The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-02-20
BArHrn6 kr rHE zoo.
TAs ElspAant, the Elk aAA ne CAfn-
DaAsss Are Very voaA Of
the Water.

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The quip of the old author who says
that the difference between civilized
and uncivilixed men Mes In the fact
that the former battles and the lat
ter does not, has long been disproved
by fact. But If the difference OF bath
made the civilized man, the zoe con-
tains o number of animals who can
fairly claim, the benefit of the distinc-
tion-whether it makes them civilized
is not altogether clear. There is the
elephant, for instance. 1t rejoices in
huge taya sunk in the ground, to
which an incline is sunk, and wherein
the pachydern may enjoy itself.
There are two elephants at the zoo;
but the bigger doesn't battle. He's
too fierce, wild and 'untractable to be
lei out Of his cage. So they keep him,
securely chained, and when he needs q
bath the hose is turned on him. The
female, quiet beast Of pleasant man
ners, saunters forth every afternoon
in summer and battles in the tank.
Her joy is simply unmeasured, says the
Philadelphia Times.
When she does battle, the trumpet
ing, the splashing, the squirting of wa
ter out of her trunk on her back and
TANKS, are simply prodigious., 1t is the
sight of the day-but anyone getting
too near may be drenched. That
Doesn't feaze the elephant. She's
there to battle. and battle she does.
The crowd watches in amazement.
Elephants, as is well known, do not lie
down, even to battle. and the zoo
elephant il no exception. She stands
up and swashes about, acting az hey
own shower bath, and making the most
Of her opportunities.
The male elk Is another bather, on a
long and protracted basis. There is
3 tank in the elk Enclosure into which
water constantly flows. It is not
large tank and when the male elk gets
into it, there isn't much room for any
thing else, so the females and the
little, elks are forced to stay out and
watch the old one. enjoy himself. AZ
he is. liable of warm day to stay in
the tank from dewy morn to dewy
eve, the others get theirs in watch
ing.
When thus enjoying himself. the
elk Is frequently submerged, except
his horns, which are wide, and his
nostrils. They say his object ia to
avoid the flies. which can't bite his
horns very well, and don't have much
OF chance on his nose. The rest of
the elk family have to hght the flies
as best they may;
The chimpanxes, Billy, gets
sponge bath daily. The heat of July
was few too many for Billy, who
had been reared in the comparative
chill of Central Africa, and he had
to be put on ice to keep him from
slipping his earthly moorings alto
gether. Nowadays, his keeper, MUIR
ray, gives him a sponge bath every
afternoon. which ID simply Billy's
chief delight. When he feels the
sponge he closes his eyes and smiles,
and expresses his qualification in low
snorts and whistles.
The alligatofs and crocodiles, being
by nature very fond Of bathing, di-
vide their time between lying in the
water with their mouths open and
lying on the ground with their
mouths open. They are not express
sive of countehance and their bath
ing may be by force of habit. The
persistent indulgence in water baths
alternated by sun baths may account
for their good health, for SO far az
known they never die q natural
death. -.
The pelicans, storks, swans, ducks,
cranes, and other like birds are fond
Of the water, as everyone knows.
The pelicans, cranes and storks stand
and wade in It knee deep, with one
leg drawn up and one eye closed.
just why this one-sided habit is not
known, even to naturalists.
The polar bear. not having any ice
bergs on hand. takes it out in water,
which he leaves long enough to eat,
and take an occasional nap. His feel
ing during the recent hot spell may
be cohjectured.
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