The Portland daily press., 1900-02-27
FOOD FOR THE ANIMALS
(From the Baltimore SUM-

Catering to the tastes Of the animals
in the collection at the Zoo Is an art In
itsslf, and requires not Q little knowl-
edge Of natural history and the habits CT
the various animals In their native state.
Then, too, the general health of the ami
mails must be looked after and regulated
largely by their feeding. Those which
are customed In the wild state to n
large amount of exercise In for aging for
their meals must not receive too much
food, or they will get sick.
The oarnlvora, including the Hons,
pumss, lsopords. and jagrars. End the
vuituI % get their meat raw and freshly
killed, u but III + being on the premises
Horses. mules. and goats form their
fresh meat supply. Once or twice day
the animals are given fresh water 70
drink. The lions usually drink most s t
shutdown, just when they are awakening
trom their afternoon nap and are pre-
pared. in the wild state, to sally forth to
look for food.
Once q week, on Sunday, these meat.
eating animals ars given f. 81 day. This
10 to give their digestive organs rest
and IL said to keep them In good physical
condition.
The tesrs get cooked NEST and chopped
vegetables, also cooked, carrot, bsiug the
most tootsome dish for them. They are
fond Of fats. SO the greasy portions OF
meat are selected for thsm.
At intervals they era given dish OF
oatmeal we'll sweetened. The sloth bear,
unlike his fellows, gets his meat raw,
but IL 10 much bone and little meat, SO
that no has plenty OF time over bis feed
ing, and 10 not able to bolt his food.
The wolves also get cooked meat. as
the raw meat would be liable to give
them mango In captivity. The bysna
gets as his tidbi:s what the other animals
would reject,
The baby lions get milk and finely
chopped raw meat when they are learning
to take solid food. Lionesses when nurs-
ing their young also receive milk.
OF courss the elephant IL the biggest
feeder at the Zoo, but his diet 10 strictly
a vegstabiy one. Jolly gets hay by this
bale, tread In loaves, bran mash and
oats, with an occasional change nj diet
OF fruit and vsgst ables. This does not
take into account the peanuts, pop corn,
and candy which he voraciousiy devours
by the bushsl and pound as fast as visit
favorits changes of die. Is the green
boughs of tree In the Spring or sum-
mer when he can be led Gus into the
country. He gets but little grass.
The camsls get hay and grain, and ari
not partial 10 watsr drinking In cool
weather. They are Qua cheWers. Eonkoos
quagga, dcnkeys, antslopes, and ksnsa-
roos ges hay and bran, with . little grain
| at intervals.
In the Gage In which reside the "happy
family" q oouspc site dish 10 sst at feed
/ log time. From this each animal ssiscts
its tavorits food. The monkeys get vsgs
tables and fruits, with somstiuss diaf
Of boiled rios served with suva ar and riik
They like 9 drink Of warm milk In tins
morning. The Yaoocons In this Gag
select their pieces Of cooked meat iron
the general dish. Tnsy are fastioiou
eat srs, and If water Ia handy Will Wssl
| their meat bsfors eating 1t. The goat
take almost anything that 10 lsft In IN
| dish and then I'LL up on the shells OF pea
! nuts which have been fed TO the mon
keys.
Ths parrots are eontsnt with varietie
of seeds, including hemp aud sundower
and with whole corn.
When it comes to feeding the snake
DISCRIMINATION has to be used. First tn
snakes ara given bath In warm water,
which slm uiAsss than 10 activity In cool
weather. Then they arc ready for a inca
Of live rabbit or . young chicken or
pigeon, which IL killed and swailowe
whole. The snakes feed after sheddin
their skins, which In about once In thre
months.