The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27
MODEL MOTHERS AT The zoo.
THEeBABIES IN DANGER OF TOO
MUCH CARE, NOT NEGLECT.


M Mere Fisure OF speech--Dry Nurs.
in~ the Animals-One Cruel Grizzly.
At a geological garden the baby animals
| are the fayorites with the public. A crowd
is always found in front Of their cages
This is not surprising. Baby animals.
| like human babies, have many captivating
littls tricks, and the maternal love displayed
behind the bars Of the cages often makes
pretty sight
Take mamma baboon. There Is no
better mother in the world. She sits at
the back Of her cage all day long, watch
| ing every movement OF her offspring with
, happy pride.
She let's him gambol about as much as
he likes, SO that he may grow strong and
agile; but the moment she thinks he is
running into danger she springs upon him.
coddles him tightly in her arms and retreats
to the back Of the cage, chattering luri-
ously.
AS a rule" said her keeper. 'she Is one
of the best tempered monkeys We have,
but now that she has this youngster
it's dangerous to 60 near her. She seems
to think the whole world is In conspiracy
| to hurt the kid
A photographer came along and tried
to take the baby picture. The little fellow
insatiably curious, like most babies. was
willing enough to come to the front OF the
cage and examine the little black box.
| But the mother was suspicious. Again
and again she dragged him as far from
the evil eye of the camera as possible, until
the photographer had eventually to give
up in despair.
Are all monkey mothers as good a.
this one?" the keeper was asked.
-Yes." he replied; they are the best
mothers in the world. Most animals make
good mothers, but the monkey is the best
Of all. The most pathetic sight ever saw
was a monkey mother mourning over her
dead baby"
To the question, 'How do you manage
to keep the babies alive?" gray haired
veteran keeper replied:
1T isn't up to us as rule. We leave 1t
to the mothers when we can. They know
more about it than we do. and nine times
out of ten they wouldn't let us interfere
anyway. II they could help it. You try
to teach lioness or female chimpanzee
how to mind her baby, and she will soon let
you know her views on the subject.
Now and then, however, the mother
dies, and we have to do our stunt as dry
nurses. II isn't easy.
First Of ALL We have to win the con-
fdence and love Of the baby, which has beer
taught by it's mother to regard mankind
with suspicion. Often the aggravatine
little creature won't eat or drink, and food
has to be forced down its throat.
.Iknow a keeper who brought up baby
grizzly on the bottle. He used to nurse II
in his arms just like a child, give it its mill
and sing lullabies to hush it to sleep. II
grew quite fond OF him. and as soon as il
could walk it used to follow him about the
| place like dog
THE question OF the milk is always I
serious one. 1t is extremely difficult t.
} get fluid resembling the mothers milk
Mistakes are often made, and we have tx
learn by experience.
We use condensed milk mixed in bciles
water for baby monkeys. Into quar-
OF this we squeeze the juice Of two banana
: through cheesecloth and also some orang'
Juice.
Small monkeys, such as ringtails ant
marmosets, are fed from the bottle. JUS
like human babies: but the larger monkey
: are taught to drink out of cup from IN
fancy. They are stronger than human
. babies, and can lift the cup when they ar
} very young.
sometimes baby monkeys cannot b.
induced to take any nourishment from
tho keepers hand. In that case the ski
of an animal or some hairy cloth Is laid upo
the floor of the cage with several bottle
Of milk under it.
:. Holes are cut in the cloth, throug
which the nipples OF the bottles protrude
| The monkey is then left alone, and, soone
or later, he will take all the milk he needs.
Mountain sheep are raised on ordinar
| cows milk In which grass has been STEPPED
Bear cubs are fed upon milk and ZweibacA
A crest many Of these cubs are caught 4
Germany, when their eyes are hardly oper
by shooting their parents; and zweibacl
Is regarded as the best food for them.
wolf cubs are also fed on it sometimes
but they get beef tea as we'll as milk. Ju
venile snakes are easily provided for. A
. you have to do is to crush up grasshopper
small enough for them to swallow. Lilo
y cubs are raised by the bottle on milk an
beef tea"
e Baby antelopes, wolves, foxes and man
Other animals nave utcu sucSeSsiu Ay iaiSe
on the bottle by keepers. Some time ag
baby hippopotamus had to be dry nurse
{ ut the Central Park Zoo in New York.
h was found that cows milk mixed wit
!. the Juice Of crushed grass was the neares
d approach to the milk Of the mother.
The Central Park Zoo is famous the worl
a over for it's success in raising baby hippo
The hippopotamus very rarely breeds
It captivity, and practically all those whic
have been produced in recent years hav
q come from Central Park. They are trade
OF to ZOOS in various parts Of the worl
g in exchange for other animals.
= "You talk as if you often had to DIR
Q nurse these babies. Do the mothers d
40 frequently" the keeper who had give
= all this information was asked,
"No, but we often have to take the babit
!. away from their mothers" he replied
n AS have said, we always leave them whe
d we can; but sometimes the mothers do the
Ia best to kill their babies through over kline
y ness, and sometimes. though much MOI
y rarely. through neglect
q Last winter a grizzly bear cub die
i through exposure to the cold It's moth'
rs went to her den and slept. leaving the pc,
| littla thin ont side