The Globe-republican., 1891-02-11
A BEARS TOE-NAlLS.
They Have to be Trimmed to Prevent
Them from Growing In.

They Have to be Trimmed to Prevent
Them from Growing In.
One of the difficulties which the keep
ers of certain wild animals in museums
and other collections have to contend
with is the tendency of the claws to
grow into the flesh, in the absence of
the wear and tear which they receive in
the animals wild state. A wild bear,
for instance, uses his claws so much in
climbing that they are not only kept
sharp for use, but are worn down to a
proper length. Domestic cats know the
necessity of this process; and may often
be seen scratching vigorously on the
bark of tree for no other purpose
than to keep down their claws.
Recently, in the Museum Of Natural
History in the Paris Jardin des Plantes.
it became necessary thus to trim the
claws Of young bear OF great strength.
cunning and Feasibility. The animal
would not permit himself to be touched.
Strategy was resorted to. The cages
of the museum communicate one with
another by means of trap-doors. In the
cage next to the one occupied by the
bear, movable partition was arranged
in such way that the moment the bear
entered the cage the partition could be
moved down upon him. fastening him
between it and the bars of the cage.
Everything being ready, the sliding
door between the cages was opened.
and the bear invited to step into the adj
joining apartment. This he decliued to
do. He plainly suspected something.
and remained on his own side of the
door, eying his keepers doubtfully.
Then upon the floor of the adjoining
cage. on the spot where the treacherous
machine was arranged to catch him,
was thrown delicacy of which the
bear is passionately fond-some dried
figs The bear eyed these deliberately
for some time, and then. stretching his
aw to an almost incredible length,
seized the figs deity. and drew them
through the open door to his own side.
where he munched them with satisfied
air. nodding slyly to his keepers as he
did so.
Having exhausted persuasion, the
keepers tried force, endeavoring to in
duce the bear to go through the door by
punching him with poles: but these
weapons he hurled about the cage and
through the bars with such violence
that the men were glad to abandon this
procedure.
Then rope was brought. and. after
many efforts, a knot was thrown over
the bears head. and drawn about his
neck. Thus lassoed. the unfortunate
animal was dragged by main force
through the door, and the mechanical
partition closed upon him.
The next thing was to get hold of his
feet. Although held fast in the parti-
ton. with his feet in the air. the bear
made such excellent use of his paws
that an hour was spent in trying to
pinion him. Several times three strong
men found themselves unable to hold
even one paw, and when a dozen men
had at last succeeded in getting all the
animals paws within their grasp, he
kept them moving so necessarily that it
was impossible to cut the claws.
One by one, however, the legs were
pinioned with ropes, and the plucky
bear lay completely mastered at last.
Then an operator. armed with great
pair of sharp pincers, clipped off his toe
nails, one by one. The ropes were I'M
tied. the men withrew, and the bear
was freed from his wise.
He rose calmly. walked very quietly
into his own cage, and sat down to
watch curiously the queer movements
of the men outside, who were hopping
their sweaty brows after as hard half
days work as they had done for long
tine.-Youth's Companion.