The sun., 1908-05-17
CATERING 10 WILD ANIMALS
MANAGER or A zoo KITCHEN
HAS A ZIG Jon ON HAND.

@ANAW&R w EWU haTCHEN
HAS A ZIG JOB ON HAND.
RR ---------
ss=~ Creatures More Easily Upset Than
VIVA Amfnaala I'm Captinty-Brovn
Treas Ser me Bears--Carying for Brds
and Deasts--Mepkeys Like Onions.
A visit to the Kitchen Of big ZOO will
convince anybody that the man who takes
several hundred assorted wild animals To
board has his work cut out for him and
plenty Of II.
The hardest ~ well a. the most important
thing In such Job OF catering 10 to find
out iust what will best agree with each
Individual boaYder, Az there are few
creatures more easily upset than wild ami.
mails In captivity the task 10 by no means
an easy,thing.
Tha, roo landlord would be glad enough
II his dumb animals had at least portion
OF the perennial dow OF language with which
every, human boarder seems to be endowed
He'd rather have them kick about the food
than merely crawl OF into q corner and
leave 1t alone.
Tho kitchen 10 apt to be In basement
under one Of the animal houses. Here
hot fire burns good deal Of the time while
things simmer In double boilers apd bake
in the ovens. When reporter visited one
zoo kitohen the other day the oven was
full Of brown bread for the bears. 1t was
in great square loAves over foot in diam
eter and about three inches deep.
1t was not like Boston brown bread.
nor yet like the usual bakers loaf. 1t was
almost a. solid a. q rock; not any light
triviality such a. humans got under the
name Of bread. Itwas made of whole wheat
bran. graham -four and molssses, and the
bears thrive upon 1t. 4-..s
with the exception OF the polar bears. the
bruin family does not get meat at the ZOOS.
The keeper tells you laconioally that they
arc not oarnivorous. He evidently never
lived on Maine farm close to the woods
and had holes picked in his iock OF sheep
by marauding bears.
The superintendent Of the zoo. who IL the
real landlord, and the head keeper, who does
the actual catering, know better. They
know that big bear W ould make abort work
Of live lamb or sheep II he got the chance.
But he's better of in captivity without
such hearty meal. even II they were willing
to let him have it.
But they lot him have little variety.
Il
with egg and milk. These become firm as
they get cold and are cut into sections of
various sizes and given to all the bears ex-
oept the polars.
Little bears get pieces as big as mans
two. fists Big bears get hunk ~ big as
q mans head. 1t doesn't look Ike much
OF meal for an animal weighing about
half a ton, but there's q lot Of nourishment
in IL, And it weighs about eight pounds
anyway.
The big bears get about sixteen pounds
at their two daily meals. Sometimes it's
the brown bread; sometimes the rice;
occasionally oatmeal. boiled and allowed
to got GOLD and to ret. Once IN while, as
a rare treat. they have appies or some
berries, but it costs too much to give
them such dairties very often.
II anybody wants to have proof that
the mouth does water at the thought Of
eating let him watch the bears when ths
keeper is bringing their food One big
brown bear is always told by the keeper
to stand up on his hind feet and to ask for
his dinner. N1 1850
He does it, holding the bars with his
fore paws. swinging his huge head from
side to side and grunting with open mouth.
And az he swinaa his head there 10 ample
and most amusing demonstration, Of the
fact that his mouth is watering for the cake
displayed outside
The polar bears get raw meat, which
they dsvour bones and all. They hold II
down with one paw and tear -pieces OIL
with their teeth.
A zoo of fair sine viii use from $50 to 200
pounds Of fresh meat day. A wagon was
unfolding at the time Of the reporters
visit. There were quarters and sides Of
beef. practically tho only kind OF meat used.
Almost all OF IT Ia served raw.
The nero cutting Of II 10 quite an under
taking. The big joints for the lions. tigers
and animals Of that class do not take long.
But there are dozens and dozens Of little
pieces about the size Of q mans finger which
are cut from the lean portions and put in
the big cages for eagles. vultures. owls
and other flesh eating birds. :
They are not thrown IN oarelessly either,
h.st are placed one by onS along the branches
used for perches, and here and there on the
rocks or other objects In the cages. far
enough apart to prevent danger OF two
birds coming into conflict over thenh
The reporter saw kegs and baskets filed
with chopped vegetables. all kinds mixed
up together, tnrnips. carrots. potatoes,
Some Of them were chopped more finely
than others. The tapir, for instance, gets a
great mass of these vegetables cut almost
rs ANAL as the diced vegetables served on
our own tables. =
Monkeys, by the way. are the only ami
mails which care for onions They are the
only animals too which get cooked meat,
unless. for some special reason carnivor
GUS animal might have his usual ration
cooked. +.-
The monkeys have . good deal more
variety In their food than any other zoo
bosrder. They eat bananas, bread. cooked
potatoes-a great many things not favored
by other 800 folks.
Monkeys viii eat anything that is thrown
into their cage. but this accommodating
appetite does not really hghtsa the task
Of the landlord. Whsn come careless Wis
itor has poked q newspaper through the
bars In the monkey house II ID up 10 the
roo chef then TO evolve q naenu adapted to
. stomach disordered by diet Of printers
ink and pulp paper. s 50