The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-12
HOW WILD ANIMALS SLEEP.
Their Habits studied at Night in n
MennEerie.

From the New York Evening Post
The students of animals in search of in
formation concerning the habits of wild
beasts might travel around the globe be-
fore finding better opportunities to study
the fierce creatures of jungle and prairie
than right here in the heart of New York.
1t might be argued in defense of the
dangers courted by the naturalist who
seeks the wild animals in their natural
haunts that the creatures are never the
same in captivity, and the data derived
from close observation of a menagerie of
animals would hardly apply to the wild
creatures in their natural habitat; but
the study of the animals in captivity fur
nishes a great deal of information.
When night falls the inhabitants of the
woods and jungles undergo a change. The
great night providers yawn and stretch
their limbs and emit howls and screeches
that startle the echoes of the forest. The
shy timid creatures huddle closer to-
gether on the tree limbs or burrow in
their holes in the ground or rotten tree
trunk to hide from their natural enemies.
They know from instinct and experience
that the great animal hunters are abroad,
and from the intense darkness of the
woods great hulkirg form may at any
moment dart forth upon them. SO these
timid little animals and birds huddle to-
gether and sleep with one eye open. L
would be counting danger to slumber 9TH
erwise, and scarcely can a twig snap or
a leaf fail from the tree without attract
ing their attention.
In captivity these peculiar characters
tics of the wild animals and birds are NOT
entirely lost. In fact, some of them are
so fixed in the very nature of the crea-
lures that they are handed down for sew
eral generations to those born in captiv-
ity 1t is undoubtedly true that contin-
ued captivity gradually blunts and dulls
the keen instincts and hunting and fight
ing intelligence of the wild forest inhab-
itants. The power with which the crea-
lures resist this leveling influence of cap
tivity is much greater in some cases than
in others, and it would seem as if they
would never grow accustomed to their
new kind of life or lose the keen senses
which nature gave to them.
Instincts Asserted at Night.
This difference in the animals is particu-
larly noticeable in the creatures of the
Central Park menagerie or at the Bronx
Geological Garden. Because of the more
confined quarters of the former there is
better opportunity to study the animals
at night time. Then it is that primal in
stncts assert themselves. Oftentimes the
new captive which remained dull and dor
mant through The quiet hours of the day
will rouse itself and become as bold, dar-
ing and crafty in the dark The staring
crowds of Hisitors through the long dav
intimidated 1t. but now. under the shell
tering darkness of night IL becomes again
the ferocious beast of prey. and with the
odor of other animals filling the mena-
gerie its hunting spirit becomes dominant.
For a long time IL may lay stretched on
the bottom of the cage, with ears and
eyes alert, watching and listening, eager
ly for strange sounds or noises Many
times a new occupant of abe menagerie
has made the nights hideous for weeks
ut time by its outcries and restless
walking up and down.
Great care is taken both at the Zoo
and the park menagerie not to brighten
the animals after dark, and all spectators
are turned away before shutdown. Then
the animals are given their evening meal,
and this induces them to go to sleep peace
fully. Just now while i'm their winter
quarters the animals retire early. Ii is
dark in the menagerie houses by $50. and
by most of the creatures have finished
their evening meals, and are spread out
for their nights rest. All is quiet in the
great cages The lions and tigers stretch
themselves out fiat on their cage floors.
showing the same indifference to danger
that they do in the jungle. and theig
slumbers are usually heavy and peaceful
Recently an attempt was made to cake
hash-light pictures of the sleeping animals
in the menagere, and the sudden flash
of light so disturbed them that in a few
minutes half of them were roaring or
screeching in their cages. The lions and
tigers alone seemed to sleep through the
tumult, apparently unmindful or uncon-
scious of the whole noise. There is moth
ing odd or peculiar about the sleep Of the
tigers or lions, and even in the day time
they may frequently be found slumber-
ing in their cages.
Hears Heavy SIeepcrs.
The bears are also heavy sleopers. but
they are less disposed to seek slumber IN
the day time although occasionally they
will curl up and rest. The big grizzly
bears In the outside cages IN the park
Invariably curl up under the rocks which
supply them with the only resemblance
to q cave Sometimes they crawl up 30
the very top Of the rocks. and with frcu
p."H spread around the Iron cage bears
go to sleep 90 what seems an uncomfor-
table and perilous position. But bears
never relax their muscular grasp OF any