ZOO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2806, 26 June 1916, Page 7

ZOO NOTES

(By John Castle, Secretary of Wellington \ Zoological Society.) '

"The wholo, qf Wellington is hero to sea the lions fed to-day, said a young man. us ho gave a look of surprise at the largo number ;of people assembled in front of the lions' cases at the Zoo last bunchy afternoon, between 3 and i oelook. It is true'that he supplemented his observation with the word "seemi'W,' and that ovon then it remained .rather hyperbolical; but tho number of peoplo there assembled was great, and the goodly proportion of-men in khaki .yielded abundant proof of the fact that the Zoo is ever becoming increasingly popular, and that, ffrom a patriotic, as well as from a local, point of view, it is proving itself a great benefit. Visitors From Tahiti. A fine lot of handsomo men.marohed UP to the Zoo' on. Wednesday morning, lhey were from Tahiti. At tho entrance to the Zoo, Councillor Frost, the chairff.a?,.of the Reserves. Committed of the .Wellington City Coiinoil, was- waiting to receive them,, and .with, him were.Councillors Barber and Thompson, Mr. LangTidge, the curator of.the.Zoo, and Messrs John Wright, John Crowes and myself. Uur lahuian friends seemed to enjoy their visit, which.extended to every part of the Zoo grounds. A few could speak some-words; of English, and two or Oiroe «ould interpret., It was very interesting to hear several of'bur visitors trying to pronounco suoh words as'kangaroo, tuatara, kiwi and leopard. Mascots. Some peoplo think that to speak of mascots is to evince superstition; but u \ \ s 'l vcry , : ,ittle -of superstition attached to modern' mascots. It is very amusing to watch "tho whole-hearted frolics of Mascot, the monkey, that was brought from a troopship to the'Zooit was especially gratifying to notice'the .iiterest with whioh'the Tahitiahs called one another to see -.the African ; grey fox, when they had been told that it was a little mascot;left hero by"the men of our warship the. Now. Zealand, which recent r has, more than once shown up well in 'naval battles,', : ; ■:

Lightning Changes in a Leopard. - ■• : ■. Ever since .the beautiful leopardess in the Zco arrived there, she has teen regarded as a lovely, ■ quiet, aid loveable Mimal; but on Wednesday moWng"J oon a s she saw'the' nie/from fe . ining up in IV o n .t of her cage^lffi' into a frenzy, and, with arched back ond uncovered teeth, and' flashing eye and wnnd of deadly' fire and earnestness; vSr,? 6 ! t0 4 i? r ° ' ?^jb 9 dy.that would, S'!M?^ :h f'. J-atorshe .flung'her e fro ?- of . her >ge, and .seemed ..niadly eager to seize and'.destroy any' persoa that moved,/or even looked to. !**■«■ ' Such ■;a • ■ concentration of.' &. -& ww. before. showed her teeth to'them,:one man, who could spMk English; exclaimed,: "Terrible animal, and he ;cried "Kaizer! Ka*zer'" a name which readily, caught on," anil was.- repeated,- as ■'•one after another of the curious, visitors passed by while looking at the infuriated animal. The s'tra'nire episode, was unexpected :by : me, and what followed was even more amaz'l?B*''"' I'll 6 . Fvost and Lau g«dge well out or. sight t our venerable er-president asfced. '-I would like'to'.see--what the leopard -would do if I approached her alter that, He.'Baid;"'"On"".beiiig-'"assm ; ed that the way was clear, the venerable jumped the fence that -was 'placed to keep the public back 'from the leopards cage;-arid no'sooner' had-ha said "Pretty lady" than! it seemed as though.he had with two' words exorcised a demon., The leopard looked, <nd was changed. She came'tci tho r front of her cage and lay up against it, thattke old gentleman might pat her tack. 'Of'course he rather cautiously 'touched her at'first; but she immediately showed that'as far as he was-concerned she.was as amiable as ever; and soonvthe two old friesds were treating each, other with the most perfect confidence. Herubbcd her'throat with his hand, and she,'as if to prove her entire; put her nose to his hand. It: bas" been' said that''the lpopard is untamable; and the demonstration in the Zoo on "Wednesday proved that the beautiful'leopardess that' is there is 'naturally as- fiery and fierce as ever, but the" wonderful power of friend- ' ■ship'-won by kindness was also-demon-strated to a degree that I could i,ot'have» imagined or believed, if I'had'not seen' it. One minute the'leopard was as fierce and savage as an animal possessed of a demon might be supposed to be, and in the next minute the same animal was as docile as a sheep, and as quiet as a lamb. Of course, I don't' suppose that Curator Laiigridge or Councillor Frost would have' permitted Mr. Crewes'to do:what lie did; but fnam a Naturalist's'point of view; I suppose that the case must be regarded as one of which it may well be said."The end justified the means.":