The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-16
sKoRN t:F THEIR HoRMs.
An Operation Necessary to Render Vicious
Young Buck Deer Harmless,

Young Guck Deer Harmless.
Five vigorous young buck deer at the
ZOO are harmless as ii result Of operations
with lasso and meat saw by Director Smith
and his six assistants. Bucks with horns.
hard horns, are dangerous to the lives OF
their mates, their keepers and themselves.
Everything about them in their quarters
shows the effect of rough usage. even the
trees, fences and ground. All the trees in
the inclosurc have to be protected by iron
ratings. Otherwise their lives would be
torn out by the wicked deer.
Ordinarily bucks horns are allowed to
grow until nature sheds them. If the ami
mails are of particularly good disposition,
this is allowable. But in most cases they
become vicious as soon as the velvet has
dried and worn off their antlers, and they
become dangerous.
The first thing necessary in relieving a
buck of its horns is to catch the buck. LII
an Enclosure a lasso is resorted to, and only
by those quick with the eye and leg. All
the keepers went to the two fallow deer
paddocks armed with lassos. Some were
as efficient as cowboys. Others resorted to
Che dodge act, getting behind trees as the
bucks dashed for them. full of fight, stamp.
ing their feet in righteous rage.
Five beautiful fallow deer occupied the
north paddock. One was so fat that the
director hestated about catching it. But
as it was the worst of the lot it had to I'M
dergo the operation. So much for bad
disposition.
Keeper Snyder laid his plans for that one
first The buck, with lowered head and
distorted nostrils, charged the keeper. Sny-
der lodged and swung his lariat. 1t missed
and fell on the animals back. Another
dash, this time for the other keepers. All
got out of the way. One more swing by
Snyder, and the loop fell over the buck s
horns A tug-of-war resulted, Keepers Sny-
der, Holmes, Warren and Cook on one end
Of the rope and the buck on the other.
Slowly the buck was drawn up to tree
until its antlers went around both sides.
Snyder and Warren then seized it's legs, and
as the animal jumped back threw it. All
four of its legs were tied underneath, as
calf is treated on going to market in farm
buggy. The bucks struggles were fearful,
and thin coating of blood and froth ap-
peared at its nostrils. After being secured
Keeper Shannon produced common meat
saw, and in two minutes the noble animal
had been shorn of It's adornments.
1t was so weak when released that after q
couple of terrific bounds it landed fiat on
the ground and painted and heayed. While
it was recovering the others underwent the
same operation. Invariably whenever a
lasso was thrown the animals bounded in
to the air six feet, and the moose fell short.
Three Thousand spectators saw the battle
and cheered the men on.
In one Of the bucks charges Keeper
Holmes knee was badly bruised by blow
from the animals hoofs. If the blow had
been square. his leg might have been bro
ken. When released, the, bucks bounded
away to the iron fence. their heads striking
it 10 feet above the ground, only to fall
and recover themselves for another charge.
One got his head between the bars, and
it being tight fit the whole fence shook
as it tugged and jerked. 1t seemed as if it
would break its neck. Instead, the iron
bars, an inch in diameter, bent aside and
allowed the head to escape Another buck
charged with such abandon that it's nose
bled
The first one clipped was in a bad way
for some time. The keepers had to carry
it into the house, where it lay fainting and
unable to rise Mr.. Smith said the fat had
accumulated to such an extent about the
animals heart that the action of that organ
was materially affected, and as in the case
of an overfat person great excitement was
liable to produce heart failure.-New York
World