IS IT THE LAST WORD?

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1132, 20 May 1911, Page 10

IS IT THE LAST WORD?

MR. LE SOEUF'S REPORT. CRITICAL & INTERESTING REVIEW. THE "ZOO" AND ITS MENAGE. [By Bcv. John Crowes, President Wellington Zoological Society.] The readers of The Dominion know that I opposed the proposal to invito Mr. Le Soeuf to como. and see. our ''Zoo'' ami to report on it. My opposition to the council's policy was hot allowed, however, to dim tho esteem in w liicii I (as ono who has .ever felt an intense interest in natural history and /oology) have, for many years, held tho Lo Soeuf family. And I am nowpleased to be able to say that as far as I am concerned, Mr. Lo Soeuf's attitude while here, and his report on our "Zoo" have only raised him in my estimation. Mr. Le Soeuf is a gentleman between whom and myself there' has begun an acquaintance and a correspondence which, I hope, may growas timo proceeds. When, then, I criticise Mr. Lo Soeuf's'report ou our "Zoo," 1 do it in a kindly spirit, and not because I think myself able to speak as ono who lias personally had anything liko the experience that Mr. Le Soeuf has had; but because having, through their writings, been under the influence to some extent, though only to a limited degree, of such men as Owen and Darwin and Buckland, and Dr. Mitchell, and Hagenbeck,- and Dr. Hcrnaday, I prefer some other plays to some of Mr. Lo Soeuf's proposals. For instance, Hagenbeck and Hoinaday«work on the open-moat system., and Mr. Le Soeuf has been fascinated by it. To 1110 the system seems beautiful in theory, and may bo interesting in reality in sucli a magnificent park as the American one, or oven in Carl Hagcnbcck's park at Stollingcn; but with Dr. Mitchell, I do not-think the system suitablo to parks or gardens of small, or only medium areas. On this broad understanding then I as!: you to allow me to oll'or a few criticisms on our "Zoo" and Mr. Le Soeuf's report. And by Mr. Lo Soeuf's report I mean your abridged presentation of it. I have not seen tho original report. Ths Park—lts Water and Forestry. • (I) Mr. Lo Soucr confirms\tiic-"opin-ion as to the situation, character of tno ground, and quality of tiio soil, whicu i publicly expressed a lew montiisago. turner lrom what ho says, however, on tho water-supply. The Hatersupply is not all that,can bo required, but I am hoping lor a great improve-, men', for next, summer, if tho watersupply had been good last year the Loudon "Zoo" woultiaiot, i believe, have been the first "Zoo" in the world lo exhibit a sen-elephant in captivity. L have been told that an improved water-, supply is coming, and I am hoping that Councillors'Cameron and M'lvenzio may apply their knowledge of chemistry to filtration and thus increase and improve the pond accommodation in tho park. ■...," Touching what Mr. Le Soeuf says about the trees I concur to some extent. 'For 'a' long time I lia'vo' been strongly pleading for ornamental trees to bo planted iu- some parts' of tho park, but tho firs should not bo taken away until other evergreens aro ready to tako their places except where it can be proven that pine-needles are dangerous to tho animals.. Shelter from soma winds is of great importance and so is shade. In our "Zoo" a greater number of valuable birds havo died from : too' much sunshino than have died because of too much shade; ■ Aro Certain Animals Too Fat? Mr. Lo Soeuf tells us that the animals aro too fat—notably the camel, the sealion, and the emu. Tho camel is fatter than a working camel should be. But I think that, as'ho has put on this condition by regaining his'appetite'with health (after being in low condition from loss of health and appetite, for a while), neither tho quantity nor tho quality of his food-supply should bo changed now at tho beginning of winter. About tho emu I do not: speak confidently, but, to mo, his plumage has improved so whilo ho has been putting on fat, that I prefer a fat oiriu to a loan one. As to tho sea-lion, my opinion differs from tho opinion given by Mr. Lo Soeuf. I have been taught, that tho fat on a sea-lion is so distributed as to render tho animal insusceptiblo to sudden changes of temperaturci and I hold that a sea-lion, having access to no other bath than fresh water, should (especially in winter) be kept quite up to the'condition that our sea-lion is in. The Drawbacks of Moated Habitats. I concur in tho preference for concrete to wood for' the walls of dens, houses, and cages, provided the walls bo kept rat-proof: Moles for rats arc very dangerous in a Zoo. But the lions' den should bo .of concrete aud Iron under any circumstances. The principal of ■Mr. Lo Soeuf's proposals is one of which I cannot approve. This is, that moats should bo substituted for iron bars as fences of Zoo enclosures. Some other gentleman suggested this chango before the lions' house in the park was built.' I argued against it then, principally . on the ground that it would bo impossible to keep such small enclosures as wo could afford to grant in our park sanitary, and freo from offensive smells. I know that Carl Hagenbeck the great merchant, has, at a great cost, rendered his'park at Stollingen, near Hamburg, very interesting, and attractive on a plan similar to tho ono which Mr. Lo Soeuf proposes for our Zoo. The great American Zoo, near New York, also has some very interesting attractions in largo enclosures, where great effects are produced by artificial rockeries, caves,.and ornamental water-courses. " But I notice that Dr. Mitchell, of tho London Zoological Society, does not express unqualified approval, of the new system. And I hold with Dr. Mitchell: (1) Tlwt unless the enclosures arc largo and well drained, they aro not likely to bo sanitary and freo from o'ffeilsivo smells. (2) That, if they are large, and are separated from the path of tho spectators by a moat ;1S or 30 feet wide, tho animals are too far away to'be seen satisfactorily. (3) That to keep the rat plague within manageable limits must bo very difficult under the now conditions. Rats kill almost any young thing in a Zoo, from a white mouse to an elephant, and many valuable things that are not young. Hagenbeck tells us that rats killed three of his young elephants in one, night. To keep up a Zoo we must be able to keep down rats. And Then Always—the Finance Difficulty. There are several other points in tho report which should be carefuly cousinerml before adopted, but they touch tho question of costl If the council cannot afford more than £1000 per annum for tho maintenance of tho "Zoo," then what use can bo mado of Mr. Lo Soeuf's report? There arc three working-keep-ers employed in the "Zoo" at present. Taking their Sunday work into account 1 presume- that their wages amount lo about £450 per annum. You tell us that Mr. Le Soeuf calculates that.the oust of feeding tho animals of tht> "Zoo" should average £1 10s. per head. There aro more than 500 animals in the "Zoo" ; but if wo eliminate the spotted -mice jxui the common rabbits which, while

