A ZOO EXPERT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7432, 9 May 1911, Page 4

A ZOO EXPERT

HE W. AETHXJE’S TEAVELS. rilOM our. SPECIAL COJIBESrOnBENT- , ’ LONDON, March 31. An interesting visitor to London just now is Mr T. VV. Arthur, ivho laid out tho Newtown Zoological Gardens in Wellington, and who has since been travelling extensively with shipments of animals and birds for various zoos. MrArthur, who was a sailor in his earlier days, has made no fewer than thirty-two trips to Now Zealand. Since leaving tho Dominion ton months ago ho has collected and conveyed a largo shipment of Australian and Now Zealand fauna to New York, and taken Alaskan bears from New York to Johannesburg and Durban, via London. Now ho is back in London ou route to New Zealand and Australia, where he will make another collection of animals and birds for New York. "The Bronx Zoo in New York/ he said to me, “is the largest and most up-to-date in tho world. I can speak from experience. for I have visited every zoo in the world. There are ton and a quarter miles of cages at the Bronx, and < OOO animals, as compared with 3000 at the London Zoo- I got my Australasian collection safely to the Bronx without any losses, and Dr Hornaday, the director of the New York Zoological Society, then sent mo to South Africa with four Alaskan bears—two for Durban and two for Johannesburg. Awkward customers to travel with, Alaskan bears. The worst 1 have had.' X would sooner take charge,of lions and k/ e ™ony day. An angry bear can emasli a wooden cage to matchwood. * , , f ‘However, I landed my bears safely in South Africa. But I was unfortunate enough to contract dysentery while at Durban, and was very ill indeed for a time lam e good deal better now, but not free from tho effects yet, by any means For this reason I mean to stay awhile in England before proceeding to New Zealand and Australia, to make a fresh collection of fauna for New York. X shall probably remain here until after the Coronation. My little girl, aged six, ; s here, and X shall leave her in England white I make the journey to New ZeaMr Arthur has been commissioned to -rileot and convey to the New York Zoo six kess. six kiwis, six tuata.ro lizards, some tree kangaixme, Australian oro•’cdilcs and monkey-faced wallabies, and he hones through the co-operation of the New Zealand Government to get a couple of big aea-lions from the islands to the -outh of New Zealand.,