DUCKING HER BABY

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1922, Page 4

DUCKING HER BABY

LONDON, May 30. The l/:ndi)ii Zoo's 18in. bahv sealion, was only allowed 21 hours ashore by his mother. Then she took to the water, poked her head close to the precious child, and said “Ark! Ark! Ark!” which means “Come anil swim with me at once.” Bahv replied with a thin piping “Ak ! Ak 1 Ak!” meaning “I’m scared.” Afotlicr wasted no time in arguing. She lirst tried to butt him in with her nose and then, seizing his flipper with her jaws, dragged him bodily in and ducked him. She then let go and watched for results. She was quite light. The little imp did know how to swim perfectly well all the time. Ton minutes she gave him. and then took him by the scruff of his neck anj “slung” him ashore again. Two more compulsory bathes in the course of the day broke him in to the pend-life quite nicely. The mother sea-lion has been in the Gardens for three years and the baby is a thoroughbred Cockney. He is the lirst of his kind to be horn there and live for 43 vears, for in a previous ease the baby died. Other sea-lions in the poml take no notice of the new-comer and li is own father ignores him. His mother, however, is behaving very well indeed, and the infant lias a level chance of breaking all Zoo records by surviving.