Show i 4 f e C ed Why Science Thinks These Noble Birds and Other Wild Creatures Are Usually Healthier Happier and ris is Ma r F i Longer Lived When Confined k Zook in a Well Conducted Zoo s si i iv v r j nE aS iD i wp 7 1 y R ta Unusually rN r fine apeci- apeci specimen men of the eagle which some zi animal a lovers think f fa A hi p t a c r y never should be d receiving expert k- k robbed of a treatment fora r its liberty I i i 4 tooth t f w ii s which v o u I d i 1 I It end end- s t him cause w less pain and 1 probably his life shorten t b 1 1 f t 1 k l native jungle I t 1 I By N HOLLISTER III Late Superintendent of the Na- Na National National r Na Zoological Park at Washington nr-MIE nr humane societies have rece recently Uy T TIIE voiced vigorous protest against the of American eagles eagle in captivity They have argued that it itis itis is unpatriotic to imprison for life the noble bird that has been n chosen to typify the proud free and lofty loft spirit of our and have that all republic urged cap cap- captive the tive eagles be liberated It is is only fair to reply that that all the eagles in the National Zoological Part Park have been rescued from death They were trapped or shot and we have taken taker them and brought them hein back to health Were they set free it is certain that they would be promptly killed The Th ha hand d of of almost every man is against the eagle cagle Almost every one everyone one shoots shoots or traps an eagle whenever possible and th the wonder is that the bird exists as as s a wild cre creature ture in America t day to-day day The eagles in the zoo zoo are arc seen and admired by millions of visitors who I would le er never see a live eagle cagle especially at short s hort range in all nil their lives liHs in any an other way The beautiful eagles on our gb r ment bills and bonds have hOlve been drawn directly from these very birds They arc arc re r regularly used as models by artists In the meantime egg hunters know virtually every ery eagle nest in many parts of the United States and rob them from year to year What is needed is not protection for the eagles in zoological gardens but for the eagles still left alive in a wild state It I the societies so distressed about abo t eagles in captivity would only join forces with the officials of 01 our principal zoos who are arc doing all allin allin ain in their power to obtain legal protection tor l for or the eagles they t ey might accomplish some practical good It is hard to understand the reasoning of a fanatical animal lover who would rather see animals killed than captured i and made pets for the instruction and amusement of thousands tb of other equally good animal lovers clovers lovers The Tile x- x who wish to abolish zoos do donot donot not tell teU us what is to be done with these pet animals and app apparently have never considered the saving saving- by methods of domestication of species otherwise doomed to extinction When one considers how rapidly wild animals are being exterminated from the face of the earth and what cruel methods are employed in hunting and trapping them it it- it itis is easy to realize that the life of a contented breeding family of animals in a zoo paddock i is ig s j preferable to a fearsome struggle in a II II ing Wild state against unbeatable odds The animals in well a conducted zo o are contented pets They often live fa far r r beyond the age ordinarily reached by 1 wild animals of the same species Few Fc people realize that wild animals like ourselves possess the home homo loving in- in inI in ina ii I a T t Remarkable photograph ofa of a pair pai-of pai of eagles guarding their nest against hunters and the other perils that continually menace them in in their native haunts Every wild animal is continually seeking a safe place which it may regard as home hoine and just that kind of refuge is afforded by quarters in a zoo park Some animals find themselves most comfortable in large enclosures others in smaller places of confinement Certain Certain Certain tain parrots and other birds are ex- ex ex extremely unhappy in large cages refuse food and soon die if not put back into small cages When put back they are obviously happy again An exceptionally fine puma contented in a small old-fashioned old cage scarcely bigger than a circus wagon cage became utterly wretched and refused to eat caf when transferred to a large airy out out- outdoor outdoor door enclosure lie He was returned to his dingy old cage greatly to his delight and benefit and in a short shod time was fat and sleek again Animals grow to feel safe and con con- contented contented tented in familiar even though re- re restricted restricted quarters but are often greatly distressed and upset in strange sur- sur surroundings