PYTHON IN SPLINTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1307, 9 December 1911, Page 9

PYTHON IN SPLINTS.

HEPTILE SUEGEET AT THE LONDON ZOO. A second operation has ken performed on the great python at the Zoological Gardens, who tinctured his jaw whik swallowing a goat a few weeks m;o. After the jaw and hc.?.d had ixnrn enveloped in a rigid casing for a couple oi weeks, lie began to shed his skin. 11 was impossible for the patient to complete lno sneddiiig while the head was bound up, and the bandage was therefore removed. The bones of the jaw, it was iomui had partly reunited. With his head free again the pvtlion was obviously in the Lost of spirit-', and celebraied tne occasion bv swallowing a duck. The skin of the iiead was then shed, including the transparent outer louses of the t-ye. Afterwards it was decided to replace the plaster of Paris. Awaiting a moment when the giant reptile was coiled in his tank, six hunvv keepers crawled into his cage, each carrying ft stout "board. These' were swift! v shpped over the ton of tta iaiiK while (ho operator sought lor the injured head through on opennig between two of (lie boards. Once tho neck was seized tho six heavy keepers sprang on the boards and were ordered to "sit ti»lit" t'i-is-iorniing a living roof. As the powerful coils heaved about, inndo the tnnk the heavy keepers were lifted up hosJilv. but their combined weight war, too great for the python, and the splint and bandage' were rapidly replaced.