The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-05
TWO BUFFALOES FIGHT
FIERCE STRUGGLE FOR LEADER
SHIP IN THE NEW YORK. ZOO.
Antonio Gored by Brown Beauty,
Keepers Held at Bay.

NEW YORK. Sept. 4-In the presence Of
a thousand spectators two bull buffaloes-
Brown Beauty and Acknowledgment a lord
~ battle in the range Of the Geological
Park in the Bronx yesterday. Antonio fell
desperately wounded. and Brown Beauty
is king of the herd. 1t was a struggle Of
the giants, and while IT lasted the other
buffaloes, with one exception. stood at a
respectful distance TO watch the combat.
The exception was Bonita, the mate Of
Brown Beauty. Fearing for her lord and
master, she tried to aid him in the fight,
but he did not need her assistance.
To those who know the ways Of the buff
falo this struggle was not unexpected. In
the park are two full-grown buffalOes and
two calves. Their range is in the south
eastern part of the geological garden.
Among the buffaloes. as among all the an
Imal families, there is one king. Brown
Beauty has been king, but Antonio aspired
TO the throne.
Nearly all the buffaloes were obtained
from Buffalo JONES'" an animal dealer
who makes his headquarters at Oklahoma,
and is known from the Rio Grande to the
Platte. Brown Beauty and Antonio have
been In captivity two years. Until recent
ly there was no dispute in the herd as TO
the leadership. Antonio of late has shown
a spirit OF impatience and aggTessiveness
he never displayed before. There have been
grumblings and low bellOwings in the buff
faIio herd for the last two weeks-the
thunder before the ~storm-and the COWS
and the calves have been uneasy and fret
ful, for they knew what the sounds por-
tended.
Keepers have been watchful, but the
trouble was so long in developing that they
were misled. They thought the two big
bulls would continue to growl menacingly,
and never go beyond that. 1t was not until
to-day that Brown Beauty was angered
beyOn endurance. He had surrendered the
choicest grazing ground to the aspirant for
the kingship. had answered challenges with
disdain and had avoided as well as he could
the presence of his rival, but the gauge or
battle was thrown down when Antonio
sought to drive the leader away from Bo-
nita. Then Brown Beauty realized ne had
10 fight or resign his title.
1t was at ? O'Clock in the afternoon that
the encounter began. The two bulls, mas
sive, shaggy monsters. believing their de-
fance with all the energy theiE great lungs
permitted, withdrew from the herd, and,
with tails flirting, heads bobbing and sides
heaving, eantered to an elevated plain
ing the earth until they had raised clouds
of dust they charged. The sound of the
crash as the two big bulls came together
could be heard a long distance. Their
horns locked, and they bent their great
backs in the mighty effort to force each
OtnGF DdCk q Btl du ODtullE lOI dllOlutI
move. The believing of the bulls as they
struggled was heard a half mile away.
The other animals took up the cry, and the
park resounded with the growls of the
While the buffaIoes were struggling
Keepers Mulvihill and McEnroe got long
pixies, and, jumping into the Enclosure, ran
TO separate the combatants. The bulls
were too intent upOp their own affairs to
pay any attention to the proddings from
the keepers, but the move of the two men
seemed TO be considered by Bonita as det-
rimental to Brown Beauty, and she dashed
out from the herd and made for the plateau
to join in the strife Both keepers had to
abandOn the effort to separate the bulls
and turn their attention TO Bonita. Re-
luctantiy and with many attempts to evade
them, she was forced back.
While the keepers were thus engaged
there came a sudden turn in the tide of
battle between the bulls. The two big
fellows had backed from each other and
prepared for a charge. Brown Beauty was
the more agile. Antonio was blowing hard.
BY a quick turn of his head Brown Beauty
impaled his rival, one of his horns entering
AntOnOis's side and sinking deep. Slowly but
steadily Antonio was forced back. Then,
weak and suffering, he fell. AS Brown
Beauty drew off to charge again Antonio
wheeled and met his enemy bravely, but
the force of the others weight knocked the
ounde bull down. He rolled over, not
once alone, but twice. He had been driven
10 the edge of a declivity, and as he rolled
the second time he tumbled down in the
dust and dirt below. Brown Beauty was
king.
Out of the mouth of the victorious bull
a great below of triumph proclaimed the
end of the combat. Then he paved the
earth again and seemed 10 look for other
rivals who might care to engage him in
battle. The crowd of men and women with
out the inclOsure cheered. They had seer
q struggle of giants. Antonio suffers from
a wound twelve inches deep and three and
one-half inches in diameter. Every care
will be given him. and it is expected that
he will recover.