The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-08-11
RATS AND RHINOCEROs.
RODENTS MAKE TROUBLE IN
THE NEW YORK ZOO.
fieces Eaten Out of sssmile's" Body Dur
ing Her sicknessA Colony Of
Rats That Give the Keeper
No End of Trouble.

No End of Trouble.
For many years the Central Park
me'nagerie has been overrun with rats
not the inoffensive household arti.
Gle but the big bold. gray rat that
lnhablts the warehouse and the wharf.
some OF which are larger than full
grown gray squirrels. They came as
soon as the zoo was established years
ago. states the New York World, and
alter the present carnivora was fin
ls s ten years ago they took possess
sion. burrowing deep in the ground
beneath the building like SO many
rabbits.
For long time after the building
was finished Director Conklin tr. ed
every means in his power to get rid Of
the pests, but had to give up the Job.
They burrowed deeper. multiplied
faster than rabbits and now, after
years OF undisturbed dome sticity. they
number thousands and thousands
The carnivora has been their camp
ing ground. for SO long that the wood
work and flooring is honey combed
with their tunneling. Two-inc
planking and portions of the floor
beams are perforated by thousands of
circular holes Rats love fresh meat
the sight and smell of which sets
them crazy. As all the animals in
the carnivora are fed on raw meat,
this explains the presence of the rats
IN such great numbers. After the
building has been closed for the night
they swarm forth. seeking bits of
meat to eat and bones to gnaw. They
annoy the animals too and some
times they have been known to at
tack the beasts and severely bite
them. sou =. .~- ~. =
At other times two or three of them
in single night have been crushed
by Caliph. the hippopotamus who in
going to bed throws himself upon the
hay where the rats take refuge. ).
Keeper Downey relates that there
is one old rata female, which has to
his knowledge been a resident there
for three years-that is an especial
friend of Caliph's and often clint s up
on the big fellows back and plays
about his body. Downey for mum
Der of months kept an air gun. and
each night he stayed at his post and
popped off hundreds of them. but this
warfare made no impression on their
number. 4.@. .a... r.. ..-.... a..-
i just previous to the removal Of
Smiles from the carnivora to the ele.
plant house it was noticed that she
had been bitten all over her body.
Her ears were nibbled and scalloped
until they resembled the edges of old
fashioned pie crust. Her legs and
body were covered with scars and
sores. Several mornings the keepers
found dead rats under her body.
One night Keeper Downey set a
watch on the animal. She was sore
!. and. stiff from a severe attack of rheu-
matism and could only move with
great difficulty and pain. Lying upon
her side, sick and feeble, she wasgan
easy prey to the blood-loving rats
Before Downey had been there ten
minutes he saw a horde of rats attack
Smiles. With broom he drove them
off but they returned a moment later
and renewed their attack
For an hour Downey worked with
out making any impression upon them.
Smiles struggled and groaned and
tried to get upon her feet to fight her
enemies off. They would not 90.
however, and as the keeper could not
remain with her night and day she
was an easy victim for week or
more. Then she began to improve,
and as she grew stronger she had the
strength to repel the attacks of the
rats. -
When she was moved, however
she was in such shape that Director
Smith had to use composition of
sulphate of zinc and sugar of lead,
which was rubbed into her running
sores and raw spots. Since her removal
her improvement has been marked.
There are no rats in the elephant
house because the animals are all
hay eaters and there is nothing to
draw them. Smiles sore spots are
healing fast but she looks as much
like half and half zebra as
rhinoceros.
When Conklin was a director he
had a sick alligator on his handsome
of the large ones. Alligators naturally
are sluggish but when they are sick
they are perfectly helpless. One
morning when the carnivora was
opened the sick alligator was found
dead. with his stomach all eaten away
by rats AS the alligator's stomach is
the tenderest portion Of its body, the
rats, besides liking fresh meat knew
exactly how and where to get it.
Men of Great Height.
Turner. the naturalist, declared