Evening star., 1901-07-05
The5,Alnimalsatthe "a d Zoo Take Shower
sfrss snl7 Baths.
ARE KEPT fGooL AND COMFORTABLE
Humane Methods Of Keepers Pre-
II 80.
vent Death of the Brutes.
DIETET1C LAWS OBSERVED

III any one In washington, harried by the
reInorseless rays from that ancient and
honorable gentleman. popularity known as
Old SOL and the undulating waves of heat
ed ozone emanating from his Industrious
and overworked next of kin. CalOric As
phaltum. bankers after a refreshing sight
one calculated to induce comfort, cool
ness and consolation-let him or her take a
trip out to the Zoo during any Of the day
light hours Of these seething times and
witness the king buffalo. the majestic lion
or the queenly tiger take shower bath
every six minutes.
1t is good sight for overheated human
ity. To see the big. heavy. hot animals
revel under an inviting stream of cool
spray. chewing their cuds or wagging their
tails while grunting or roaring with con-
tentment. is vision that gladdens the hu-
man heart. No matter how overheated the
spectator may be. it Is an easily percepti-
BILE fact that the dumb brutes are enjoying
themselves, and their spirit OF gayety and
comfort. by some psychological process,
conveys itself to the onlooker.
Although the theometric conditions out at
the Zoo during the prevailing hot spell haze
been the same as those In the cfty-ln the
DAY time; at least-every arrangement mas
been made by the authorities there to pro-
vide for the comfort Of the imprisoned AMI
mails. Water, plenty Of water-water to
drink and water with which to bathe-ls
the keystone Of the system at the Zoo in
the matter OF keeping the animals cool. and
judging by their appearance and exuberant
spirits even upon the hottest Of days. the
method has been signally successful. I'M
mense shower baths have been provided for
all the animals whose welfare Is deemed to
require that refreshing institution. ana Dig,
deep. cooling pools have been stationed for
the other brutes where the purpose Is an
swered Just as we'll.
standpipes Emit a Spray.
Down among the buffaloes and among
the tigers and lions standpipes have been
erected emitting a spray Of cool water that
Is fairly consumed internally by the big
animals who dote on that means OF reducing
their temperature. while In the bear cages
there is a constant flop and splash OF the
brown. cinnamon, grizzly and polar pears
swimming. ducking. padding and splashins
about their stone bath tubs. 1t is a cooling
sight The animals enjoy it and 80 DO the
spectators and the keepers. With the ther-
mometer registering 1O4 degrees at the Zoo
last Monday, there was an appearance OF
comfort. on every side. and the shower
baths and the water basins were responsi-
ble. The keepers declare that II these means
Of supplying comfort were lacking the rate
of mortality among the animals would be
immense AS 1t Is, not an animal has dled
during the season. and there Is no indica-
ton that any will do so, at least from the
effects Of the heat.
Head Keeper Blackburn engineered Star
reporter about the park this morning and
showed him Just wherein the animals In
the Districts keeping are enjoying life a
great deal more than their more 1astidlous
but less practical superiOrs down town. Inc
Buffalo range was first visited In the cor
OF ha Incl
pendicular water pipes connected with nor.
ixontal pipes OF like size. at the END OF
which were attached big garden sprfnklers:
Out of these sprirklers shot two sprays OF
cool water, covering a radius Of fifteen feet
each and fairly deIugtng the shady ground
for that distance Ground. Grouped together
under these SPRAYS OF
wet but cool. and in blissful state OF
comfort
shower Bath Valuable.
1--WE have found the shower bath to be
most valuable Institution in our efforts to
Keep the animals cool during the hot
weather." said Mr.. Blackburn. as he looked
at the comfortable buffaloes standing un-
der the miniature rainfall. Take these
brutes here. for instance. They are greatly
harassed by the flies. Now, ordinarily. an
animal Of any kind will seek the coolness
Of the shade during the hot weather. but
not 80 with the buffalo. He stays In the
sun most Of the time; that Is to say. when
he hasn't got the advantage Of a shower
bath. The reason? Well, out in the sun
the flies are not so bad. They get over
heated there themselves. and stick as close
ly as possible to the shade. Therefore. IL
it were not for this shower bath. which
keeps the flies away to a certain extent. the
buffaloes would be obliged to spend all
their time during the day In the hot sun.
W 3lNya hnvs fhou fY.sv
as consequence.
But the most remarkable thng-at least
it may appear to be SO to the public-!S the
manner in which the polar bear conducts
himself during this hot weather. Look at
him and then get your moral: Don't wor-
~ about the polar bear All the ladies
VINO come out here want to know all about
the way this bear stands the heat. is 1t
possible for him to withstand the ravages
of this temperature when he has been so
accustomed to skating around on 10000
square miles Of ice all his life? is the ques-
ton. or at any rate the substance Of 1t.
they ask. Now, just look at that polar
bear and you can answer 1t your self
You see that his bearlets is enjoying him
self immensely. He wades around in his
bath tub for while and then lies down on
his little stone slab to rest. When the
water upon him dried he gets back
into his tub. He never pants like some Of
the other animals and he always looks
COOL He spends his time between the slab
and the tub. In fact. he enjoys life, ii
klow anything about bear life. and 1 think
I 20.
I'VE don't feed him upon ice; in fact, he
doesn't see chunk of ice once a year. But
he likes the life and is always in a good
humor.
Lucifer, the Grixxly.
Nov, by way of contrast. just take
look at that grizzly over there That is
Lucifer;' brute captured in a very wild
state oit in the Rockies. Look at the po-
sition he has assumed. He lies on his back
in the tfesr Of his cage. with his forelegs
stretched out,and his hind legs perched up
on thesbars spanting, grunting, growing
and snarling as though he were having a
very bad time of it. Look at him carefully
and sizs up his weight and strength He
weighs just go pounds. and on top Of that
half TIN Of flesh. bone and sinew he car
ries around coat OF brown wool as thick
as it can grow and fully two inches long.
Now there's q bear that has a hard time
In hot weather. Why. the polar bear amt
In it with him. The polar by comparison.
looks fast as comfortable as IL he were en-
gagged this fsl6ment in chewing salt water
Ice on his native heath In the vicinity of
the north. pole. The grizzly. on the con-
trary. 4SursrsH great deal. He has a habit.
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