AUSTRIAN CHAMOIS FOR NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13846, 8 March 1907, Page 6

AUSTRIAN CHAMOIS FOR NEW ZEALAND.

«i> (Fnou Oor Own Correspondent.) LONDON, January 26; The long-lookcd-for cij?hl chamois whicli were presented by the Emperor of Austria, to the Now Zealand Government have at last not only arrived in England but they have also started on llieir voyage to New. Zealand. The animals were brought from Oslenil lo tlio St. Catherine Dock in the Thames by the steamer Aliouette, which was expected lo ho at the wharf last Saturday morning, and accordingly Mr 11. C. Cameron went, down to receivo them from tho attendant, who had brought them from Austria. But a dense fog prevailed throughout tho wholo of Saturday and Sunday, and it was not possible to land them until Sunday night, when they were taken to tho Zoological Hardens and lodged there, for a few days pending their embarkation, on board'the New Zealand Shipping Company's s.s. Tiirakina. Each member of Hie magnificent liorct travelled in a separate littlu house-shaped wooden box all tho way from the Imperial private zoological gardens at; Schonbrunn, and tho chamois are reported to have experienced rather an exciting number of adventures tliirin? their transit to London. ]'n iho first place they were snowed up ill Switzerland for some days. Then a littlo nearer their destination their train; caught fire. Next a prominent, official of tho Austrian Emperor's zoo who was to have liad charge of them—lnspector Kraiiss— was taken ill, and an under-keener had to bring the chamois to England. But that was not all, [or the Aliouette, in which Iho crossing whs made from Ostoaul to th 6 Thames, after being delayed in the [njr, had her si cm smashed in by a collision iu the Thames. Directly the precious charges wore available, they were taken care of by Mr A. K. L. Bcrtling, lato head keeper at tlio London Zoological Gardens, who is lakim; them out to the colony. ■ where their destination will be tho Southern Alps, and no re-Kon. is seen why they should not do well thore. In the course of a brief chat Mr Berlling remarked: "It is a curious thing that their ■favourite food seems to bo mistletoe, of which several bags c have been sent. On arrival in New Zealand the chamois are to bo turned looso for breeding purposes. Tho keftper who brought the chamois to this country is taking back with him to' Austria tho presents which the Now Zealand Government has sent to tho Emperor. Those includo Ihrco kiwis. "There is everv probability," eays- a. London paper, "that tlio herd of chamois which the Emperor of Austria has presented to Now Zealand will do well there. Tho features of the Swiss and Tyroleso Alps are so faithfully reproduced in tho colony that the chamois should find themselves at home at once. Wo shall bo curious to see to what extent they become modified by new conditions. It is quitepossible, for instance, that they will follow the example of tho trout with which the New Zealand rivers have been stocked, and which have not only become of immense size, but have, developed habile utterly unknown to their British ancestors. At anyrale, it is pretty certain that in Now Zealand the chamois will become in some way •differentiated from Iho Swiss original."