The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-18
BRAVERY OF A BRONX APE.
SOKO or THE ZOO FORGETS HIS
OWN PERIL ~ HIS kEEPER'S.
When the Keepers Clothes Biszed Up in
Putting Out Burning straw the Ape
Rolled Him on the Floor Till the Fire
Was Out-(urator Ditmars Tells II.

When the Keepers Clothes Blazed Up In
Putting Out Burning straw the Ape
Rolled Him on the Floor TIL the Fire
Was Out-(urator Ditmars Tells II.
A six-foot chimpanzee saved one OF his
keepers from being burned to death In fire
in the monkey house in the Geological Park
in The Bronx on Sunday. Curator Ditmars
says so.
Some mischievous person caused the fre
by throwing a match into the chimpanzees
cage, setting its bedding Of hay and straw
ablaze. The keeper tried to rescue the ape.
His clothes caught fire and the animal rolled
him over and over on the floor till the blaze
was ex,inguished. The chinpanzee him.
self was badly burned and his head and feet
are now wrapped in bandagcs.
There were 800 persons in the monkey
house when the bedding blazed up. Two
policemen closed the doors at either end OF
the building with the idea Of catching the
thrower Of the match, The policemen didn't
succeed. The only result was to throw the
crowd into a panic,
Sokp Is the chimpanzee's name and
Curator Ditmars vouches for il that lie is
az animal Of many accomplishments. beiI &
an acrobat aud contortionst and a boxer
of no mean ability as we'll The curator
himself has been giving Soko boxing les
sous and Mr. Ditmars says that the animal
il becoming 50 prOiicie.t that II won't be
long before he will give public exhibition.
But that's nothing. When the wicked
sped tatur set Sc kos Ted afIe about 4o'clock
on Sunday afternoon tlc aye showed more
Intelligence even q a. II required Ia n
publ" boxiag ex' iilon.
Keeper Miles ran into Soko's cage while
H.. ~ fg.t ha AV.. h.sn
had oily been III the cage u second before
| his clothes caught fire. Til then Soko,
Nj. DitEars says, had CrouC he'd III a corner
OF the cage, apparently III gitat honor.
But when he raw hlr keepers clothes afire
he rushed over, grabbed Miles, hugged
him close and then threw him on the Moor
tie pushed Miles out OF reach OF the flames
ana kept rolling him over until he had
snoth.I.d the nrc.
While this vas, going on Keeper Pierce
had got the hose out and was playing
stream on the burning bedding. he had
the tire out in "A minute, but not before
Soko's nose and face and feet had been
buried.
Three keepers carried Soko out of the
| cage and 10 the hospital ward. j. X, Blair
the veterinary surge on, Was called and
dressed Soko's wounds. Then the ape
Was bandged up ana put to bad
soho II years old and healthy, and
Curator Dtmar- says It won't be long
before the ape IL around and as epry as
ever. The fire in his cage caused great
upruar among the other monkeys. They
Chartered and screeched for an hour and
me big baboon, named Abdullah, couldn't
Toe quoted.
Curator Ditmars saws that this baboon
butted his head against his cage and ap-
parently vas trying 10 commit suicide.
Director Hornaday was summoned and
ordered that the MONKEY he fed. This
vas done but the bal boon Nepton screeching
and crying until he had received double
allowance. Then he became quiet,
In regard to this story it is certain that
the chimpanzee rolled On the floor, anyw av.