The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-10
SAMSON OF BIRDS
Marvellous Feats of Strength Per-
formed by q Captive Macaw.
The Athletic Bird Twists Iron Bars with
His Bill and in Various Other
Ways Displays HIS Won
derfni Powers.

They have lot of wonderful animals
at the Zoo, but the most wonderful
of all just now is a bird. He is
barred up behind three LAYERS OF
heavy wire mesh, such as is used
for coal sieves, and even this is hardly
enough to relieve constant feeling of
suspicion concerning him. The bird is
species OF the parrot known as the
macaw, and his native country is Bra
I'll. The warm breath of summer which
we have had several recent touches of
seems to have inspired him with a con-
hdence peculiar to any feature that
itself erects home, and the activity
Of some of his exploits has surprised
the keeper of the aviary as well as the
officials of the gardens who have never
had the opportunity of seeing the ma
cav on his native heath.
He has only been in this country a
short time, says the Philadelphia Tele-
graph, and until few days ago had
sole possession of one of the row of
cages along the eastern wall of the
eviary. In an adjoining cage were
flock OF talkative but peaceful cocla-
toos, with feathers as white as snow.
He observed them with comparative
Indifference for time, but few nights
ago he decided to make them neigh
borly call, and now the garden is one
cockatoo less in its group of specimens
OF winged creation. How it happened no
one knew until the next morning, when
when the macaw was found in the cock
atoo cage, sitting comfortably on a
perch, while beneath him lay a dead
cock in the pit. The other cockatoos
Kept themselves as far as possible out
Of sight in a corner. Three bars of
thick wire partition between the cages
had been pulled out to make way for
the macaw's exit Apparently this
might have been an easy thing for
man to do, but it is doubtful if a man
could have done it more neatly or COM
pletely.
The macaw was not put back in his
cage. He was given quarters in
private cage, stout portable Enclosure
about three feet square, with floor of
galvanized sheet iron, and iron bars as
thick as an ordinary lead pencil The
Oars were supported around the sides
with cross pieces, or stringers of thick
iron, so that their length was not over
SIX inches IN any part of the cage. 1t
was thought that the macaw was
pretty safe in that kind of cage, but
to make assurance doubly sure he was
placed in a small room in the corner of
the aviary and the door closed, which
proved a wise precaution. The next
morning the keeper of the aviary near
~ fell dead with paralysis to find the
nacaw at large, perched quietly on the
top Of feed box. The box was empty.
With his jaw dropped with conster-
nation the keeper, who had charge of
all the birds that ever came there in
the twenty years of the gardens exist
ence, stood and surveyed the scene. |
The bars on the heavy iron cage had |
not been pulled out as in the larger |
cage, but they had been bent and al |
most broken, leaving a space large |
enough for the macaw to make hiseXit.
How he did it is still a puzzle for the
Geological society to solve, if not !
puzzle for a good mechanical engineer !
familiar with the tensile and other |
properties of iron.
The keeper who found the bird first
felt the bars with his fingers TO see if
they had been made out of soft metal |
by mistake, but they were not. Then
he got a pair of plumbers plyers and
tried to bend them straight again, but
he had not force enough in his wrist to
do it. Then he sat down and wiped
the cold perspiration from his face and
looked at the macaw with a suspicion
that the bird must be supernatural,
while the bird sat as serenely as posi-
bic, calmly returning his gaze. The
macaw is silent bird. He does not
talk like other parrots.
The keeper secured the window and
doors and went for advice and assist
Bnce. The macaw is back in its cage
now, but the bars are still bent Just as
he left them, because there is not
pair of plyerS in the garden strong
enough TO straighten them. Around
the outside of the cage are the LAYERS
of the thick wire mesh of the kind
used to sieve coal, hiding the bird al
most completely from view, except at
one corner left open to feed him.
The macaw's feat Is the most aston
ishing thing that he's been seen in the
garden since it was founded. The bird
is nothing but a parrot of somewhat
size. being over two feet
in length, and having head on him
probably larger than a big Florida
orange and an enormous bill for bird. |
His plumage is dark and rather sub
dued in comparison with the smaller
parrots, but it is very handsome. Since
ne twisted the bars of his cage the
keepers are wary in handling him for
fear Ire will get his fighting blood M
and take mans finger on, which he is
capable of doing.
What viii be done with him has not
been determined yet. There was
to confne him in the new
bear pit, but il is probable that he will
be put in an outdoor cage for the sum
ner. where the bars are as thick as
hose used to conine the eagles and
The strength of his bill is
marvellous. =
Remarkable Shot.