Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
ADDITIONS TO THE ZOO
Animals Arrive From Municipal
Garden, Buenos Aires.
TWENTY-SX IN SHIPMENT
Tiger and Orange-outang From
Singapore Also Here.
TWELVE WHITE C0CKAT0OS
Habits of the Viscacha, Similar in
Appearance to the Ameri-
can Ground Hog.
WHITE CoCKATO0s

| National Geological Park Is receiving h
| number of interesting and valuable ad-
| ditions to its exhibits. There have just
| arrived from Director Clement Onelli or
the municipal garden in Buenos Aires.
Argentine Republic. shipment OF
| twenty-six animals as an exchange. But
the most important addition to the zoo
| is q magnificent male tiger, about hve
years old, and a female orang-outang,
about one-third grown, both OF which
were bought from the first mate Of
steamship which recently arrived at New
York from Singapore.
The tiger was captured not far from
Singapore in the province known as Jo-
hore and is in perfect condition. and
beautiful animal. But one of the ofhcfals
off the Zoo explained today that he Is
mot qualified to go into polite society
yet as he is very savage" 1t was ex-
planned that the tiger was probably cap
tured in g. large bamboo cage trap. baited
with live young goat or calf.
On reaching the Zoo here the tiger was
placed in a cage adjoining the female
tiger, the latter also being from the Ma
lay peninsula.
1.-THE two animals may have been ac-
quainted in their native Jungles before
coming here" said Zoo official, las
they at once showed signs of recogni-
ton
Lady" Orang Is Gentle.
The orangoutang has been placed in the
new building occupied by the monkeys.
The keepers say she is very tame and
gentle animal and appeared to be be-
numbed with the cold when she first
reached the Zoo. The "iady" orang. how
ever, soon became quite lively after a
RI CT in fhe froDir9i fpmneratllra nf
the monkey house.
The human-l like intelligence Of the orang
was shown when she had been provided
with sleeping box which was placed In
the cage. 1t was filed with straw, and
the animal was provided also with two
small woelen blankets as an additional
means of warmth. At bedtime, the at
tendants say. she covers herself carefully
with the blankets, being particular to tuck
them in at the feet and on the sides.
In the daytime the lady" orang wears
one of the blankets. shawl-fashion. about
| the cage. After placing it over her head
she arranges the folds about her Shout
ders and with one hand seizes the cover
ing at the throat to keep it on, just-as q
woman does. She feeds on oranges and
bananas and also drinks decoction of d.
luted condensed milk with raw egg mix
ed in it. The keeper pours the nuid In
cup and this the orang seizes with her
hands and drinks the liquid. tipping the
Then in the most intelligent manner she
passes the cup to the keeper to be re-
filled
The orang is quite affectionate and
while the keeper is working in the cage
she throws her long arms about his neck
and embraces him. So persistent Is she In
her Iovemaking that the keeper has DIFF
ficulty III getting loose from the hugginY
animal.
Officials at the Zoo state that the orangs
rn1t in
and are entirely restricted to the forest
regions of the low country there. They
feed on fruit, nuts and tender leaves and
shoots OF various plants.
Shipment From Buenos Aires.
The animals and birds received from the
zoo at Buenos Aires comprise a llama.
pair of alpacas. a peccary, a pair Of Wis
cachas or mottled South American bur-
rowing rodents, a pair of Patagonian hares,
yaguarundi cat or weasel-like animal
from that continent, two grisons. similar
10 the latter In appearance; pair or
agoutis and three hairy armadilloss. an
opossum. two common rheas or South
American ostricheS and rarer species
from Patagonia often known as Darwin's
rhea, three tinamous or birds shaped very
much like cartridges and often so called
by Europeans, Maguari stork and two
cariamaS or crans-like birds.
from the geological garden at Buenos
Aires, one having been received in De-
cember. 1904, in return for which forty
one animals were forwarded the next
year. In exchange for the present lot
it is expected that another shipment from
the National Geological Park will be made
in few months, some Of the animals for
which are already on hand.
In addition to these dozen White COCK
atoos have been secured from dealer
in New York.
Habits of the viscacha.
The viscacha is an interesting little an
i,nal. the officials of the Zoo say. In ap-
pearance it is somewhat like the Amer1-
can ground hog only its hair is thicker
and softer These animals live on the
pampas or plains of the Argentine repuh-
lie. and form little societies or colonies
of twenty or thirty viscachas. Iu making
their burrows they form low mound on
| the pampas from fifteen to twenty feet
| across. Beneath the mound the earth Is
| fairly honeycombed with their burrows.
A peculiar burroWins owl lives In the
! holes with the viscachas, similar to the
! owls that associate with the prairie dogs
| on the western frontier of the United
| States, but, unlike the prairie dogs, the
viscachas do not permit deadly rattle
! snakes to share their burrows witt them
The big Alaskan brown bear at the Zoo
was pat upon the scales yesterday after
noon and weighed 1850 pounds. One year
ago the animal weighed $40 pounds. This