PROTECTING ZOOS IN WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 112, 14 May 1938, Page 27

PROTECTING ZOOS IN WAR

Even $oOaartKorftiea InLondor are planning air-raid precautions. They are afraid a stray bomb might turn loose the deadly snakes, the lion?, and the tigflrc to provide new -dangers lor fee rest of the city. "We had • certain amount of excitement during air raids in. the Great War," a xoo official «ai<t ,"but, fortunately,' no bombs actually fell inside tte *00. - • . x 1 '.The nearest thing to a Catastrophe occurred one night when some spent fragment! of shrqmel rained down npon ftie rockwork of the Mappln terraces (utiflcial difls built for the. Biouotiln softti 'ind ; sheep), . This scared/ the mountain sheep and Ibex and for some time the frightened animals paced wildly over the rocks. But none jumped .out" To keep theirjarge' assortment of, venomous VstaaMf from being turned loose accidentally. - the. ioo's directors are considering 'having splinterproof steel-shutters installed so they could be slid across the heavy plate glass fronts of the cages. Some animal lovers have been worried about 1 protecting: the animals

■gainst gas. But »o official* say there itf no use trying.

A local Hr-raid precautions officer has been consulted, one of the officials Stated, "but the fact istfcere is very little we can do." "None of the animals yrould tolerate any sort ofgas mask," hesaid. ''Not even the chimpanzees, who take their tea at a table like children and, learn to wear caps and other articles* would keep masks over their faces." What really worries the staff is the danger of high e*plosivesi that might wreck cages arid let plough wild beasts escape to populate a Jungle roaming about In /lindon. . There are two tunnels and a couple of other concreted underground shelters that the staff could use. As far as keeping the ariimals.under control goes, they are putting .their trust 'in quick work by the keepers. Every available man will be put on duty in case of a raid. But there still Is. a 1 good chance of some peaceful Londoner- meeting a cobra Or a lion in his front garden If a few well-placed bombs ever land in or near the zoo.