho young naturalist remonstrated with the young fool, but received in return an impertinent reply. Then the young naturalist let oUt a strong blow on to tho cheek of the young fool, and following this with a. kick, sent him away wondering what had happened. When this was reported to mo, I told my young friend that ho must not repeat such treatment as that, but must report what he saw, and allow the proper authorities to deal with it: On another occasion I saw a young fellow giving jvux-matches to n monkey., I remou-

strated with him, but the' only result was an impertinent reply."'l''demanded his name and address. He gave a name and address. But I, doubting what, he said, mentioned the matter to a policeman. Tho policeman got the right name and address. Then the young man that had given a false name .and address cried pitifully and promised not, to repeat, such foolish conduct as he had' been guilty of, and when he told r. e that ho was the son of a widow and vas in Wellington only on a brief visit, I promised that I would not press a charge against him. Some time ago there wero some beautiful little marlncsets in the Zoo. Thoy at timos gave birth to several young ones, which were very interesting in the manner in;wl:ich they were carried and were handed by ono of their parents to tho other. But ono day some foolish person gave something to them-to. eat .that killed somo aud endangered the lives of tho others.' Lately, Mr. Langridge told me_ that something deleterious had evidently been given to several valuable animals in tho Zoo, and that, to save their lives, he had had to stay up most of a night. Not long ago Mr. Castle, the secretary of tho Zoological Society, told me that he had seen a case' in which there was almost a breach of the peace caused, by tho folly of a fool that was impertinent whon remonstrated with for foolishly, treating an animal. Spirited, manly men will not stand idly by and see harmless animals ill-treated. Several tynes. lately I have seen the mouths of voung monkeys coloured by ink pencils given to them by hoodlums, for mere mischief. Only a fow days ago a'gentleman told me that in a'small aquarium .that ho was exhibiting some' raro and valuable exhibits were all killed by somo fool or fools that managed to get matches into tho water of that aquarium.' Knowing all this and more of the same kind I, a few weeks ago, seeing a man try to give a monkey tho burning end of a cigarette, and, failing to accomplish his purpose, give the .monkey a flaming match, told him to step and -not to repeat it. Ho told me that he did not know so much .about that. I told him that I knew so much about,.it, that I would not spend my time and money to purchase animals to bo treated like that. I told him my name and that I was a Justice of, the Peace, and I asked for his name and address. Ho refused to give it. I reported him to Mr. Langridge, the curator of the Zoo, aud agreed that it was time for the Reserves Committee of tho City Council to try to prevent people from giving matches and'cigarettes or deleterious substances of any kind to the animals of the Zoo. I did not formulate the chargo on which tho man was prosecuted, nor did I institute the prosecution. I do not want people to ho prosecucuted, nor does any person else. Wo do all that wo can to prevent need for l it. I simply say that tho poisoning and 'the burning of tho-animals must be stopped. If tho law needs altering the law should bo altered to meet such cases as I have described. If they can be mot by by-law a by-law should be passed. If suitable laws cannot bo framed to protect tho harmless creatures, then, if tho Government will pass on to mo throe of the batons that special constables had to keep the peaco with a few months ago, and authorise , mo to get men to use them effectively, I will guarantee to put an end to the foolish practices that the law seems incompetent to deal with. But, come what may, it must henceforth ho remom bored that no ono will be allowed to attack with impunity harmless animals playing for tl.o amusement of the public. It is gratifying to notice that .the girls and boys of Wellington are becoming kind to the Zoo animals, and it is only fair to say-that of the men whom I have remonstrated with not one Wellington man .has ever replied impertinently. Visitors must bo assured that tho animals in the Zoo aro protected, and that tl'.oro a:c in Wellington, and among oilier visitors to the Zoo, scores of manly men who will at any cost protect the luimiloss' animals that minister to the amusement and education of the public.