KENYA GIRAFFE DIES SOON AFTER ARRIVAL

Evening Star, Issue 21820, 8 September 1934, Page 5

KENYA GIRAFFE DIES SOON AFTER ARRIVAL

The three eagerly-awaited young Baringo giraffes arrived at the Zoo from Kenya apparently without being any the worse for their journey. Two were at once sent to Whipsnade, while the third remained at llegent’s Park. For the first two days the Whipsnade pair were kept indoors, and then, as they seemed to be at home in their new surroundings, they were let out in the paddock, and at once took a long walk round their quarters. These were the first Kenya giraffes to be owned by the Zoo, and all were beautiful specimens about ten or eleven feet high. They were rather shy, but seemed sweet-tempered, and the one now in the London Zoo will probably become a pet. Unhappily, one of the two at Whipsnade fell ill and died a few days after his arrival, and a post-mortem examination showed that death was due to injuries received in the course of his long and tedious journey from Kenya. There is another interesting new feature at Whipsnade. Two eclectus parrots in the llegent’s Park menagerie had become “feather pluckers,” and have been sent to Whipsnade in the hope that freedom and the opportunity of feeding on fresh leaves will have a beneficial effect. They were placed in cages hung on trees for two days, and then were set free. Seven brilliant-hued cockatoos have also been given their freedom. These birds began by being caged in one of the woods, but were taken out to feed at regular intervals, and at the end of a week, when used to taking food from one spot, were liberated. They make no attempt to wander far afield, and are ready to fly to their feeding place whenever the keeper appears on the scene with fresh supplies. The latest additions to the London Zoo baby animals include a Cape buffalo and a sea-lion. The sca-lion is the offspring of Nihby, the Zoo’s tamest sealion, and Nibby has no objection to receiving callers in her nursery, as long as they make no attempt to touch her baby. She is now teaching the little creature to swim, but mother and baby spend a great deal of their time lying on the rocks; and so there is no

difficulty in getting a good view of the infant. The mother of the Capo buffalo is less anxious to show off her offspring. If anyone stands in front of her den for any length of time or stares too hard at the youngster she charges the bars in fury. So visitors should keep their hands on the safe side of the bars. The Reptile House has a rare pet in a tame cobra. Some three months ago a collection of cobras arrived from India, and all were placed in the same den. But at nearly every feeding time one of them had an argument with his companions and was in danger of being swallowed. The keeper, going to the assistance of this weaker cobra, gradually discovered that the snake had no objection to being handled. As the disputes over food continued it was decided to provide the amiable cobra with a home to himself, and the keepers can now safely handle him without risk, though visitors are not allowed to do so. This is the first time for many years that one of the Zoo’s poisonous snakes has become reliably tame.