The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-11-27
TAME WILD BEASTS.
WONDERFUL INSTANCES FROM
ISLANDS WHERE LIFE 10
PROTECTED.
IT.. Are in No Danger and Seem to
Realize IT and Show No Fear OF
Man at All.

maN
That wild animals become extremely
tame is well known. me wlld guam
of southern California viii enter a
acne and nest there and in the protect
~ soosor I nave seen a flock stand in
a COUNTRY road, a jaunty male between
,beyn and nv horse not 20 feet away
~no1;ng only when | moved and then
with reluctance, says a writer IN the
Scientific American.
Several years ago some lde
On one of the channel ISLANDS Oh SOUTH
orr california introduced a number of
h-laoLtailed deer. which were protect
al 20 euch an extent that in time they
discovared that they were privileged
characters and assumed nearly the ao-
eolute contempt for human beings
held nv the sacred bulls OF lndla tnat
crowd men and women from the road.
Tbav nersisted in entering gardens
dav and night, destroying the plants,
ord finally to locate them the jewellers
On the island had bells fastened 10
them. One buck made his home near
the town of Cabrillo and walked about
the place and over the hills with the
freedom of a dog. When a boat land
cd off the pier the buck ran down TO
greet the newcomers and share their
lunch and became a welcome guest at
barbecues and lobster and clam bakes.
Nearly all animal life is protected at
this island. / have counted half a hun
dred bald eagles in an eleven-mile run,
have seen them take a large fish from
fine water within easy gunshot and
they build their nests on pinnacles
that are not difficult of approach. The
sea birds are equally tame. Gulls
gather in hocks a few feet from those
who feed them. In the winter hocks
of cormorants swim into the bays and
are so tame that they merely divide
when a boat passes and fishermen
often find that the cormorants take on
bait almost as fast as they a put IL
on. Gulls dash at bait and l have seen
a long-winged bird resembling the
petrol follow my line under water at
a cast, using its wings to fly along and
take the bait and at times core OF
sea birds are seen inshore feeding up
on small shrimps, paying no attention
to observers photographing them.
The most remarkable illustration OF
tameness to be seen here is that OF the
sea lions. For ages the animals have
held possession of a mass of rocks on
the shore of the islands. A few years
ago many were killed by vandals. but
laws were passed and for a number OF
year the sea lions have been protect
ed and the rookery has increased in
size until a split has recently occurred
and another settlement has been es
tablished halfway up the island.
1t has been the custom for years fol-
fishermen in cleaning their fish to toss
the refuse into the bay and the sea
lions formed the habit of coming dowI
to the bay at this time to dine there
upon. At first only one or two came
now a band of two large bulls and sew
eral females make their headquarter'
at the bay to spend most of their time
there, constituting a valuable sanitary
corps, as they eat every fragment o
fish, the gulls joining in the feast
When not feeding the sea lions pas!
the time lying within a few feet of thu
beach, sleeping or playing, the females
and young leaping from the water ant
going through various tricks of inter
est to the lookeron.
But a few feet away from the sci
lions are the boat stands of the fish
ermen and boatmen and boats ar
moving out and over the sea lion
constantly, yet they are apparently oh
livious to the men, who never moles
them. This has had a peculiar result
The enormous animals have become S
tame that they almost allow the me-
to touch them and readily come GU
upon the shore to feed from thei
hands. 1t so happened that I was VI
on the sands when no sea lions wer
in sight, and upon asking a boatma,
where they were he began to whist
as though calling for a dog and t
call Here, Benz" repeating the ca.
several times, %whereupon out fror
among the anchored boats appeare
not only Ben but two large bull Sc
lions, which must have weighed hal
a tOn