The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-12-24
HOWLS IN THE RING.
Terrific Combat Between n Male and Female
RhinocerOs-The Fright of the Lions and
Tigers and Leopards and Bears.


Tigers and Leopards and Bears.
Among the animals in New York
circus are male and female rhinoceros
The female is about two-thirds the size
of the male, and was put into the circus
about n month ago. The male, o
monster of strength and ugliness, is kept
in a pen, surrounded by iron bars, in the
east end of the menagerie, and next to
the four elephants. The female was con-
fined until recently in the cage in which
she has travelled for number of years.
| About a week ago the proprietor in
structed the carpenters to enlarge the
pen of the male animal to double its
original size SO that the female might be
admitted. The work of transferring the
animals was begun. The elephants were
driven into one of the large dressing
rooms, and the male rhinoceros was
driven into the elephant pen. The cage
containing the female was drawn up, and
she was safely landed in the large pen.
Then the male was driven back to his
old home. He waddled in, passed the
door, and then suddenly stopped. He
had just caught sight of the female as
she calmly eyed him from the other side
of the pen.
The monster paused only moment.
Then with a roar of rage he started for
the intruder. She was in no mood to
play the coward. She firmly braced her
self against the solid planks of the pen,
and awaited the collision. The hard,
horny noses of the two animals clashed.
The male drew back again, and eyed his
unwelcome visitor. Then, his mouth
foaming, with loud roar, he rushed
forward again. He struck the female
with his horn on the left side, cutting
deep cash, lifted her about six feet from
the ground, and nearly threw her over
the wall of the pen.
The fight was getting desperate, and
the attendants fastened to rescue the
female. Pitchforks, wagon bars, and
every weapon that was attainable was
used upon the infuriated monster. He
was held at bay for a time, and large
planks were showed through the bars to
form fence between the beasts.
The male made one furious dash, car
ried the barricade away in an instant,
and again the poor female was raised
upon his horny nose, and thrown into
the air. The bellowings of the COM
batants were echoed by the roar of the
lions, and the fearful laugh of the
hyenas. The wild beasts scented blood,
and every cage in the great menagerie
was scene of wild excitement. The
lions and the tigers, the leopards and the
bears, jumped and hOwled and roared,
and above all arose the dismal wall of the
frightened elephants.
For over an hour the combat lasted,
and the male rhinoceros, being the larger
of the two, was rapidly using up the
weaker female. At one time the two
huge beasts came together with crash
against the iron bars of the pen, bend
ing them like so many wires, and the
heavy planking of the framework cracked
and broke like reeds. The beasts We're
frothing at the mouth, and the COW was
bleeding. At length, just as the male
was preparing for another attack, one of
the employees thrust pitchfork into
his mouth, the only vulnerable point
that could be reached from the outside,
and with roar of mingled pain and
rage, the brute drew back, and for
few moments stood in his corner, eyeing
his antagonist. Advantage was taken of
this lull in the fight, and the two We're
separated by a fence of planks and wagon
bars, which were thrust across the pen
from the outside, and securely lashed to
the bars. Over this was thrown piece
of canvas, and the beasts were thus
shut from each others view.
1t required two hours more of coaXing
to get the COW back to her old cage. Not
withstanding the thickness of her hide,
which is like iron, the horn of her antago-
mist had gored her frightfully. On the
left side were two deep gashes, from
which the blood was flowing freely. The
male was uniniured, having only slight
wound back of the left ear. He ran MS
nimbly as a rhinoceros can run around
his pen, and seemed to glory in his
victory. AS soon as the COW was re-
moved he became as gentle to his keepers
as ever.