The New York herald., 1921-08-24
LIONS NAILS CLIPPED
after FIERCE FIGHT
Maudie, Ugliest Beast in
Captivity, Resists All Ef-
forts to Bind Her.
BITES OFF IRON BAR
Animal Finally Succumbs
to Huge Quantity Of Chlor-
oform in Squirt Gun.
OPERATION Is A SUCCESS
Claws Had Grown Into Her
Flesh Because Of Sullen
Inactivity in Cage.
OPERATION Is A SUCCESS

Maudie. the dowager lioness at 70
illogical Park in The Bronx and the
most vicious animal ever known there
fought like demon yesterday when
an effort was made TO bind her with
ropes so that DR.. W. Reid Blair, the
Zoo veterinary. could take out four
ingrowing claws on her left front paw
which have been giving her much
trouble. After she had reduced nearly
dozen of the ropes TO shreds and bad
bitten through five-eighths inch iron
bar, efforts at tying her were aban-
doned and it was decided to use chic
roform.
Ordinarily from four TO FIVE ounces
of the drug is sufficient to put the
most powerful lion to sleep, but Maudie
absorbed exactly a pound and three
quarters OF 1t before her fury passed
and she ceased roaring and toppled
over on her side. Inside or five min
utes Dr.. Blair had removed the offend
ing claws, but for a quarter of an hour
IL was touch and go with the big 400
pound beast because of the tremen-
dous quantity of the anasthesia she
had taken. Her paw will be ell right
from now on, DR.. Blair says, and she
will be walking on it by tomorrow or
next day, but her disposition will
never be any better.
Buffalo Jones trapped Maudie IN South
years old and full grown. Her ferocity
was apparant from the first and on the
voyage to New York she had TO be
bound inside her cage In order TO get
along with her at all. Since her arrival
at the Bronx Zoo her viciousness has
made her an especially unsatisfactory
exhibit. She has spent much OF her
time in her sleeping quarters away from
public gaze, not even yenturing into the
adjoining cage for lier food until after
the park visitors have left Her ferocity
has prevented ner ever being placed In
an enclosure with others of hr kind
No Chance to Bind Her.
For several months Maude, which Is
II years old, had been so inactive tina I
she had not worn her claws down by
walking or scratching them upon walls.
The sharp ends curled under and began
growing into her flesh and the pain had
rendered her more than usually vicious.
DR.. Blair decided a week ago TO take
them out and has been waiting for a
cool day SO as to make the operation as
comfortable as possible for the Hon.
A few minutes before noon yesterday
the elevator cage was raised from the
basement Of the lion house to Maudle's $
iron barred pen. The cages are SO ar
ranged that II is never necessary for
attendants TO enter them when
they are occupied by animals Bill
Schwartz and Charley Grebe, both
old lion men, stood ready with
the hose TO drive Maudie, but water
wasn't necessary. and she entered the
small elevator enclosure without much
urging. II was lowered TO the basement,
where II rests upon wheels which ru.-
on a track like a trolley car and
Schwartz and Grebe. aided by a couple
OF others. began their attempt to rope
the loness.
As they approached she shrank back,
snarllng and barring her yellow sabre
Ike teeth. The moose OF rope hecked
her paw and she lunged forward with
a roar that reverberated through the
basement and set the beasts above into
full throated chorus. From then on
Maudies fury continued undated She
clawed and bit at the stout ropes which,
were cast deftlv about her neck and
paws and the hempan strands parted
before they could be drawn tight Bill
Schwartz tried 10 force her into q corner
VI the cage where she could not
struggle, with one OF the three eighths
inch iron bars especially designed for
the purpose. but the lloness's Jaws closed
down upon It and the tough ircn
snapped.
Finally Used ChIoroform.
Or. Blair decided that all attempts
60 bind the iioness were useless and that.
despite Maudie's ege, he would have to
take a chance with chloroform. The
hospital cage was enclosed with ar
paulins TO prevent the fumes from die
sipating. and wads OF absorbent cotton
soaked with the anaethesia were efixed
10 the ends or other Iron bars and sew
oral Of them thrust a. near Maudie's
nostrils as possible. She struck out
furiously. but Dr. Biair ard hts assist
ants worked patiently ard little ~
little the beast became quiet so that
the tarpaulirs about the cage were
dropped and tho end OF snway pump
Hlled with chloroform was inserted VI
was er1ptied several times and the In
terror was filed with vapor before the
lioness fell over on her side with q
groan ard lay still.
Or Blair worked deftiy with his
forceps. but before the fourth claw had
been severed liaudie showed signs OF
reviring. Twenty minutes later all dan
ger that she would not revive was over
and she was roaring and lashng herself
Into second fury. Tie hospta. cage
uas run along the track into the open
air and crowd OF awed youngsters
srood open mouthed at the lloness's fury
until she was wheeled back and shot
up 70 her sleeping quarters, where she
continued her tantrum until she fell
from sheer exhaustion.