r Their contentment is evidenced evi- evi evidenced by the fact that very many ape ape- species ties cies are ore successfully bred in captivity including elephants hippopotami lions lion and tigers tapirs kangaroos reindeer m mountain goats and Rocky Mountain sheep The young are arc always of intense in- in interest interest in terest to visitors Baby lions tigers bears anJi and anaT monkeys attract the attention of crowds Experienced Experienced men are arc on duly duty at all hours of the night to look 1 or out for new arrivals that the stork ma may bring and to feed iced the infants at regular intervals Some animals must be fed several times a day others like the lions and nn tigers and other big cats only once a ada adap iday da dap with a fast day once a week Of the reptiles some cat eat only once every ever month or two In charge of the animals kitchen f i a chef who fives dives es out every day to each keeper a stated ration There is hot boiled rice from a fireless tireless cooker for or the th monkeys breakfast specially baked bread for or the bears taken from rom the rack of day yesterdays baking and for other ether animals hard boiled eggs fruits vegetables milk meats and fish With about 1700 animals animals to be boarded in the National Zoo of nearl nearly different species there is require require- requirement requirement ment for a great variety of foodstuffs Most of the articles food or-food supply used supply in peoples people's homes tomes contribute in quantities quan- quan quantities quantities large or small to the fare bill bill ot of the beasts and birds though ha hay grain and meat naturally form the bulk bullof of the provender A large kitchen garden operated in connection with the park supplies kale spinach lettuce Swiss chard and beet tops A breeding house furnishes chickens eggs rabbits and white rats All the lawn clippings are eaten by bythe bythe b the ruminants and waterfowl while trimmings from trees leaves trees leaves barkand bark and small twigs are twigs are fed to the browsing animals An orchard recently set out is expected before long to produce all the apples needed A truck is sent to the wholesale mar mar- market ket early every morning returning with witha wita a load of meats vegetables etc Special 8 requirements for the day may include e almost any delicacy even to grapes or oranges A while ago there was trouble with a sick cassowary which refused to eat Its keeper a man of great ex- ex experience experience asked for a few pounds of Malaga grapes These were promptly supplied the feathered patient was pleased and a rare specimen worth many hundreds of dollars was soon back on ohis his feed again Almost any kind of food may be requisitioned by the keepers in an emer- emer emergency emergency gency Each man every morning visits is its the cook house and sees to the proper preparation of the days day's provender for r hi hiss own special charges lIe He sees the meat cut the bone ground the fish S trimmed med and stale stOlle bread chopped in electric choppers A serious problem is to keep visitors s from feeding the animals Sickness and even death are not infrequently caused by such acts of mistaken kindness Pea Pea- Peats ts are not the best food for allani all ani ani- ani animals mals It I is particularly distressing to tsee see a take takes take's bite from person a a piece of cake or fruit remove it from his mouth and toss it to a rare and delicate c monkey Keepers and guards have to be con con- constantly constantly on the watch against that sort sortI soi rt I l M n Even the restless lion eventually be- be becomes be becomes comes reconciled to captivity and probably probably ably I lives i iv v e s years longer than it would otherwise of thing If indiscriminate indiscriminate nate nato feeding by visitors were allowed the death rate among animals of species specially susceptible susceptible susceptible tible to infectious diseases diseases dis- dis eases cases would unquestionably unquestionably unquestionably ably be greatly in- in increased in increased creased It is not en- en entirely en entirely safe to permit peo peo- people pie to pass green food into the enclosures certain certain certain tain native plants being highly poisonous to some of the animals In the modern up-to- up date up-to-date date zoological garden may be Seen seen een the finest examples of kindness to animals Men engaged in the work are selected for their feelings toward animals Kindness and devoted attention att are in- in indispensable indispensable in indispensable dispensable to the maintenance main main- maintenance maintenance of their their happiness happi happi- happiness happiness ness and health No cruel or or brutal act would be tolerated in an any any well c can conducted