ZOO'S BAN ON TOYS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28766, 11 December 1958, Page 11

ZOO'S BAN ON TOYS

E ™* a ’* fererf '‘! (NJZ. Premr Awoc4ahmy-L«oi> v rleM) StmtrtY. Decmnber », There will be »» toys for the dslmpsmzee at Sydney's Twwi*» Perk'Zoo this Christmas. “In f*ct,/thereH be no Christmas presents at all tor the chUnps. th* ;zoo’s director. Sir Edward HaUstrom. said today. "Toys tMd chimps go together like little boys and loaded machine Buns. Only a chump would give « toy to a chimp,” ‘“-ft/year, the zoo has already loot. tWo chimpanzees, valued St £im because they were given tO ffir Edward Hallstrom said a swing was made from a heavy car tyre , slung by a chain from the roof of the chimpanzees’ cage. “We had visions of chimps swinging happily to and fro.” he said sadly. “But the chimps had other ideas.” One chimpanzee swung the tyre high in the air and watched with interest as it brained another below. The zoo staff tried again. A light swing was hung from the roof of the cage. Next day a keeper found one chimpanzee swinging happily on a lopsided seat. ‘ It was lopsided because another chimpanzee had its head tangled in the chain and was being slowly strangled. It died. The ban on toys has been extended to everything. The chimpanzees chew anything chewable, swallow anything swallowable and try to break anything else down to chewable or swallowable dimensions. Then they get stomach cramps which are nearly fatal.