BEAR ON SHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 22, 26 January 1934, Page 13

BEAR ON SHIP.

FOR ADELAIDE ZOO. MONOWAI'S PASSENGER. Pawing impatiently along tho sheetiron bottom of the cage, a polar bear shipped by the Monowai yesterday for Adelaide was lowered to the boat deck of the vessel without a murmur of complaint. The bear is a female, nine years old, and has been sold by the Auckland City Council. Only the male polar bears are now left at the zoo here. Polar bears travel well, and this one is being dispatched in good condition. The box gives the animal room to turn round, and it has been placed in a part of the deck where there is plenty of fresh, air and facility for regular hosing. During the trip to Melbourne, where the bear will be handed over to Adelaide authorities, it will _ receive three or four hosings a day with salt water. Fish and meat enough to give it 51b a day were put aboard with the box, and this is to be kept chilled until used. Some difficulty was experienced at the Auckland Zoo in inducing the polar bear to enter the box. Otherwise it would have been shipped with the hippopotamus on the Monowai's last trip from here. By clever tactics the animal was boxed last Friday, and about six days will ensue before it has more freedom of movement. The ship's carpenter, Mr. G. Borthwick, is the animal's "va'let" for the trip to Melbourne.