PYTHON’S DUEL

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1932, Page 4

PYTHON’S DUEL

JEALOUSY IN REPTILE HOUSE

LONDON, September 12.

The peace of the Zoo’s Reptile House was disturbed again last week when two 15ft pythons became involved in a duel.

This light was one of the most violent and spirited affairs the Reptile House has known since George, the large alligator, was deprived of opportunities to indulge in murderous activities by being sentenced to solitary confinement. The pythons’ reason for fighting seems to have been due neither to greed nor ill-temper, but to a loveaffair. One of the exhibition dens was occupied by three pythons varying in size from 12ft to 15ft and believed to be a male and two females. The trio were always amicable until another 15ft python was introduced into their home.

Apparently the newcomer was another male. He made the mistake of trying to “vamp” one of the females with the result that her old mate became enraged and attacked the interloper. The fight began early on Thursday morning. When the keeper arrived at work he discovered the two reptiles in the middle of their duel and managed to separate them before it had a disastrous ending.

But, though the old inhabitant of the den was little the worse for the encounter, his hated rival was in a sorry state. The bracken, with which the snakes’ dens are carpeted to make them more comfortable, had been tossed in all directions. The two female pythons, however, appeared quite unmoved by the disorder ali though one of them must have been I the cause of the trouble since there was no food in the den, and when the new-comer was placed in this reptilian menage his presence was accepted as a matter of • course. The injured python was at once removed to the reptile house hospital where his wounds, too numerous to be counted, were washed in disinfectant and the worst of them were stitched. He now lies on a sick bed bemoaning the fact that he has thirtyeight stitches in his body. SEA-LION GLUTTONS On Friday the automatic sea-lion feeder started working. When a visitor placed sixpence in the slot, a siren was heard, and then three pieces of fish were ejected by the machine. The debut of this automatic fish-provider was a great, success, but early in the afternoon the machine had to be put out of action.

For. although the public pays for the fish, the pieces of herrings packed in the machine are supplied from the sea-lions' official menagerie rations, .and owing to the position of the feeder only the “star” sea-lions who perform at feeding-time receive fish from the machine. As soon as the siren goes. Bill, the well-known diver, and a young female, who is understudying him, dash to the diving-rock. Owing to their skill these two animals catch the food before it reaches the water and their less accomplished relatives. Consequently, after the machine had been working for a few hours, this pair had devoured about 651bs of herrings. while the oilier inmates of the pond had had nothing. What remained of the sea-lions’ rations had naturally to be saved for these hungry sea-lions, who, at ordinary fecding-titnes, are attended to by the keeper. _________________