OFFER OF LION CUBS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 44, 20 August 1925, Page 6

OFFER OF LION CUBS

ACCEPTANCE A MATTER FOR ADMIRAL.

Every ship carries a mascot, some of them half a dozen, others more, and probably all would qualify for the menagerie class if everything on four legs or on wings which takes the fancy of the men was accommodated on board, but there i.3 no ship in the American navy which at present boasts such an imposing mascot as a lion. However, if an offer made by Mr. J. J. Boyd, sen., can be accepted that will be remedied. Mr. Boyd, through his gift of a lion to the Wellington Zoo, has a half-interest in all tho lion families which are born in 'one of the Zoo enclosures, and quite recently Mrs. Lion presented the city and Mr. Boyd with four bonny little cubs. They are still with their mother,, but they have developed a thorough appetite for meat, and so can stand on their own feet, right away from apron strings. Mr. Boyd states that he is anxious to present his two cubs to the American navy, one to the Wellington detachment and the other to the ships at Auckland. They are fascinating little things, just big enough to be real playthings and really playful, without a trace of vice in their wholo make-up. Mr. Boyd's offer was communicated to a senior officer of the flagship Seattle by a "Post" reporter to-day, and the reply given was that the Admiral and every officer and man would greatly appreciate such first-rate mascots, but it was just a little doubtful whether it would be possible to accept them. The trouble was that tho men became very attached to their mascots and hated to lose them, but it 'was quite plain that a young lion would not stay young indefinitely. Cubs had a habit of growing up beyond the collar and chain stage remarkably quickly. As the Admiral was not on board at the moment he could not ascertain his views, but if Mr. Boyd would care to communicate with Admiral Coontz the matter would be decided without delay. "Once previously, on the African coast, we were offered a lion cub as a mascot, but we had a long cruise before us—as we have before us now—and we could not accept. We would like to have it, but so far the rule has been that wild animals cannot be brought aboard."