The Washington times., 1905-10-01
ROOSEVELT GIFTS
TO ZOO GROWING
Zebra, Big as a Horse, Hard
to Tame.
BAB00N D0cILE AND WISE
Meaclik's ost-ichea Looking Well Now
That Women Cannot Pull Their
Feathers.
BAB00N D0cILE AND WISE


Presented by Me=clik II. Emperor of
A5yssinia. to Theodore Roosevelt. Pres
ident of the United Statcs.'.
On several OF the cages at the Na-
uonal geological Park this information
IS posted in a conspicuous place, and
tells the visitor tha; behind these bars
Is beast with an aristocratic assoca-
ton probably not found in another col
lection in this country. 1t is nc: an un-
common occurrence for President or
King to present animals to a public eco
but II Is rather oct of the ordinary fer
osse ruler 10 present another with such
tokens as marks CT his esteem and re-
spcct
Blu; MenoIik is no common monarch,
and is not an advocate Of the routine
style of doing things. so he took this
method of conveying his good wishes TO
the President.
Presidential Gifts.
President Roosevelt is net the oulv
President who is credited with gifts to
the local Zoo. Many OF the other Presi-
dents have made gifts which have add
ed materially to the collection The
names CT Harrison. Cleveland and Nc
hinley are all down on the old registers.
which have been stored away Two rae
coors, gifts OF President Mckinley
shortly sefore he was assassinated. are
the only living opponents OF the EXPIRES
ioents' gifts. The other animals have all
died OF Old age
The Keepers still like to tell a story
cl a oald-hcaded eagle which Presi-
dent Cleveland gave TO the park. 1t
was fine f.:r,
est cne the collection has ever possess.
ed. The bird was a gift TO the Presi-
dent. and, as he had no place for II. he
turned II over to the superintendent of
the Zcc
For many months he was the leading
attraction at the park. and visitors
from all over the country would ask to
see the eagle presented by Mr. Cleve-
LAND.
President Roosevelt stands at the head
of the Est OF Presidents as a sports
man and animal-,oving man. Naturally
his gifts have been greater in number
and more valuable in species.
The Varied List.
His gifts consist of FIVE opossums.
one bay lynx, one red, yellow. and blue
maoaw: one great green rnacaw. one
golden eagle. one Sornan Grevy zebra.
two Somaif ostriches. two gelada
baboons. and one black bear Ali Of
these animals are now living. with the
exception of one of the baboons.
About year ago Kent Loomis
Brother of ex-Assistant Secretary of
state Loorlis. and William X Ellis left
this country with a commercial treaty.
from President Roosevelt to Emperor
Menclik. The mysterious drowning of
Loonis in the English Channel. off Ply
mouth. is still fresh in the minds os
the public
Ellis carried out the mission alone.
and when he returned to this country
with Menelik's reply he brought with
hin, a consignment of animals from the
Emperor TO the President. Among
them were the geiada baboons and the
Grevy zebra, the only two specimens
OF their kind in this country.
Lion and Birds.
The two Sornali ostriches were also I'm
the collection. as well as "Menelik. a
lion cub. which gives promise of becom
Ing remarkably large and perfect spec
linen.
Probably one of the most interesting
Of all the Presidents gifts is a gelada
baboon. Although in appearance she
does not resemble a human being as
much as some of the other species. she
is wonderfully intelligent beast, and is
faVorife with every attendant at the
Zoo. The men have named her She "
Every day the animal is given a ron1p
on the lawn without any chain or rope
holding her. She" will play with the
keepers. and never once, they say, has
made an attempt TO escape. The way
the baboon will eat grass when left to
herself would give one the idea that they
0ever feed the animals. But anyone
who happens to be on hand at meal
time, knows that the quantity of food is
plentiful, and that the quality of meat
and FISH is almost as good as many per-
sons eat.
Hard to Tame.
Dan" the gray zebra. has grown
ever since he arrived in this country,
and is today almost as large as an or
dinary horse. He is a hard animal 20
tame. and 1t is almost impossible for 4
person 20 approach him.
Today the ostriches present an ap-
pearance in great contrast to the day
they arrived from Abyssinia Coming
over on the ship they were carried in
crates with their feathers projecting
through The temptation was too great
for the women passengers. Every time
the attendants back was turned they
would pluck a feather. until the two
birds looked more ike bald headed
eagles than ostriches. The feathers
have all grown out again, and their
coats are now masses OF fluffy black
The new house for small mammals.
which has been under construction for
the past year, is nearly completed. and
will give the National Zoo the most
modern AID sanitary small animal house
in this country. The inside arrange
ment and construction is entirely differ
ent from that ever carried out before.
Lighting Arranged