o n d due u c te t e d zoo Employees Em- Em Em ploy who do not show 1 tip a 1 r L LV 5 V d S 'S jv T 1 ii iL Bear den in Franklin Park Boston a good example of the comfortable homes provided for the animal captives in the modern zoo a and seated deep-seated love for animals ani- ani animals ani mals and an absolute freedom from temper are promptly released People sometimes say How lIow do you manage to get together all these remark remark- remarkable remarkable able animals The answer is that most of them are arc purchased from importing dealers A native lad in India Africa or South America captures a young ani- ani animal animal mal and keeps it as a pet just as many American country boys do Eventually this animal and ethers find their way into the hands of a trader at some seaport sea sea- seaport sea seaport port from whom they are bought by byan byan an importers importer's agent finally landing at ai New York or San Francisco in the establishment establishment of a dealer In many of the large seaport cities citie of the world there are long established firms engaged in the business of of im of im- im importing importing porting animals and which maintain warehouses and farms forms Most of th the animals received in the American trade trad are imported by n New York and San Francisco They are purchased by agents of these firms in large or small lots Iota from smaller dealers or natives in all nil parts of the world the shipments when assembled being accompanied by trained trained keepers to their destination So Some very bulky shipments are arc made mad up almost entirely of large largo mammals reptiles and rare and unusual birds Large consignments are fetched to thi this country from time to time by traders trader John ru r Inc Ine who travel about in foreign lands buy buy- buying buying buying ing and selling such wild animals as they the can secure But only a few exceptionally exception exception- exceptionally ally t expert and energetic men are able to carryon carry on such a roving business suc- suc successfully the risks being great and the capital required large The National Zoological Park which Congress has placed has placed under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution receives through the latter numerous animals animal sent as gifts to our government by b foreign nations and by scientific socie- socie societies societies ties Many also are contributed by b American consuls stationed in out out-of- way out way the regions Foreign potentates and governments government often send r rare re animals as gifts to the President of the United States by whom they are promptly transferred to the park Quite a number were thus given to Colonel Roosevelt when he be was in inthe inthe the White House by the late King Mene- Mene Menelik Menelik Menelik lik of Abyssinia one of them being n a magnificent ostrich which is i still living at the tho zoo The Canadian New v Zealand and lInd i nd other governments have sent shipments of desirable ani- ani ani ani- animals animals Patriotic American Am rican travelers in foreign for for- foreign eign lands frequently collect or purchase strange animals and bring or ship them to the National Zoological Park Many animals arc are received in exchange from other gardens representing surplus I I 1 stock of one kind or another Thus one onera ra zoo may have more bears than it reo re- requires re requires quires and offer them to another zoo in exchange for antelopes or or buffaloes In every ery community of sixteen or sev- sev seventeen sev seventeen enteen hundred people somebody is pretty sure to be sick It is the same way in the zoo Every day each animal is carefully inspected and any sign of illness is immediately reported to the head keeper Most 1 of the ailments are slight and prompt recovery follows proper attention If necessary the ani- ani animal ani animal mal is removed to the hospital building for isolation and better fa facilities for treatment Occasionally there are deaths but the mortality mortality rate is low lw l w and as already stated many species survive long be- be beyond beyond be beyond yond the usual life term ofa of a pd ani animal mal Old age is protected and prolonged in the zoo whereas in the wild state all animals past their prime are likely to meet tragic ends In the management of a 11 zoological garden the first consideration is the wel wel- wel welfare fare welfare and happiness of the the animals If they are to live long they must be con contented tented and healthy Where unusual species are concerned the most expert care is often nt necessary to accomplish these aims The beasts and birds even n the reptiles are ure pets j and to suppose that they are unhappy in confinement isah is isan isan an utter mistake 1 |