The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-27
KIDS HEAL FEUD IN
WILD GOAT FAMILY
Arrival of Little Ones Reunite
Ancient Couple
ELEPHANT STRIKES BELL
Mother Buffaoes Are Jealous of Each
Other Over Their Offspring.
Phases of Life in the
Big Zoo.
ELEPHANT STRIKES BELL

From the New York World
Abraham. the long -whiskered Persian
wild goat at the New York Geological
park. in the Bronx, looked very humble
and sheepish yesterday. 1t was all be-
cause of a couple Of frisky young kids
that he found hopping and skipping about
the heels of old Sarah, his mate, when
he came out of the cave yesterday morn
| ing. Abraham is one of the Oldest OF the
park animals Sarah is also very old.
! Abraham lost his affection for her last
summer He butted her out of the artifi-
eiaI cave in the yard every time that
she came into it.
Early this spring the society acquired
another Persian wild goat, young te-
male. which, for want Of a better yard
was put into the yard with the old couple
The keepers named the new ccomer Ha-
! gar Abraham was never unkind to her.
| He never butted her away, as he did old
! Sarah At night Hagar was given the
warmest place in the cave, while scrawny
! old Sarah was driven out to sleep in
a corner under the stars She took it all
phiosophically, even as Sarah of old
did
This was the condition in the wild goat
family Sunday morning when, at day
| light, Abraham struggled to his sti1 legs,
| shook out his beard and strutted out
Nibbling at the grass was old Sarah
while at her heels staggered upon uncer-
tain legs two little kids Then Abraham's
heart smote him
With a bleat of joy he rushed up TO
Sarah and rubbed noses with her He
no longer saw her scrawniness He saw
only the kicking heels of the surprising
little kids.
Hager was surprised to see the patri-
arch, with Sarah and the kids at his heels
enter the cave entirely unconscious of her
presence She retired to the outer fast
nesses of the mountain" side to nurse
her jealousy.
Elephant Knocks Down Fares.
Gunda the cashier of the Elephant bank
at the park got tired yesterday of haV-
ing continually to ring up fares the Eie-
plant bank is the particular delight of the
children. 1t is a square wooden box placed
high on the side of the elephant cage and
marked with painted letters. 1t is one of
Gunda's tricks, when some child hands
him coin, to take it in the end of his
|
cover and ring the COW bell that hangs
| there.
| He never fails to put the coin in the
box, but lately he often forgets to ring
the bell At such times the keeper gruffly
says:
"Gunda, go back and ring up that fare!'
And Gunda, with the patience of his
kind, shuffles back to the bell, gives 1t a
vicious shake and holds out his trunk for
peanuts.
When he forgot to ring the bell yester-
day morning the keeper GROSSLY told him
to get back and complete the job. Gunda's s
little eyes blazed. but he went back. His
great trunk arose slowly in the air,
tangled the COW bell wildly and started to
fall
Gunda shot his trunk back to the bell,
tore 1t from the chain and hurled it to the
ground, Then one great front foot rose
and came down upon the bell. crushing it
beyond repair.
The keeper saw the fire IN the old fell
lows eyes and said nothing A few min
utes later the keeper gave the elephant
/ a dog biscuit to appease his wrath. For
the rest Of the day Gunda put all pennies
. In the bank and accepted all the peanuts
offered him, but he seemed relieved that
, he did not have to ring up fares
Jealous Mother Buffaloes.
Mrs. Jones, the cow buffalo. presented
to the park by Buffalo Jones some years
ago looked extra proud yesterday because
her month-old baby born In the park, and
son of old Black Beauty was discovered
yesterday morning eating grass for the
, first time. 1t was quite plain that the
baby was preparing to wean himself. and
it was the more remarkable because baby
5 buffaloes often nurse for year or more.
. Mrs. Jones has Dragged a great deal
about the precocousness of her boy baby,
greatly to the annoyance of Mrs. Merry
meeting. the COW that came from Merry
meeting park, at Brunswick, Me, with
Black Beauty. Mrs Merrymeeting has Il
baby buffalo that is almost two years old.
and is nearly as large as her mother, and