THE ZOO IN WINTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20924, 14 July 1931, Page 11

THE ZOO IN WINTER.

ANIMALS FARING WELL. MILD AUCKLAND CLIMATE. BLACK BEARS FOND OF " BED." HIBERNATING NOT PRACTISED. When winter blasts come up from tho Antarctic and tho ground is damp and cold under foot the animals at the Auckland Zoological Park find that warm covering, good food and cosy shelter are more than usually welcome/ Like their human lords and masters, they are fond of home comforts, although these may vary from an extra ration of straw in the case of the monkey to an extra cold bath in the case of the polar bear. Tastes differ so widely in the zoo as. to what constitutes luxurious living. '

Auckland people have a habit of complaining about their winters, but actually Auckland experiences extremely mild winters compared with the rigours of the northern European climate. The black bear, could he only convey his feelings, would laugh ironically at the idea of Auckland having a winter at all. In fact, so little does ho think of it that he does not even bother to take his winter sleep as he does in his home in Alaska or in the Himalayas. Hibernation, as practised, for instance, by the bears, wombats and marmots, is unknown in the Auckland Zoo. So temperate is the climate that they seem to forget all about their old habits when they come to Auckland. It is true that in these wintry mornings the black bears often stay in "bed" until 10 or 11 o'clock, but that is a thing that human beings are rather fond of doing, too, and it can hardly be described as hibernating, its it is kno>vn in "the Northern Hemisphere. New Fur Coats. But if the animals have with one accord abandoned their hibernating practices, there is one thing they have failed to accomplish effectively and that is the adaptation of their moulting habits to the seasonal changes of the Southern Hemisphere. Instead of shedding their old coats when the summer approaches the mountain sheep, the Pocky Mountain goats, the bison, the bears and the wildebeest have all shed their warm, thick coats in the middle of winter, leaving short new summer coats to see them out for the remainder of the winter^ If the Auckland winter were more severe than it is, this tendency toward premature moulting would be a serious matter for the health of the animals, but such is the climate's mildness that little concern need be felt. On the South

African veldt herds of wildebeest may be seen in mid-winter covered from .head to foot in white frost, so that they resemble so many ghosts, while in Canada bison and deer roam country that is thickly covered in snow. Goats Eefuse to be Coddled, Little tufts of brown and white fur dotting the enclosure occupied by the Rocky Mountain goats show that these animals are still busy changing their coats. Auckland's winter, however, is of little concern to these hardy mountaineers, nor to the llamas, who aro accustomed to scaling snowy Peruvian heights, while the mountain goats despise itf so heartily that they actually sleep out »in the cold rather than mollycoddle in their indoor quarters. More remarkable, however, is the way the tropical birds, brought up in very hot climates, weather the, New Zealand winter. Even the brilliant-hued toucan, which was brought from tropical America two years ago, has come through two Auckland winters with flying colours. These birds, together with the parrots, African egrets and the Australian bud-' gerigars, all flourish in the New Zealand climate and many of them remain all through the winter in the outdoor flying aviary, sheltering at night in a reed house. Artificial heating is not required for them, nor, indeed, is it necessary for any of the birds or animals in the zoo.

Lions and Snow.

All the big cat family, including the \ lions, tigers and leopards, look extremely healthy. As a matter of fact, these animals are capable of living under very severe winter conditions and it is not aa uncommon sight in European zoos to see lions come out into the snow and play.Snow to them is a great source of curiosity and amusement. The Auckland lions spend the winter days stretched out on their lofty rocky terraces, where they lazily blink their eyes in the utmost boredom. Chill winds and grey skies worry them not at all.

Jamuna, the elephant, and her consort appear to be the most comfortably off, judged by human standards. They have a palatial house that looks like - some suburban mansion and the interior is warpi and agreeable. The hippopotami, mother, father and child, would appear to be the worst off, standing all day in mud up to their knees, but they do not think so. They like cold mud and the more of it the better. Although they have no hair worth talking about to keep them warm, they are blessed with an enormously thick hide and a great layer of solid fat underneath it to keep out the cold. Polar Bears in Their Element. In the duck ponds there is great excitement. Winter time means more rain, more water and wetter grass, all of which is splendid for the ducks. But to the polar bears winter is the. best of all times. They look forward to its approach with as much impatience as Auckland's youth awaits the coming of summer. Yesterday they sprawled out in attitudes suggesting angelic happiness upon the imitation icepack in their den, their beautiful fur cloaks dripping wet, while they licked the last vestiges of meat from some tasty bones.

Nor in the monkey cages is there any word of complaint. Winter is not relished by them, but they are so active and playful that the exercise keeps them warm. When the sun does shine through the clouds there are few more pleasant spots in Auckland than the Zoological Park, and the dens, without exception, are all built to face the morning sun. Abundant natural and artificial shelter protects the animals from the force of gales, while clean straw, issued each day, makes as warm a bed as anyone cotild wish. Indeed, the only miserable creatures in the zoo are a few stray seagulls that hop disconsolately round the paws of the polar bears, watching the good food vanish slowly but surely into giant jaws.