The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-13
TRAGEDY AT THE BRONX zoo
GEAR, THE RUSSIAN BEAR, KILLS
ONE OF HIS OFFSPRING

CZareyitch, the Victim. SOugh { 10 Make Up
Family Feud with His Father-EX
eitement Over an Escaped Snake
Rumor- THE New Deer House Open.
Czarevitch. the ~liveliest OF ,the three
m~onths-old Teddy bear triplets at the Bronx
Zoo is dead. The little fellow, who with his
brown brothers was known to hundreds of
children Of Manhattan and The Bronx. will
delight them no more. While playfully
paving under his fathers cage yesterday
morning he aroused the ~latter's anger.
The parent grabbed the cubs paw and with
a snarl tore it's foreleg from the socket,
causing death.
Although he was a rollicking pet, accord
ing to the keepers at the pea house, his life
was not a happy one in the animal world.
Trouble seemed to pursue Czarevitch from
the day he was born. That was in January
His parents we're Gear and Czarina, Russian
brown bears, two of the largest and most
valuable aaimals in the Zoo. Thu Gar
was shown the new arrivals one at 4
time by his mate. First C2arina brought
Katchla, the smallest. forth, from "A nearby
cavern. 1T is said hat the male animal
displayed pleasure at this. but when its
brother, the Grand Duk Michael, was car
ried out he growled and seemed much dis
pleased that there should be more than one.
When poor little Czarevitch was brought in
he savagely attacked him and also the
mother. Only the timely intervention of
Keeper Trainor kept the Czar from killing
his entire family. Trainor grabbed a long
pole and with the assistance of Keeper
Twombly succeeded in separating the ami
mails until the male could be lassoed and
dragged from his cage. He was isolated
in the adjoining compartment to the north.
For weeks the Car growled a good deal
and appeared in bad humor, but the rage
seemed to gradually pass over. Night
Waterman Costain was making his rounds
Friday night when he heard a strange
sound in the vicinity of the bear cages
and discovered that Czarevitch, evidently
wanting to make up with its father, had
climbed in a far corner and squeezed by a
broken bar. Czarevitch was romping over
his father, but the latter was sound asleep.
Costain realized that unless he got the
smaller bear out there might be trouble.
He called aid, but it was only when Director
Horna day was m that a rescue
schem e was effected.
A ladder was lowered into the cage from
the top n Costain cautiously climbed
down and gathered Czareyitch. who is
not much larger than q good sized spaniel.
into his arms. Hardly had he reached
the top when the father awoke with "A start
and apparently seeming the other bear
growled furiously. Instead of sleeping
he spent most of the night pacing up and
down the cell.
The bears were up with the sun yesterday
morning. Czarevitch. evidently growing
tired of he sport ,sprawled out upon his back.
The mother was inside the cavern but
close to the rail and watched every move
ment Of her offspring. Czarevitch instinct
space under the cage. The father attacked
the u~nsuspecting cub and its injuries were
SO bad that the keepers chloroformed it.
Another sensation was caused later in
the day by an excited woman imagining
that she saw asnake at large. An unusually
large crowd of persons visited the reptile
house during the early part of the afternoon,
among them q boy with a small garter
snake which he had captured on the Bronx
River. 1t is customary for youths in that
vicinity to take anything in the way of a
snake to the Zoo. A woman who happened
to see the lad turning his find in became
hysterical and ran out Of the place. She
told n passerby that a snake was loose.
This magnifed itself into u rumor that
King Cobra was at large. A handy man
rushed to the front of the administration
building just back of the snake domicile
and pulled the emergency signal, which
the officials sound when an animal has
escaped.
Every guard in the park left his post
and came up on the run. There was a lively
scramble 10 get out of the snake house and
Keeper Kelley had his hands fun calming
excited women. When the other en-
ployees, many of them badly winded.
gathered in answer to the signal they found
nobody who knew what il was all about.
All attendance records were broken
yesterday in the Zoo and II is estimated that
more than $1,000 persons passed through
the turnstiles. The new quarters for small
deer and antelope, built at an expense OF
SIS 900. was thrown open for the first time. !
About enc hundred deer are housed here.
II is located near the lion house. Just
back of the latter is the foundation for
the new elephant house, which il is hoped
to complete before winter. At present
there are only two elephants in the collec-
ton. but IL is intended to add a nerd Of |
fifteen as soon as quarters can he con-
structed.
A new feature of the park proper is the
.boathouse, constructed during the winter J
at an expense OF $50, 600. From here an
electric launch with a seating capacity of
twenty persons plies on regular trips through
Bronx LAX VI TO Bronxdale. n small village
about two miles distant.
At the landing notices signed by Direc-
tor Hornaday were posted warning pleasure !
seekers that IL their conduct is not proper
upon the lake. or il there If any boat rock
ing, they will he Immediately called
TO shore. These placards also say that
not more than four persons will he allowed
in a rowboat and that boats will not be
leased TO children under IL years OF age
unless accompanied by their parents.