WILD ANIMALS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1929, Page 1

WILD ANIMALS

DEER’S LONG SWIM. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 23. The Union Company’s steamer Waiotapu, which arrived at Lyttelton on Monday morning from Calcutta and Singapore, via Newcastle, brought a number of wild animals, birds and fish for the Wellington, Hastings and Auckland Zoos. The animals included some very handsome spotted deer. This morning one of the pens was opened, and one of the deer, an animal about the size of a large goat, escaped. It dived from the ship’s boat clock into the harbour. The deer swam nearly acres tin* harbour towards the swimming steps at the eastern end of Gladstone Pier. The services of the motor launch Matariki were obtained, and the; chase to capture the unusual visitor commenced. It lasted about twenty minutes. Even after the animal had been cornered on to the steep embankment under the wharf, it took some time to secure it and place it into the launch on account of its struggles.

The consignment included one pair ol argils pheasants, two pairs of mandarin ducks for the Wellington Zoo; one pair of argus pheasants and fou monkeys for the Hastings Borough, Council. For Auckland the consignment included one pair of crested firehack pheasants, two pairs mandarin clucks, three barred ground doves, one spotted clove, eight parrakeets, two pigeons, .six white headed mynas, 200 gold fish and twenty-five fighting fish, one spotted deer, two pairs of black buck.

A few minutes later another alarm was given from the side of the Chatham Islands steamer. Tees. A young heifer, while being shipped on hoard from a truck, had jumped overboard. The cow careered around in the water for some time, until it was cornered with the assistance of the launch T* When hoisted hack out of the wr J into the ship’s hold, it appeared to he suffering from shock, hut soon recovered!