The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-04
BALLOONS AND THE BOA.
Fierce Battle In n Geological Gar
den.

den.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
Two big balloons in the zoo made things
very warm for the keepers, or the specta-
tors and, incidentally, an anaconda. The
services of the reptile, the natural enemy
of the baboon, were employed to conquer
the animals and make them retreat into
their cage. For a time It looked as II a
fight to a finish would be fought.
The baooons are of the so-called ursine
variety. They are extremely ugly. In APP
pearance, suggesting a creature that might
be a cross between a dog and pig. They
are quite ferocious, and very sensitive to
surrounding conditions, being easily ex-
cited.
on this day a thunderstorm excited
them, while hundreds of people were
watching them. The male baboon, VINO
is as big as a full-grown mastiff, and who
has whiskers all around his face, struck
again and again at the women standing
near the cage, while the female turned
her attention to the men. On one Of these
fstic sorties Mr.. Baboon tore a womans
hat off, seizing II by an incredibly swift
movement. man got his nose pulled by
madame, and another lost his gold headed
cane, which he was pointing at the lady
from South Africa.
A little while later the keeper appeared
TO put the balloons to bed-that is, to open
the trap-door connecting the day cage
with the well-heated inner apartment,
where the animals sleep on mattresses
and under flannel quilts like the more
fortunate among their human cousins.
But Mr. and Mrs. Baboon did not see
It that way. They refused to go and ex-
hibited their teeth to the keeper and
threatened him by repeated lunges Of their
long arms pushed between the bars. The
keeper tried all means of kindly persua-
sion. He placed beautiful bananas-a
great luxury in Vienna-near the trap
door, hoping that the apes, after picking
them up, would condescend to enter their
sleeping apartment They gathered I'm the
fruit and retired to the highest branch Of
the tree that stands in the middle OF the
cage
The keeper then prodded the animals
with long stats, but the male baboon seiz-
ed one Of them, smashed 1t into kindling
wood, and discharged the iron point at the
Keepers head. Next pitch torches were
tried. Balloons, as a general thing, are
afraid of fire, but In their excited state
they did not mind the yellow flames and
black smoke
The keeper, becoming desperate, now
bethought himself Of an extraordinary
method. Knowing well the fear all mon
keys and apes display IN the presence of
snakes, he brought in his largest boa con-
strictor. Il will only have to show that
to the baboons,' he said ITO drive them
into their bedroom" The director entered
the monkey house. which Is a cage Of
about twenty cubic feet, furnished as
stated, with a many-branched tree, a wa
ter basin, and blocks of wood that serve
as seats. The boa, which he carried on
his shoulder and arm, is native Of Bra
I'll and nearly thirteen feet long. It's head
is thick and IL has peculiarly shaped
tail, with a claw attachment by which 1t
can hold the stump or the branches of a
tree as In a wise.
When the director entered the cage the
apes jumped from the tree and made a
! Joint attempt TO tear down the iron bars.
Some of the latter were actually bent and
! loosened, top and bottom. But, becoming
| aware that they were wasting their
strength, the balloons returned to the tree
and bombarded the director and his assist
ants with nuts, eggs and stones. which
they hshed from their capacious cheek
/ pouches.
Then the director tried to set loose the
/ snake, but the boa turned upon him and
bit him ia the cheek five Of it's long teeth
piercing the flesh and bone. A second
| later the keeper, who ran to his masters
assistance, was bitten through the calf Of
! the leg. These bites are not fatal, as the
| boa has no poisonous fangs.
The balloons no sooner caught sight Of
| their hereditary enemy than their previous
! excitement increased to frenzy. Their
! hows were terrible to hear. They tore
| through the cage like a whirlwind. making
/ tremendous jumps or running with indie
! scribable swiftness. Now they were hang
| ing by one arm from the top Of the cage.
fss.I