they interest the children, also supply food for other animals, we shall have left moro than 4io to ho provided lor, I havo every animal in the Zoo named and classified scientifically as to classea | and the main divisions, and I know that tho animals number more, than 500. You will see then that tho feeding of thu 450 animals would, on Mr. Lo Soeuf's scale, cost £075 per annum. This, added to the £450 for wages, will make £1125. .Now, another keeper is needed. Where then is the secretary to bo brought in? And how is tho gardener to be provided fori" Ido not think that the feeding costs more than £400: and I submit that, before the council makes any arrangement about appointing a secretary, it should consider the question of appointing, under tho Town Clerk, one secretary lo do the clerical work for all tho reserves, and to arrange for the gardeners aud park managers to supply regularly to the "Zoo" grass, garden vegetables, leaves, ete., of trees, and any other kind of produce that could legitimately lie grown in tho reserves and used in Ihe "Zco." And hero' I must' note that the Government of Now South Wales last year granted .£3750 to the society of whoso ."Zoo" Mr. Lo Soeuf is the director, and that tho total of tho receipts of that society for the year was £803!) 13s. 7d. It also should bo remembered when discussing the: great, costly system of open moats and natural caves and-artificial ponds and mountains that tho Now York Zoological Society- has spent on its great zoological park and animals £99,000, and on tho buildings and other ground improvements the city has expended more than £415,000. So that park has cost more than £500,000. I hope that.now that tho council is possessed of Mr. Lo Soeuf's report a little attention will be given to local residents who have a fair idea of tho zoological world, and of the means and feelings of tho people of New Zealand. A Very Interesting Point. I concur in Mr. Le Soeuf's view that i'i now feed store is very much required. Also that the wire-netting around tlio doer paddocks is not strong enough. Mr. Bcrtling said so wben it was put up; but the steel wire netting that is suitable for such fencing is very expensive. There is one other point in Mr. Le Soeuf's report, and this is the onlyone I can stay to notice now. Mr. Le Soeuf says :— ' • "As far as possible, unattrac-. live animals should not bo kept, and those which sleep during the day should be placed in an accessible position. At present the kiwis, tuataras, anil opossums cannot bo seen, and their undoubted interest is lost." - Now I do not think that tho kiwis should bo exposed during the day timo; except to students or strangers specially wanting to see them. They naturally hide themselves, and sleep during tho daytime; but wo havo a domesticated ono which car. be called out when wanted. Tho tuataras aro seen when they naturally como out and show themselves. There is no house in the park iu which-to. keep-reptiles, and any .per-, son wanting to sco tuataras can sec them "alivo in the Newtown Museum. The "opossums ean.be seen, but in tho daytime they are generally asleep in their open boxes. It is evident then, that there is much iu Mr. Le Soeuf's report that should bo carefully considered before acted upon.