The Washington herald., 1906-10-14
NATURAL ZOO WHERE
WILD BEASTS ROAM
Hagenbecks Wonderful Resort
for Terrors OF Forest and Jun
gle Nearing Completion.
THOUSANDS VISIT IT
Garden So Realistic That Obsery-
ers Imagine They Are in
Midst Of Animals.
Special Correspondence

HAMBURG, Oct 8. .
Considerable progress has been made
curing the last. twelve months with the
wonderful natural geological garden which
Carl Hagenbeck, the weI-known animal
dealer. is erecting at Stellingen, a pretty
little suburb Of the great port of Ham
harg. He has now completed his lion
inclosure, and it is no exaggsation to
say that it is the most unique dwelling
ever designed and erected for the accom-
mediation OF the big cats.
Il was quite. recently that the New
York Geological Garden got over the OBJ
lectionable iron bars by. .resorting TO net
ting, but Mr. Hagenbeck has gone one
better by doing away with distractions Of
any kind Hence one gazes al lions and
tigers with nothing whatever interfering
with the view.
At the back OF his lion house. which
is covered with imitation rockwork, there
is q large open space surrounded On three
sides by rockwork and boulders. They
are built so high that no animal could
jump them The other side is entirely
open, broad ditch Is feet deep preventing
the animals from getting to the public
footpath. Immediately in front of this
latter is a narrow strip Of garden full Of
tropical plants.
Appear to be at Large.
Then comes the ditch, but it is so de-
signed that it cannot be detected by the
public. Hence one looks over the flower
bed at lions and tigers only thirty feet
away. that being the distance between
the animals side OF the ditch and the
path. At the present time there are eight
lions and three Bengal tigers in this
unique lion den. The tropical plants,
rocks and eave-like appearance of their
den make an ideal and natural setting for
these beasts Of the jungle and forest.
But this is by no means the end Of the
novelties seen at this original zoo. Il has
been designed on this principle: The ami
mails are so placed thar full view Of them
can be obtained yet tc ali appearance
they appear TO be at large and able to
roam about Of their own free viii. One.
for instance, looks over a prettily de-
signed water pond full Of all kinds Of
aquatic birds, at various fay-eating ami
mails such as camels. dromedaries. llamss,
and ostriches. They appear to be able to
move about at liberty. but are securely
confined to their particular inclosure. Be
youd comes the lion house and then great
mountains on which ibeX, sheep and goats
disport themselves.
When the garden is finished, as it will
be by April ] next, one VIII be able to
stand in the zoo and obtain a view at one
time Of over COO animals and birds and
Yet be unable to detect the presence Of
iron rails or cages. The animals will be
prevented from getting loose by cunning
ly-devised bitches, iron bars and other
ingenious c0ntTivances
The Artificial Mountains.
Some of the artificial mountains are
cleverly-designed structures; they tower
from so feet to $50 feet in height. The
mountains that are finished are populated
with various mountain animals such as
deer and chamOis. 1t is quite a fascinat-
ing sight to watch the mountain sheen
and ibex jump from one rock to another
and stand on the highest pinnacIes sill
hoUetted against the sky line.
The park covers thirty-siX acres Of
ground, and although still in an incOm-
plete state is, nevertheless, visited by
over 10.Q00 persons every week The charge
for admission is u cents. There is certain
" much to interest the visitor. The col
lection OF animals in the park is very
large. and more valuable in fact than the
animals seen in any one geological garden
in the world. This arises from the fact
that Mr.. Hagenbeck IS an animal dealer
and is always selling Wild beasts, birds
and reptiles.