New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-08
THE KEEPER OF THE LIONS!
FORTY YEARS SPENT AMONG THW
CREATURES AT THE zoo.
From The Spectator.

CREATURES AT THE zoo.
From The Spectator.
Sutton the head keeper OF the lIon-house at the
Geological Gardens and very old servant OF the
society," has this week retired with pension Ne
had been employed for than forty years main"
~ the OF the great carnivora first as keeper
Of the bears but for the greater part OF his life IN
the daily management OF the large feda. Like
many OF the Zoo keepers. he was an East Anglican
accustomed when boy to the care OF domesuo
animals; but he had acquired unconsciously man.
ner' which was specially acceptable to the huge
cats among which he moved He quiet, de-
liberate and almost slow, never making SUDDEN
movement a loud noise. The animals were never
hurried or forced to move II not inclined to 90 co.
which no cat II II be tiger ever forgivess
and they left to grow tame at their own gooo
pleasure In the passage behind the dens ne re-
ce,yed new arrivals nursed the SICK prepared the
food and controlled the transfer OF some thirty
lions leopards, tigers and jaguars from day "a
night cages, and from both to the outdoor runs Id
summer.
New animals always a source OF trouble andI
anxiety Every one who keeps has once kept tame
animals knows the uncertainty and frequent disap-'
pointment which attend the first arrival ana IN"
spection OF those which have come from distance
Shaken. frightened suffering from want OF waterS
with broken feathers soied fur, they show the
III effects OF travelling even for twenty-four hours
by rail or water. But in the case OF the smaiier7
animals kept as pets 1t may safely be assumedi
that they were at least dispatched on their journey
In good condition. When the animal Is one OF the
large carnvora-perhaps tiger from some Aalayan
rajah, or a halfgrow lion from Somaliland-tnere
Is no means of knowing whether. previous 10 III
being shipped It has been half-starved or overfed.
Possibly it has undergone both forms OF treatment.
The sea voyage usually improves their condition.
the sailors being always kind to animals ana In u
measure assisting to tame them before thelr ape
pearance at the Zoo But in most cases the tenn
mat
OF speculation until the van drives up and deposits
the big box In which the creature has been proughe
from the docks Very few are ready TO appear M
public once; those which are obviously III anu
exhausted sometimes undergo treatment Tor eeVeraA
months before being exhibited in the front cages
Sutton was an untirng and successful nurse ana
doctor Of such sick and travel-worn beasts. !
Some years ago n young tiger arrived from inc
back regions OF China. This animal should nave
shown the fine proportions and long. furry coat for
which the Northern tiger is famous Instead 1t was
a mere caricature Of a tiger. 1t had been hal1-
starved for months before delivery at the coast
Having been captured just at the time wheh q
tiger cub begins to grow the result OF THIS li-teae'
ment was that while its head had increased 10 the
normal size Of hafgrown tigers. Its body was nc
larger than that OF small retriever; It's iimps
were bent and its whole frame stunted ana unos-
velopel Its whole appearance suggested the necesJ
Tigers in the Northern . provinces eso Of an animal rs
point only in the keepers favor In spite OF s s.
reament the tigers temper not aha a;s the tames
Of It's species kept at the ZoS J., II could gsS6 oS
fSr be Keepers by purfng loudly as soon it SAW
or even heard them -, ~.
Ta p business Sst So V veil ne It's poor
ard its jaws too weak to crack large bones It waa
dust. the latter being added material for build1
ing up its frame The tiger soon began S 20
effects of early neglect appeared This commony
the Of loss q fur the haf sscs ps
that on its head ana face DgITs ss an @e the uss
o 1Sp SULPHUR as cosmetic its coat was restored.
and il was at last exhibited. fairly grown. with q
FqS 'o or as sS monh as 3 IT, h Time
incurabe internal disease and died, mucn 10 SUI:
tons regret WHO VINO ; Always declared '"A'
1t always appeared to the writer that ne r eaSs
While ali The ionesses ieopards and most
area we with hs han nd and eopards
snow eopards. very seldom but some OF the tigers
him Exactly as II they were domesticated ANIMALS
Bears he always became ,sou unsafe a,s to-
tame and friendly when cubs Polar bears the
other hand he Locked bike b @pGn knd Of ncS.Ss
levity which makes them absolutely without respece
or fear for man. even when they are kept in captiv-
An animal which has recovered from the bad ELS
Zoo may be considered acclimatized to its peculiar
surroundings and lives In comfort the rest OF ~
life make special treatment necessary The ingenu-
ity by which these mishaps are remeded often shows
considerable observation and knowledge OF the AMI
mails habits on the part of their keepers. One q
the most poisonous snakes. king COBRA recently
became nearly blind. When It shed its skin 1t threw
of part EXCEPT the scb snse q pax skin this
plate remained uncast. and the successive layers
became Opaque and projected over me eye , IN q
creeping nDrs S0 through any aperture which md
the wall OF its cage g make II rld user OF .ue
/ fer
other leaving narrow space open. ,. a.
The cobra soon discovered this and 2Ssseed and
nose into the crack This was slightly wideneo. enu
the snake squeezed through rubbing or one OF ny
scales as II Did so. 1t then induced 70 -
by the way 1t had come anu the scale from the
other eye Since then 1t has cast i.s @ nrsn Sor
" and its eyes are apparess Snakes naturally drag
themselves through rough grass anu t,a v, snS hs
rid OF the Old skin which clinss 70 mem N"u n.t
Keepe nsa,ents with most other serpents II WOULD
- hean easy to catch the creature ana renovv
the growth; but the king COBRA was 100 'e"0'"ou'
10 b he e Of the largest python at the Zoe has Sesn
prolonged by smlar ai tSer Snlimed powers Of
wSc recsny led aSso,IOn Of one boa con:
langndd ssi 10 'aHg pigeon but refuse to ~
meal being 1or St destined to die OF SLOW
sarva,on Its keeper. however tried the expert.
ment OF pushing dead duck into ts mouth oerorss
the pseHn ha his he pushed in another and con
timed The process until 1t had made sound meal
Inns mas whose digestion has survived though Its
hover OF SELLING its prey has partly failed has In
greatly nr sSs ana ssence he,.
dtons we have no means OF judging.
VALUABLE CONSTITUENT