The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-10

and was helped home The elepbanrs
tusks had just fitted me, grazing nv sl+,n
on each side, but not even tering t5s
flesh.
But 1 had, perhaps. more uncomfor-
table time with giraffe. We We're NM
ting it on board at Suez, and several ne.
tives, my brother and myself had hold ~
1t with ropes. Suddenly it bolted ,Tba
others dropped their ropes, but had min
around me and could not let go. The si-
rafle tore along, pulling me after it. ami
It's quick locomotion made me 90 with oil
ants strides, twelve or thirteen feet COS
There was great pile of broken borrles
on our way, and over it went the giraffe
tearing my face and clothes with the glass
Then it turned around and rushed bacl[
through Suez again AT last, breathless
bruised torn, managed to drop off. For
few minutes lay still trying to recover
my wind. When l opened my eyes I saw
the giraffe standing quietly bv me So
curely tied. 1t had come to a standS,fu
when 1 dropped off, and little naked
black boy, who was just by, had GOT bold
of the loose rope and tangled it round the
telegraph pole, so that the bird was nron-
erly caught.
There was one adventure with snake
that still makes me hot and cold when
recall it. A case of rattlesnakes came n D..
me, and, noticing an unpleasant smell +
put my arms over my face for shade and
peered into the case l saw that there
was dead snake there Just then ona
OF the rattlers jumped up and threw itself
against the iron bars in an endeavor to
get at me, splitting in its rage l took no
more notice of it at the time. bur nevt
morning my wife drew my attention 90 the
sleeve of my coat. The sleeve was GOV,
cred with a great patch of greenish stain
the green crystals glistening on it. II
was a hot summer, and my face was COW
cred with heat eruption. Had a little
IF hiey
eVltabiy have died the most horrible of all
Deaths '
While talking, we were walking about
the garden, Mr.. Hagenbeck showing ma
his treasures. Here was a twenty-foor
snake, with an enormously thick BODY.
lying asleep. On the previous day il had
had quarrel with a fourteen-foot snake.
The fourteen-foOter was eating chicken.
which the tWenty-footer coveted Tba
fourteen-footer would not surrender ifs
meal, so the bigger snake calmly swat
lowed the smaller and the chicken too.
Now it was lying still, digesting its four
teen-foot meal. 1t was curious to learn
that of all animals there is none which
stands The extreme heat so well as the
polar bear. The bear delights to sun itself
all day in the hottest corner of its ward
and comes to no harm. Elephants. on
the other hand, if exposed to too great
heat, such as in the Red sea, often sicken
and die. Near a lake of sea lions was
special lake devoted 10 the only walr1ls
in captivity. In show menageries the sea
lion is usually passed off as a walrus. and
none but an expert can tell the differ
ence. Jenny" the walrus, If Mr.. Hag-
enbeck's special pet She comes clums-
lily out of the water when he calls her,
end Waddles up to him. She performs on
bells, and can summon attendants to give
her her meals Her food by the way is
costly item. She requires Is shlings'
n 10 hos G-l,
skin or bones. A walrus is too valuable
to be denied any dainty
You must find it more difficult TO get
your supplies of wild animals as oiviliza-
ton eXtends?" L suggested
Il do, for wild animals are decreasing
very rapidly, indeed. Variety after variety,
that twenty years ago was quite common,
is now utter gone or only few sp eli
mems are left The true mountain zebra,
that not long since could be found in large
hunters has now vanished Three South
African varieties of the zebra have disap-
peared within the last quarter of a century.
From the wild animal hunters point OF
view, South Africa is now quite spoiled.
Men have been so busy Strengthening mere
ly for The sake of slaughter that the great
beasts are becoming extinct Babies and
breeding females are shot down as indis-
criminately as bulls Englishmen are per-
maps the worst offenders in this matter
and in the English territories the least
provision is made for protecting the ami
mails. No one objects to hunters shooting
down all he bull elephants they can, but
what sport can there be in their slaughter
ing the cows and babies? This might be to
some degree stopped by regulation for
bidding trading in small ivory tusks I'M
der fifteen or twelve pounds in weight.
LAS a specimen of how animals are dis
appearing, take the Soudan. Before Nah
dism swept over it, ii was one Of our best
countries. Hppopotami, elephants. the
rhinoceros, were all obtained there In
abundance. We trained tribes for the
chase. Since the land has been reopened'
a trader, formerly my agent, has gone
there hoping to renew business. He writes
to me that the old hunting tribes gone
and that the great game have pracueahy
all disappeared. He has had his journey
for nothing"
Mr.. Bagenbeck is naturally keen on the
establishment of geological gardens. "Ihe
English are, of all people, the most iona
Of animals" he says, land, remembering
this it amazes me TO see how few Zoos
you possess. You have only fourTone III
London, one in Dublin, Bellevue in MAI
chester. and one at Bristol In Germany
alone there are at least sixteen good ZOOS,
and l am convinced that zoolog cal galnens
on the German plan, VII n concert houses
and music in the grounds. would meet WIN
much suec, IS in your country, II propelN
managed. l emphas re the need OF pIoPoI
management, for this is MT business
which you can take up solely to make INV
idends. You must love the animals auu
devote yourself to them, if you are 10 SUI
coed"