MINIATURE ZOO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23703, 10 January 1939, Page 4

MINIATURE ZOO

■ AUSTRALIAN COLLECTION

, BOUND FOR AMERICAN EXHIBITION (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Jan. 9. A collection of 110 Australian birds and animals organised by the Australian National Travel Association is on its way to the Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco, by the Monterey, which called at Auckland to-day. This miniature zoo is to form one of the chief attractions of the Australian court at the Exhibition, and when the latter is over all the creatures will be presented to the San Francisco Zoological Park. The mammals in the collection are 22 members of the kangaroo family, including six wallaroos and ten wallabies and six wombats. The birds comprise six kookaburras, six sulphur-crested cockatoos and 70 parrots of many varieties. The exhibits are in charge of Mr C. A. M. Reid, of the Lone Pine sanctuary for native fauna, near Brisbane, from which the marsupials have been obtained.

Both the animals and birds are housed in cases on the liner’s upper deck aft. and after a perfectly smooth passage from Sydney they were all in excellent health. The kookaburras, which it is said will be the first of their kind ever imported into the United States, are expected to be the most popular attraction since their cackling laughter has already given great amusement to Americans aboard the vessel. The v/ombats, presented by the Tasmanian Government, are also believed to be the first yet sent to North America, There are no koala bears in the collection, for the reason that these quaint little animals are now becoming rare, and the only food on which they can live consists of the leaves of a particular kind of eucalyptus tree. The parrots, some of which have learned to talk, are of all sizes and colours and will make a kaleidoscopic display.