DEATH AT AUCKLAND ZOO

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 246, 16 October 1937, Page 5

DEATH AT AUCKLAND ZOO

MALE HIPPOPOTAMUS. TENNIS BALL SWALLOWED. Through swallowing a tennis ball Chaka, the adult male hippopotamus at the Auckland Zoo, died early on Wednesday morning. Zoo officials

believe that the ball was thrown into the animal's mouth by a visitor about , six days ago, since when Chaka had been in extreme agony. The ball was found as the result of a post mortem I examination conducted by Dr. W. Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital. I When it was discovered that the animal was in pain every possible attention was given, but it is believed that no measure short of a major operation could have been effective. The curator of the zoo, LieutenantColonel E. R. Sawer, states that an effort would probably be made to procure another male as a mate for Bella. World Record Achieved. Born at a zoo in Germany 17 years ago, Chaka was taken to London as a youngster and was acquired by the | Auckland Zoo in 1925 at a cost of £350, excluding freight and other charges. His mating with Bella resulted in a world record being established for the breeding of hippopotami in captivity, six offspring being born to the pair. Of these Chaka killed one, another was neglected by Bella from birth, a third died as a result of an accident and two were sold to the Perth and Adelaide Zoos respectively. The sixth, Dinizulu,

which was born last February, is still at the According to Lieutenant-Colonel Sawer, the Adelaide Zoo lost a hippopotamus some years ago in exactly similar circumstances to those that have culminated in Chaka’s death. On a number of other occasions the Auckland Zoo had suffered as a result the thoughtless actions of visitors. An ostrich had died through swallowing a copper coin and two tuatara lizards had succumbed as the result of being struck on the head by sticks.

Losses and Additions. Within the past few weeks the zoa has lost several of its most interesting exhibits, notably the very popular giant tortoise, which was affected by the climate, and an emu chick, which died a few days after being hatched. On the other hand stocks have been replenished through births and arrivals from overseas. Besides the appearance lately of a tiny rhesus monkey and several grey singing flinches, a pair of leopard cubs have just been born and are reported to be doing very well. These are the first leopards to be born at the zoo for a number of years.