Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-28
FIERCE GRIP OF THE PANTHER.
How One of These Animals Killed
Young Black Bear in Central Park.
FORK Tribune. June %.

From the New York Tribune. June 81
A young black bear was killed yesterday
morning In Central Park by female panther.
L. L Chittenden Of the law firm OF L. E. 4
d. ID. Chittenden, No. 1877 Broadway, who
was an eyewitness Of the occurrence. gives
the following interesting account Of il: II
was walking with . friend past the lion
mouse In Central Park this morning, when
'Hughey,' the attendant in charge, called out
to Phil and Pat two other old and experi-
enced attendants, to come and assist him in
capturing young black bear. say a quarter
grown, which had escaped through the
bars Of its cage. My friend and my
self entered to witness the hunt. The
doors were closed and the three attend
ants rushed TO the large cage over which
young bruin was leisurely walking. They were
not quick enough. Like q flash a long 1.-THE,
grayish, snake-lke body shot up from the floor
paw with extended claws came through the
iron bars at the top of the cage and the hunt as
over. 1t was equally all over with the bear
The mild-eyed female panther (felis concolor)
had taken paw in the business and ended it,
Then followed an exhibition of ferocity OF
which no one would imagine this animal capa-
be. She pulled the bear through the bars
seized his nape between her jaws which closed
with force under which 1 could hear the
crushing of the bears bones 'Hughey'
rushed into the cage with iron bar to part
the two animals. 1t a reckless and use
less act. for the bear. / saw, was already dead
and .Hughey would soon have been
In the same state if the panther had fas-
tened upon him in her Infatuated condition
He was pulled out by main force and the cat
retreated to corner, still grasping her prey.
The bear had leather collar upon its neck
Into this. from the top of the cage, an attend
ant hooSed the end of a rod and drew the bear
ia us nf fh.aO OF c.sGl
fast, and 1t now grasped the body Of the bear
with Its extended claws. Hanging in this con-
dltion. two attendants beat the animal upon its
head and body for two or three minutes before
1t would relax the iron grip of its jaws and sui
leLly retreat to a corner OF the cage. The bear
was dead from the moment those jaws we're fast
This exhibition throws some new light on
the strength and temper Of this fiercest of all
the North American carniyoras. The hunters
call 1t cowardly, never inclined to attack man il
chance for escape is open. Its long snaky body
and small head do not indicate great muscular
force. But many tales have come down from
the early settlers OF the slaughter by this animal
OF full-grown horses and cattle, and often
attacks upon man. Fenimore Cooper's descrip-
tons are well sustained by these stories which,
however, are usually regarded by naturalists as
legendary.
The habit OF all the cats to grasp their prey
by the neck is well known. After the exhibi-
ton OF this morning, after witnessing the fierce
tenacity of the grip of this animals jaws
think no one could doubt that that grip would
be fatal TO man or to any domestic animal. The
ordinary appearance of the felis concolor is
gentle. This one seemed 10 be transformed.
fight between full-grown tigers is a rough
and very noisy battle Madame Concolor
wasted no strength of voice She did not even
growl. But the embrace of the boa constructor
was not closer than that of her four limbs with
those white hooked claws sunk in the bear 8
body. and the muscular force which held the
jaws IN that fierce grip could not be overcome
by any power which did not, through the sense
of pain, cause their voluntary relaxation"