The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-08-25
KING COBRA IN BAD RUMOR
HIS ABSCESS is LANCED WHILE
HE is EATING WEEKLY MEAL.
Makes a Terrible Row About 1t, and
Talks the Other Animals to
Sleep ON a Hot Day.

1dlkS AlAC ONIACE w
Sleep ON Hot Day.
NEW YORK.-All the Afternoon
the King Cobra shook his hooded
head and babbled about his terrible
operation, and before O'Clock every
creeping, crawling or flying thing in
the Bronx Park Zoo had heard about
it, and everybody from the gila mon
ster to the polar bear decided that it
was much too hot to have an opera
ton in the first place, and there GER
tainIy was no need of talking about
it after it had happened.
Of course, as the King Cobra eX-
planned, it wasn't his fault He
knew that he had a queer bunch
on the side of his head, but it didn't
affect his breathing or his crawling
or b eating of black snakes, and he
didn't see any reason why anything
should be changed. 1t caused him
no inconvenience whatever.
But NEg. Dittmar and Keeper
Charles Snyder felt differently This
King Cobra, which is probably the
largest in any zoo, came to the
Bronx in a peculiar manner. One
day about nine years ago an animal
dealer called up the Zoo and ex-
planned that snake had cotton loose
and was under pile of lumber
Inundated by His Capture.
IF you can get him out of here
you can have him cheap" the deal |
- IL, 1a6 KonnnT, |
Snyder started out with bags and |
all the other paraphernalia used for
catching snakes. They soon had the |
cobra out from under the lumber, |
and chasing him about the room.
He is a mean looking reptile about |
nine feet long, as strong as a steel !
cable and considerably more agile, |
with fangs whose bite is absolutely !
fatal The first impulse of these two |
men when they found they were be-
ing pursued by this serpent was to
jump out of the window - AS the |
dealer had also several lions in stock |
he had barred the window, so there |
was no escape. They finally sue
ceeded in putting a plank on the
snakes neck kand forcing him into |
a bag.
During the last nine years the
King Cobra has never forgotten this |
ignominious capture. Every time .
Snyder feeds the cobra his weekly |
meal he refers to it by raising his /
angry head and darting it at the .
keeper. Every time his cage is |
cleaned he has voiced his sentiments /
about the matter. He has about as |
much intention of forgetting that /
little affair of nine years ago as the .
French have of forgetting Alsace and |
Lorraine. However, this has simply |
succeeded in endearing him to Sny .
der, and when it was discovered some I
days ago that the snake had an alb
scess on the side of his head he felt |
as badly as you would if your pet |
dachshund had died.
Keeper Wanted to Save Snake.
He consulted with Mr.. D!ttmar, |
who told him nothing could be done, !
for if it were possible 10 catch tle
snake just back of the neck ana hold
him he would wrap his folds about
your leg, pull his head free and !
strike.
But Snyder thought OF a way.
once eacn week, as great many
people know, the snakes at the Ho1
are fed. they all eat 4 teren1
things For instance, one of the py-
thons will touch nothing but little
50-pound pigs. The King Cobra in
sists upon a livery black snake for
his weekly meal.
So on the feeding morning Snyder
thrust the black snake INTO the cage,
and he had chosen one with rough
scales, so that it would be difficult
to eject. When, according to
snakes method of eating, the King
Cobra had taken in about two feet
of black snake Snyder seized the
more or less lethargic serpent, stuck
a lancet into the abscess, put a piece
of cotton into the wound and made
for the door. He only escaped in
time, for the cobra had rid himself
of the black snake, and as the door
slammed he struck at it savagely
Then he sat for a whole hour waving
his head to and fro and waiting
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