Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-03-21
FEEDING WILD ANIMALS
Ut HAS BECOME A GREAT SCIENCE
IN MODERN TINES.

Thirty Thousand Dollars Spent for the
Food of the Living Curiosities Main
tanned by New York City - Snakes Are
Most Fastidious Creatures in Captivity.
The feeding of wild animals in cap
tivity, so that they will thrive and
grow contented in their confinement,
has become pretty accurate science
in modern times, and the keepers OF
wild animals in geological parks, me-
nageries and circuses, have attained
such success in this direction that it
is rarely an animal dies because of
improper feeding. Twenty-Five years
ago this was not the case. The NOR
tality among menagerie animals was
considerable, and the losses were so
great that systematic inquiry was
made in regard to the feeding of wild
animals in captivity. Partly as the
result of that inquiry, and partly be-
cause of the accumulating experience
in handling the animals, present meth
ods of feeding have practically elimi-
mated all danger to the animals from
the food they may get
The feeding of wild animals, birds,
and fish in any large park or menag-
erie is consequently OF scientific inter-
est and value. Something less than
100000 worth of food is needed annu-
ally for the animals, birds and fish in
the public parks, menaseries and aqua
RUINS in the limits of Greater New
York. A close analysis of the food
purchased by this considerable sum
shows that the largest amount of the
money is spent for meat, fish and fowl.
There are altogether some 40 to SO
different kinds of food used, and all
of it is as. good as the market affords.
The common idea that scraps and
waste food can be fed to wild animals
is hardly consistent with modern me-
nagerie experience. Such food would
in short time cause sickness and dis
ease among the animals in captivity.
Hence all the food is carefully select
ed, and is of the very best. In feed
ing the animals fish the greatest dan
ger comes from ptomaine poison. Sew
eral fine otters and seals have been
lost through feeding them with fish
that had become tainted. The seals,
sea lions, offers and pelicans are great
consumers of fish, and they are fed
every morning with medium sized her
ring, packed fresh in ice and delivered
daily at the Geological park. When 1t
is impossible to secure good herring,
other fish are procured and cut up,
if too large to suit the fastidious
creatures who live on fish diet. These
fish eating animals and birds are very
susceptible to poor food, and any vio-
lent change in the quantity or quality
of it almost instantly causes sickness
Probably more sea lions have been lost
to geological gardens in the past
through insufficient knowledge con-
cerning their food than any other class
Of valuable specimens. The slightest
faint of the fish produces symptoms
which usually terminate in sickness
and death.
The snakes are also very suscepti-
BILE to the kind of food given them, and
they prove extremely fastidious crea-
lures when held in captivity 1t is i'm
possible to supply some of the reptiles
with the special food they like, and
substitutes are not taken kindly to at
first. Thus the big cobras in their ma
tive haunts live cn,eny on other
snakes-the smalr harmless varieties.
Now it is manifestly impossible to Sc
cure sufficient small snakes to supply
these voracious caters at all seasons
of the year. Nevertheless, the keepers
of the Central Park menagerie and the
Geological park in the Bronx make
great efforts to collect small snakes
for the valuable cobras. These come
from different points in considerable
numbers, shipments often amounting
as high as $50 at n time. Fed on these
live snakes the cobras thrive in cap
tivity and appear satisfied with their
lot; but it becomes necessary to ap-
pease their appetite with rats and
mice when snakes are scarce. While
new cobras will not touch these ro-
dents when they are first placed before
them, they can someumes be enticed
to swallow them when tied to the tail
In the skin of dead reptile.
The other snakes are fed mostly on
toads, mice and rabbits. Even Eng
lish sparrows are purchased in con-
siderable numbers for the reptiles. The
average prices paid each year for these
snake foods are 2 cents each for spar
rows, to 5 cents each for toads and
frogs, and 2 to 8 cents each for live
mice. At these quotations many boys
make quite little pocket money, and
the Geological park managers find the
supply at times greater than the de-
mand, SO eager are the youngsters to
feed the snakes. In the winter season,
however, it sometimes becomes a ques-
Ion Of considerable Importance how
to secure fresh food for the reptiles.
At one time more than a dozen rattle
snakes had to be killed because of the
keepers inability to find plenty of live
mice to keep them from starvation.
The wild carnivorous animals of the
jungle need a certain amount of meat