AIR RAID PRECAUTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1938, Page 5

AIR RAID PRECAUTIONS

PiIOTF.f'TING ZOOS IN WAR. Even zoo authorities in London tire planning air-raid precautions. They 'arc* afraid a stray bomb might Hirn km c iho deadly snakes, the lions, and tin- tigers to provide new danger;: for til.-;- ro.-'.l of tin- city. ‘•We had ;t, certain amonni of oxuiienr tit fliiriitt'; air raids in Che Great W:-.r." ;i zoo official said. "tmt. fovtune.toly, no bombs .-icrimlly fell inside the- zoo. “The; nearest, thing to a ciu.as-t-oplie oeeurred one nigh! when some spent, fragmeiits of shrapnel rained down upon Hie rockwork of the Mappin terrace 1 ; t artificial cliffs built for ihe mountain gouts and slieept. This reared i.im mountain sl-.et-pj'ltd ibex and for some- time the frightened auim;-!-' pa<-'-d wi'dly ov-'r th'- rocks. But none jumped out."

To keep the : r large assortment ot venomous snakes from being turned loose accidentally, Ihe zoo's directors are com-id-ring having splinterproof steel shutters installed so they could be slid across lhe heavy plate glass fronts, of the cages. Some animal lovers have been worried about protecting the animals I’giiirist gms. I’m zoo ollichils say I hero is no use trying. A local air-raid precautions ollieer has been consulted, one of the officials stated. ”bilt the fact is there is very lit Ho wo. can do.” "None of the animals would tolerate any sort of gas. mask.” he said. “Not even the chimpanzees, who lake their to? at a table like children and Ic-arn to wear caps and other articles, would keep masks over their faces.” What really worries the staff is the danger of high explosives, that might wreck cages and lot enough wild boasts escape to populate a jungle roa.min?; about in London. There, are two tunnels and a couple of other concreted underground shelters that, the- staff could use. As far as keeping the animals under control goes, they arc putting their trust in quick work by lhe keepers. Every available man will he put on duty in case of a raid. But there still is a. 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.