Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-17

Inc cages are large, ana although light
in appearance are exceedingly strong, as
they are made of the finest steel. Stumps
of large trees are being set up in them, SO
that the lions may delude themselves into
believing they have escaped into the prime
val forest If they see fit to do so. Trees
have been planted at the corners of the out
door homes of the lions and until they
have grown sufficiently to give protecting
shade awnings will be put over them each
summer. The lions now lie with their
faces against the bars of their cages with
in the house and inspect the work of build
ing their summer homes, which they
will be allowed to enter within few days.
Monkeys Have Fun.
Of all the animals of the Zoo none seem
to so greatly enjoy the comforts of a bath
as the monkeys. The prototypes of the
ancestors of their keepers are given tin
bath tubs and they sit about the edges of
these receptacles and splash water with
all the enjoyment of a small boy. Now
and then an unfortunate splash with result
in sending stI cam of water in the eye
of one of the monkeys and then there is
tussle which sometimes requires the inter-
ference of a keeper to prevent the injured
monkey from doing bodily harm to the
splssber of the water. But 1t is not often
that their rollicking fun in the tin bath
tubs has such a bad ending. and generally
they live In comparative harmony through
out the day, keeping cool by hundred
baths.
All the bears in the Zoo set a commenda-
bic example to the inhabitants within and
without the park. They take bath upon
rising In the morning, and they could not
be induced to touch food until their alb
lutionS have received proper attention.
AS at present arranged. one temperature
would not be exactly the proper one for
all the occupants of the house where car
niverous animals are quartered. Eventual
ly this condition will be corrected, and
animals requiring certain temperature
Will be kept in one apartment. Seventy
five or eighty degrees would be a COM
Portable temperature for small animals of
central and northern South America and
Africa, though lions and tigers do not
require temperature above 60 degrees.
In order to equalize matters an effort is
made to keep the house al a temperature
of IS or 40 degrees.
The Pride of the Zoo.
The pride of the Zoo is LobanguIa, the
twenty-two-months-old lion, who was
named for an African king, having been
captured when mere cub and brought to
this country. Lobangula, now a baby of
his kind in years, weighs about 400 pounds,
although the Oldest lion of the Zoo will
bear the scales but twenty-five pounds
more than that weight. Mr.. VIM. Black
burn, the head keeper, prides himself on
the fact that Lobangula will make the
finest specimen of lion in the world, as he
is now. considering his age. Lobangula
doesn't mind the heat at all, and rests
with apps rent supreme happiness on the
floor of his cage, viewing the progress on
his summer quarters, to which he will soon
have access 1t is thought he will weigh
over 600 pounds when he gets his full
growth.
A popularity of the bouncing baby lion
is the fact that he is an exceedingly small
eater, and this may account for his in
difference to the heat of his indoor cage.
He subsistS on five pounds of meat, in
Guiding the bone that usually goes with it,
per day, while the average amount re-
quired by lion of his size is twelve pounds
of meat. Notwithstanding his small appe-
tite, Lobangula is the latest and slickest
lion of the Zoo.
While the animals of the Zoo have not
suffered greatly from the heat during the
present summer, they will have a cooler
summer home as the years pass by. Album
dant shade trees have been placed at most
convenient places through the park, and
when these have their growth the comfort
OF the park in hot weather will be greatly
added to. AS it is the mornings and even
ings are nearly always comfortably cool
temperature that is trying to man and
beast
But even though the animals should suf-
fer from the heat that fact would not
worry the keepers. Deaths from severe
eat are rot common among the animals
The spring and the fall are the dangerous
periods for them. When the nights are
members Of the race of dumb brutes are
s pit to become sick. But the animals of the
Zoo havs found in the District of Columbia
a very healthy home, for valuable speci-
men has yet died, and all Of them are in a
healthy condition.