The morning news., 1897-08-29
BRUlN A BIG COWARD.
WILL NOT FIGHT FOR HIS OFF
SPRING If HE CAN HELP 1T,

How Specimens for the Washington
Zoo Are Captured in the Yellow
stone Park-BcarS That Are Pol
trOOns-Other Game More PIucky.
Lake Hotel, Yellowstone Park Aug. %.
"A large number Of the North American
wild animals to be seen in the Ma
tional Geological garden in Washington,
d. c., came from the Yellowstone park
Almost every winter additional animals
and various birds are sent there to en-
large the Zoo or take the places of those
which have died in captivity The ami
mails and birds are caught during the
summer, and after the park season closes
crates are made and into these they are
placed and shipped east in special
freight car with an attendant
This year will prove no exception to the
general rule. and some time late this fau
or during the early winter, a large con-
signment of birds and animals will be
shipped to Washington. The car this
year will contain not less than six bears,
Eve elks, about a dozen pelicans and some
swan. With few exceptions these animals
and birds are young ones, having been
caught when they had not the power or
intelligence to prevent their capture The
various ones were caught in different
manners, and the means of capture are
more or less interesting, especially to
easterners, who believe almost everything
concerning the ferociousness or timidity
of western animals. The modes OF cap
ture of the bear cubs are especially inter-
esting, and on account of their popularity,
will probably be disbeleved by many.
There are now six bear cubs awaiting
to be sent to the geological garden. Three
are at the Lake hotel, two at the Fountain
hotel, and one at the Upper Geyser basin.
There were two at the latter place, but
one succeeded in getting away, and is
now enjoying his liberty. The cubs at
the LAKE are brown fellows, a male and
female They were found wandering in
the woods near the hotel one day, and
were freed. with their mother, by two
men. When they reached the top of the
tree, which was a small one and hardly
strong enough to sustain their weight,
one of the men climbed an adjoining tree,
and by the means of a long pole, COM
PEELED the mother bear to climb down by
JdDDiUS AlCI III illt SUES WIN LlAt SNlCh
She offered no resistance, and was soon
scampering away in the forest, leaving
her two-months-old offspring to whatever
fate might be in store for them.
Right here 1t might be interesting to
state that a mother bear will not fight for
her young, as will a cat dog, or even
sparrow; and at no time unless wounded,
will she. or a male, evince any desire
to fight. This is contrary to the generally
accepted theory as to the ferociousness of
bruin, and the only exception to the rule
is the grizzly, and then only under GER
tain circumstances.
After the mother bear had disappeared
the men cut the tree off close TO the
ground, after having propped it up to pre-
vent 1t from falling. After the tree had
been cut. it was carried in an upright
position TO the hotel, where the bears
We're secured by ropes being placed around
their necks. The little fellows did not
offer much resistance. but cried continu-
ously. After they had been chained to
upright posts, close enough together to
allow them to play, their mother paid
them several short visits.
The bears at the Fountain hotel, and
the Upper Gyser basin. were also cahght
up a tree. After the mother had been
driven away, a man climbed up. and aft
er considerable trouble, managed to place
the looped end of a rope around their
necks and in that manner one at a time.
lowered them to the ground. where stout
leather collars were buckled around their
necks and a chain fastened to them The
third bear at the Lake hotel Is pet of the
squad of soldiers stationed there He Is
a little black fellow, and one day while
the soldiers were away entered their tent
and made himself at home. He did NOT
run when the soldiers came back, but al
lowed himself TO be tied to "a post in
front of the tent He is unusually tame.
and seemingly takes considerable inter
est In everything which transpires around
him. He resembles a large dog, as he
sits out In front of the tent, and watches
the travel up and down the road few
feet away.
The five elks that are TO be sent 10
Washington this fan We're caught early
this spring by some Of Capt Anderson's
troopers. The snow was very deep. and
as they were very young. no trouble was
experienced in getting them Several of
them were too young TO eat ana had 60 be
brought up on bottles Of mix. with "a large
nipple attached. They are kept In a carroll
a short distance from the company's bar
racks south OF Capitol Hill al Mammoth
Hot Springs.
The pelcans ana swans now in captivity
az the Lake hotel are not an young birds
They were caught in the same manner as
"a cowboy catches "a wild horse or steer. bv
the means Of a lariat. These birds abound
in large numbers on the shores OF Yellow
stone Lake. especially on the southern ond
OF lt Ia one Of the fingers or bays of the
lake o. Pelican Island. where the birds
hatch their young every year. Tho pclicans
and swans were caught by Robert Collins.
The pilot of the government boat which
plies fho waters OF the lake. SO ala not
80 ashore t0 catch the birds but ran the
boat up very close 90 che island A. Do
drew near tho ilrFcr birds took 30 the
water Ike Ho many sheep, tumblluE over
each other 10 gee AWAY. a. they swan
around In the water collins would iiaso
f1fm around ihrlf long rpcks. Dc BE- an ea-
port nt throwing che iariHt ana several
times he caught two of them uf one throw.
strange l' lf may acrm thi1 mode OF rau.
fHfr NufH mot break flr hIrIa neck thfr
Hrn1frhtF being Fey aif0nr