DOCTORS AT THE ZOO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21600, 22 March 1932, Page 11

DOCTORS AT THE ZOO

ANIMALS’ AILMENTS

MONKEYS’ FOOLISH HABIT

In all the large zoological gardens of the world the doctor has become the most important official. The gardens of London, Berlin, New York and Paris all have reception houses, sanatoriums, hospitals and operating theatres for the animals. In the Empire Review Mr Harold J. Shepstone relates that in these gardens every animal that dies > is dissected with a view to discovering the cause of its death. By this means much practical knowledge is gained. In New York recently the ourangoutangs were attacked by a mysterious and violent disease. The trouble defied' the doctors. Four of the animals died, and it was then discovered that the disease ivas occasioned by a germ given to them by tortoises housed in the same building. Although the germs killed the primates, the tortoises suffered no illeffects. Monkeys and the larger apes are found to be the best patients. _ They are very susceptible to pneumonia. A recent triumph was the saving of a baby chimpanzee by the administration of oxygen. The gas was given through a tube winch the animal sucked readily, with instantly beneficial results. The baby ape imme- , diately appeared to recognise that the gag ■ wag doing it good. , . | Although monkeys are usually tractable animals, they are idiotic enough to indulge in the foolish habit of biting their own tails. Although this causes pain, they never seem to realise that to cease biting would stop the pain. _ The danger arises from the bite becoming poisoned and killing the monkey. In London the doctors have found a cure for the habit in dressing the sore tail with an ointment of horrible taste. This ointment is so sickening to the animal that it cannot continue the stupid habit. One of the regular jobs of the zoo doctor is to cut the toenails and trim the feet of the elephants. In its natural life these are worn down and they cause no trouble, but lack of exercise in zoos permits the feet to thicken and crack, ana to pick up all sorts of foreign matter. Not long ago a doctor extracted from the feet of a zoo elephant a set of dice, the bowl off an iron spoon, the handle of a penknife, and a large iron nail. Change of climate from the tropics often causes elephants to suffer from internal aches. They become so badly affected that they roll on the ground in misery. Treatment with a_ thick mustard poultice and a dose of gin and ginger invariably effects a cure. It has been found, however, that elephants so much relish the gin and ginger that thev feign illness in order to procure the drink. This was a favourite trick of Zip an elephant at the New York Zoo. It was detected as a malingerer, and it ceased its deception when the treatment was reduced to the mustard plaster alone.