ZOO SUFFERERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23233, 30 December 1938, Page 10

ZOO SUFFERERS

IMPROPER FOOD MISGUIDED VISITORS ICE-CREAM FOR BEAR ATTACKS OF INDIGESTION Many of the animals at the Auckland Zoo probably wake up these mornings with indigestion, or, at best, with an uncomfortable feeling. It is not their fault; far less is it that of the keepers. It is because in every holiday crowd there are a few thoughtless persons who insist on giving the animals food and other things which do not agree with them. And there have been thousands of people nt tho zoo recently. Some time ago a man threw a broken bottle into the gaping jaws of a hippopotamus, but, fortunately, tho animal did not attempt to swallow it. More recently a tennis ball was given to another hippopotamus and it was swallowed. The animal died shortly afterward and the zoo lost an exhibit which cost £SOO. Warnings Often Disregarded Only a few days ago a tennis ball was retrieved from tho sea-lion pool before any damage was done. Last week a valuable spider monkey was seriously ill because, not unnaturally, it had eaten a cigarette end. Although these are extreme cases the zoo authorities often have to treat animals for sickness brought on through the foolish oflerings of visitors. Prominent notices beseech visitors not to feed certain exhibits, but these and the warnings of keepers are often disregarded. Peanuts and Chocolates The most popular gift to anything inside a cage or enclosure is the peanut. To many exhibits, particularly the monkeys, peanuts are a natural food and can do no .harm, but they certainly are not suitable for tigers, leopards and sea-lions. Yet the floors of these enclosures often have a generous sprinkling of nuts. No animal in its native state ever fed on chocolates, yet a few people appear to think that these and other sweetmeats could be added to the dietary with advantage. Some of the animals regard such offerings with lofty contempt, a few eat the sweets with immunity, but there are others who, after eating, suffer considerable internal trouble. Dangers of Cigarettes Although they are white in colour and come from the Arctic regions, polar bears should not he fed on ice cream, zoo officials point out. But, unfortunately, the bear at the zoo occasionally is, and regrets it afterward. The Gibbon apes do not thrive on apples, and they do not get them now since the authorities have gone to the expense of enclosing their cage with fine wire-netting. Earlier notices had been disregarded. Because trained chimpanzees, such as the pair recently imported from the East, can smoke cigarettes, there is no reason to suppose that other members of the monkey family know what to do with these objects. Yet lighted cigarettes are often offered to every type of monkey in the zoo. Quite apart from the danger of burning the monkey or setting alight to straw, there is always the possibility that the recipient, having eaten the tobacco, will suffer from yet another attack of indigestion.

WELLINGTON EXHIBITS BUFFALO AND ELK DESPATCH FROM VANCOUVER [from our own correspondent] VANCOUVER, Dec. 6 A pair of Canadian buffalo and a pair of Canadian elk formed part of the assorted cargo carried by the Hanraki, which sailed from Vancouver on November 24. The animals came from the Canadian Government's game sanctuary in Northern Alberta as a present from the Dominion to the Zoologrcal Gardens, Wellington, New Zealand. Following upon their capture at the Elk Island National Park the animals were subjected to medical inspection and given a clean bill of health.