BOOBOO AND HER BABY

Evening Star, Issue 22032, 18 May 1935, Page 5

800800 AND HER BABY

Jubilee, the baby chimpanzee, and her mother Booboo are now the great centre of attraction at the Zoo. Until the infant was three weeks old no one except two doctors and the two keepers who acted as nurses were allowed near the nursery, and on the day before the chimpanzees made their debut to the public there was a small private “ at home ” to' test Booboo’a reactions to the presence of visitors. Elaborate precautions were taken to avoid any risks of mother or child coming to any harm. All danger of “ gate crashers ” was avoided by a guard of keepers standing at the. dooi and examining the invitatiort card of each caller. Then all photographers who wished to go behind the glass partition which separates the nursery from the public bad to wear* masks of disinfected gauze so "that they would not breathe germs on mother and baby. Finally, a time limit was placed on the guests, so that they did not tire their hostesses. Happily, the affair went off without a hitch. As she had just had a meal, Jubilee dropped off to sleep just as the first callers were arriving, and she slept peacefully until the last guest had departed. At first Booboo seemed inclined to be excited; not having had a visitor for so long she was overjoyed to see callers;, but after a few minutes she grew calm and collected. She then showed no desire to hide the baby, and behaved just as she used to do before the arrival of her. offspring.

6be'divided'her time between posing for the photographers, eating grapes, and unfastening the keeper’s shoelaces. Yet, although this first “ at home ” went off so wellf bn the'following day, when the public were admitted, a keener again ; stood on; duty at the door, and only "allowed small parties of three and four people; to enter the house at onoe. , s When she . carries Jubilee about Booboo clasps hm* with, one arm, much as a nurse, carries a small human baby, and when she. sits down and nurses Jubilee she holds her in both arms, just as a ,human baby likes .io be held. Booboo remains, as-, amiable as_ ever, but in one, respect she persists in being difficult, refusing to make use of the three rubber, mattresses provided for her in place of .straw. Tristead of lying on any of the mattresses, she carefully carries her two .blankets away from them and then places one. blanket on the floor as, a bed’and covers herself and Jubilee with the other. ■ THE BIQ UHBRELU \ A GOOD-NIGHT Susan was going down to the village to buy a book of stamps. “ You’d better take an umbrella,” said her mother; “I think it is going to rain.” V Oh, I don’t think ‘ so,' Mummy, said Susan; “.and anyway I-haven’t got an umbrella.” ~ ‘ “Yes, you have,” answerjed ■ her mother. “ There’s the one Aunt Ethel gave you for your birthday.’-,’ , Susan made a face. “ But it’s so big,” she grumbled. “ I don’t like big ones. If I had a dear little umbrella like May’s I wouldn’t mind. I’d always take it. But I hate big ones.” May was the oldest girl an Susan s class, and Susan thought everything May had and did was perfect. “ Oh, run along with you!” laughed Mummy. “ A big one keeps you much dryer.” V So Susan had to go off with Aunt Ethel’s umbrella, dragging it along behind her as if it were a terrible weight! It didn’t rain as she was going to the post office, but just as she was coming out it came down in great big splashes. Susan put up her umbrella and the rain pattered on to it like hail.She was passing the last shop in the village when she heard someone calling her name. She looked up arid saw May sheltering in the doorway. . ■ Hullo, Suet” called May. “ Could I share your umbrella?’,’,:,,-,. , ■ “ Oh, yes,” cried Susan, gladly- “ Come on, May; there’s plenty of room!” And the two little girls, arm m arm, splashed along,. laughing and chattering, , ' - “ What a topping big umbrella yoiirs is!” said May; “it. keeps us as dry as if wo were in a tent.” “It’s one Aunt Ethel sent me for my birthday,” said Sue. “ But I don’t like it very much, I wish I had a little one like yours.” ", „ ■ “ Well, it looks nice, but is isnt much good,” said May.' “Tt’snotbig enough. It often'sends the fain down my neck, it’s so small.” And for the first time susan began to think it might-be liptt-" to have, a grown-up umbrella after all 1 ; .