FOR THE ZOO.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 304, 24 December 1929, Page 7

FOR THE ZOO.

Striking Bison,

BEAVER AND TWO BISON.

STRANGERS FROM CANADA.

BEAVER'S MATE DESERTS

Three reluctant immigrants, who arrived in Auckland this morning oy the Waiotapu from Canada, are recruits for the Auckland Zoo—two splendid-looking bison (though naturally bedraggled) and a beaver, which was rather retiring when interviewed this morning, and persistently remained under water. The bison travelled in loose boxes, which belied the name, measuring only seven feet or so in length by about two feet six wide —the idea being, of course, to prevent the animals getting thrown about.

There should have been a couple of beavers, but the other went for a walk one day when the ship was tied up at Ocean Falls. He must have been a good gaol-breaker. Very few turns on the iron decks of the Waiotapu satisfied, this ardent Canadian, and as soon as he got a glimpse of the water he slid over the side, flopped with a resounding splash —making what school boys call by a name which means that the abdominal regions are in imminent danger of being subjected to pressure that is likely to cause a severance of the outer tissues— and made for the tall timber. Like Sydney Carton, he did a far, far bettei thing than his mate, who stuck to the ship, and will henceforth have to settle down to a humdrum existence in the overflow of the Western Springs, instead of roaming the rivers of the vast North! American Continent. I

Great Builder. The beaver is a most interesting little animal, and tiie fact that he is Known as the "social rodent" gives an indication of his character. Although so small lie is a wondertul builder, ana with nothing more than his teetii he has been known to fell a tree with a diameter ot two feet —a ieat tliat would be a task for even primitive people like the Maoris. Every child knows that the beaver builds wonderful' dams across stivams, uut perhaps everyone does not know the reason. Tnis hard-working little fellow Duilds his home in the banK of a stream, as a rule, and wnen experience has told him that there is a danger of the water falling so low that he will not have lloating-way into Lis hidden residence, he and his Inends set to woik and build a barrage that is quite as wonderful in its way as Arapuni. Even more interesting is the habit of some of the Canadian beavers of building "lodges" in the middle of expanses of shallow water. These lodges are made of tree trunks, turf and /other material, and contain reserves of food for the bad sea..,un, and dwelling chambers. The beaver is an easy sort of passenger to cater for. His first requirement is water, and to give him a really enjoyable feed all you have to do is to soak beforehand some willow or poplar branches about two inches in diameter, cut into logs about two feet long, and put them in his swimming tank. He peels the bark off as cleanly as though it had been done with a knife, and then smacks his lips. It may be mentioned Lhat two previous attempts to introduce the beaver i at the zoo were unsuccessful.

Both the bison belong to the sterner sex, and were brought across as spouses for the two lone lorn females of the species that now live at the zoo. From their narrow quarters in their loose boxes aboard the Waiotapu the two bridegrooms wore anything but a wedding morning expressing; in fact they looked more life "Alas, my poor brother," and obviously they had not had a marcel for several weeks. But in spite of their mournful eyes, their rumpled locks and soiled hide, they looked every inch an animal worthy to be the hero of boyish dreams, for there cannot be living a boy who has not in imagination roved the prairies and hunted bison with the Blackfoot Indians or the Comancl.re.

The American is slightly smaller than his European cousin, which is found only in the forests of Lithuania and thy Caucasus.

In America the sportsmen had very nearly succeeded in wiping the bison off as much of the face of the earth as they could reach, but the Government stepped in, purchased some of the few remaining herds, and put them in country that was strictly taboo to the sportsmen— otherwise one would have very soon have been compelled to go to a museum to find a specimen of this particular n.tmber of the ox family.

If animals must be kept in zoos the bison could not have hit on a better fate than to strike Auckland, and the beaver should find the stream that runs down the middle of the grounds an agiveable prison, but he must be terribly worried over his friend who forfeited his passage at Oce&.>'Falls.