A ZOO CEREMONY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1927, Page 10

A ZOO CEREMONY

ELEPHANT GIVEN A NAME

SUNDAY CHARGES QUESTION

The Mayor and Mayoress and a good number of the councillors, members of the Wellington Zoological Society and their friends were more or leas formally introduced to the elephant at the Zoo this morning, Mrs. T. Fathers, the wife of the president of the Zoological Society, first naming the animal "Ne»ikutha," for without a name an introduction is a vain and empty ceremony Mrs. fathers also bestowed the pet name "Kutha" (pronounced "Koota") for use by those who are apt to be tripped by four syllables. \ Mr. Fathers referred to the Zoo as he had first known it, twenty years ago and congratulated all concerned in its management on its remarkable growth since that time. Several times the society had endeavoured to obtain an elephant, but transport charges had always been a big difficulty. The Union Steam Ship Company had, however been very generous to the city in the matter of the transport of Nellikutha bringing her out from India for £10 '

A GOOD COLLECTION. Mr. J. Castle, secretary of the society, also referred to the development of the Zoo, which, in spite of occasional criticism, housed to-day a really good collection of animals, of which citizens should feel rightly proud, and included a losery which it would bo difficult to improve upon. The elephant, he had no doubt whatever, would prove a great attraction at the Zoo, particularly when she had been trained to carry children round the grounds. The Zoological Society, continued Mr. Castle, was formed in August, 1910, and the first purchases were a pair of kiwis, then more birds, a kangaroo, a leopard, which was still alive and flourishing, after 17 years of zoo life, a brown bear, etc., etc., to the number of between thirty and forty gifts to the Zoo of bircTs or animals. He mentioned the society's previous efforts to procure an elephant for Wellington, and expressed their thanks to Sir James Allen, for it was largely through his instrumentality that the animal had- been offered to Wellington by the Madras Government. On behalf of the society he handed to the Mayor a cheque for £25 to assist in defraying the cost of bringing the elephant and the new tigress out from India.

SOCIETY'S WORK APPRE CIATED.

The Mayor, in thanking the society for its very willing co-operation with the council in zoo matters and the Madras Government for its generosity in presenting the elephant to Wellington, said that the latest additions would undoubtedly bring about a greater interest among citizens in their zoo. The Zoological Society had been .of great assistance to the council, not alone by its energy and generosity in introducing new animals, but by the manner in which it had been able, on many occasions, to advise the council.

NO HALT ZOO,

Certain of the councillors had expressed themselves as against building up the Zoo any further, continued Mr. Norwood, but he knew that in that they were prompted by the feeling that it was* not humane to enclose wild animals in unnatural surroundings; the society and the curator, Mr. J. Langridge, were to be relied' upon to see that the. best possible conditions were maintained.' When the council as a whole felt that that was so, and if certain legislative amendments could be obtained, there was no reason why Wellington should not build up one of the finest zoological collections in the Southern Semisphere. Councillor Thompson, chairman of the Reserves .Committee, was anxious to do the very best with the collection^ and upon one point he and his committee were firm, that it was no use having half a zoo, it had to be a good zoo or none at all.

Councillor Thompson referred to the suggestions made that the Zolo should be removed altogether from Newtown and relocated near Wilton Bush, but in his opinion that would be an unwise policy, firstly, because the shift would cost something over £30,000, and, secondly, because there would not, in his opinion, be so many visitors to a zoo in the suggested location. Personally, he was not in favour of Sunday charges for the people of Wellington paid for the upkeep of the Zoo, and probably if a Sunday charge was made many who now took their children alonj; would not do so.

Councillor Thompson also referred to the enthusiasm and the good business ability of Mr. Langridge, under whose care the animals and birds were doing exceedingly well.