The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-09
CAPTIVE GIRAFFES BADLY FED
One Reason Why They Don't Thrive IN Cap
tivity-Elephant's Natural Food.

A Sun reporter was talking the other day
with man who earned his living years a go
by leading hunters into inner Africa ia
capture animals for the mena geries of t.u-
rope and America. The man was asked II
he could tell Of any great contrast between
these captive animals and the same species
in their free and natural state.
Il can think of one right away" he said
Il never see a captive giraffe munchng
his bunch of hay, the mainstay of his life
wherever he is prisoner without wonder
ing how he can eat such strange food.
NO one in Africa ever saw giraffe ca
grass, either dried or in its green condition.
They do not bend their necks to the earth
to got food, as they are often compelled ia
do in captivity.
The food of the giraffe in his native home
consists almost entirely of the leaves and
tender twigs Of various kinds Of acacia
There are some 400 varieties of this plant
MANY of them exude gums resembling
caoutchouc. and no animal could eat their
foliage, but the leave and twigs of other
kinds make good provender for severa
species of animals.
The giraffe is among them. and though
| have seen him eat the leaves of 'other
shrubs and trees, he seems to prefer these
kinds of AGA cia. The natives say that he will
wander out into the parched wilderness
and remain there for more than a week
without drop of water, the juices of the
acacia being very good substitute.
so the softest and most PUPPY and
juicy vegetation, without any Of the fihrous
quality found in most era sses. is what the
giraffe Graves for and needs, ] don't think
that his anatomical conditions adapt him
for the fodder he is compelled to eat in
captivity.
II have said this to the managers of
mena geries and geological parks and have
told them also, as other men have done.
that their CRATES are not thriving and the
principal reason is that their food is not
suitable
They are poor in flesh. and the vertebra
in their necks are actually revealed through
the hides of some specimens in this coun-
try. The giraffe in captivity lacks the
plumpnnss, the sleek fine coat and the
general air of wellbeing that make him
in Afric. he most beautiful creature among
all the mammalia
"The elephant is another animal whom
dire necessity compels to eat hay, though
it is not natural food of his kind, In this
country he slows under his thick coat
many tons of hay in a year. but in Africa
not blade of any kind of grass figures in
his bin of fare, | am aware that German
professor has recently said that he found
grass in the stomach of an elephant killed
on the slope of kilimanjaro, but in all my
sexperience I never saw or heard of a wild
elephant eating grass.
His food in East Africa, at any rate, is
confined to small branches of trees, bark
and the fruits of trees In fact the trees
that he prefers seem to be about his only
food resource.
when you are in the elephant country
you may always tell it by the quantities
of mimosa and other trees he has torn
down and ruined in order to get more
conveniently within reach of the tenderer
bark and branches at tho top. Elephants
have rema rkable strength, and by getting
good purchase with their trunks they
can break OF some of the soft woods that
are nearly foot in thickness.