The New York herald., 1922-05-16
FLOATING zoo HERE,
MONGOOSES BARRED
Cutest Little Animals, and
So Mild Looking, Are
Most Deadly.
TO RETURN TO AFRICA
Gnns, WarthOgs and Bush
Babies in Cargo of 300
From Cape.
STORK SPREADS TERROR
Lions and Cobras Well Be-
haved OH Way to Distribu-
ton Among Parks.
sTORK SPREADS TERROR

Virtually every kind of animal that
ever appeared on or off an animal
cracker docked yesterday morning at
Pier 3S. Atlantic Basin, Brooklyn, on
the Dromore Castle of the Barber
Line. here from Cape Town, Africa,
after twenty-eigkt days. The animals
are to become permanent residents;
that is. all except the mongooses.
Uncle Sam welcomed, if not with
open arms, at least with friendliness,
all sorts Of queer things such as gnus.
bush babies, warthogs, night apes and
koodoo antelopes; he even opened the
gates to lions, leopards and cobras,
but he drew the limo sharply at the
eighteen mongooses. They are un-
desirable citizens and must go back
TO Cape Town by The first boat
The eighteen mongooses. each about
half the size of small kitten. but
with sharper snouts and just a hint of
red In their brown eyes. sat in their
little cage yesterday on the deck and
looked innocently out at the antelopes,
leopards and birds i'm their cages Every
woman visitor who came aboard in
stantly voted them the cunningest
things in the whole Noah's Ark. and
the mild. tiny mongooses binked their
eyes sadly and continued to look
wronged.
Mild hammered Killers.
But. according to the hard hearted
immigration inspectors who barred
them and the animal men who ad-
haf pr1a ~
edly right. these same meek looking
semi-kittens are tho ablest killers In
all the cargo. and the most destructive
animals of Africa. In fact they are
such undesirable citizens that in Janu-
ary. 1910. Congress made it violation
of the criminal code to bring a mon-
goose into this country.
They are called the lions provider
in Africa" one of the animal men who
tended them said. They will tackle
almost anything; fox, bird. deer, ante.
lope. cobra and kill before the animal
knows he is being attacked. Then they
drink the blood. leaving the corpse for
The lion to eat. and go after some other
animal. Yet look at them!'
To-day all the other animals will be
taken to the Carl Hagenbeck animal
station at Coney Island. and later on
will be distributed among geological
gardens throughout the country.
The King Cole of Lions.
Right within twenty feet of the Mon
Eooses was what was zoologically the
feicest animal of the lot. but actually
the tsCest. This was a six-year-old
;icn, perfect specimen, with a ferocious
face and big. bushy mane. When
Chris Schultz. or one OF the other animal
men. ventured near the cage an invol-
ls.~. e...
audience: then Chris would put his hand
through the bars and pull the lions ear
or stroke his nose ana the lion would
1l,k his chops IN satisfaction and refrain
from mayhem. AS a King OF the beasts
tie big lion lacked ferocity and dignity:
.e was more on the order of King Cole
.han of Nero. Some young zcbras COM
,cted with King Cole in mildness. but
tho older zcbras were as snappy as the
ar imal books nllege.
More respect and attention were ac-
CO.. an old, bald headed marabou
stcrk than any of the other immigrants
Ills stork. a cantankerous brute, had
o cage TO himself and kept his beak.
talrty inches long. always on the alert
.At tcording to the keepers the bird can
drive tho keen bill right through a
mans body. Nobody permitted him to
demonstrate his prowess during the trip.
For purposes or harmony. the snakes
and the secretary birds we're kept very
mach apart during the voyage. The
snakes eat bros and the birds eat
snakes. SO Chris Schultz and his as
sls,ants called IL draw and gave them
leiths apart.
Among the 800 animals of the cargo
were about 200 monkeys. some of whom.
according to six English cadet officers
on board. were not bad sort at all.
Al, the animals, excepting the mon.
g,cses and the stork, we're as amiable
a cargo as ever shared a 5000 ton
sn,p on long voyage.