ZOO TEA PARTIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 June 1939, Page 2

ZOO TEA PARTIES

TEACHING CHIMPANZEES

The London Zoo has arranged to have a large chimpanzees’ tea party this season, and the number of young apes taking part, in the entertainment will be increased from four to eight. These eight chimpanzees are expected to be fully trained and ready to hold two tea parties every day, one in the children’s zoo and the other on a lawn in the centre of the gardens, where they can be seen by all visitors. Their training is to take place in public instead of behind the scenes as in former years. When the weather is reasonably good they will be taken to a. sheltered outdoor cage in the north mammal house, and the public will be. able to watch them rehearsing. 'Phese rehearsals before, an audience are intended to accustom the apes to being watched. Four of them are used to being led round the gardens on a lead, but the other four chimpanzees have never been on exhibition,, and their keepers are anxious to try them out before, the tea parties begin officially. The keepers have to he sure that these “star performers” are reliably tame with strangers, for they have to be walked round the gardens, and while holding their parties they are not separated from visitors b.v bars. Part of the performance consists of shaking hands -with any onlookers who wish to speak to them, and it is therefore essential that none, of the apes is likely to take fright or l>e disobedient.