The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-04-01
AKELEY TELLS OF
GORILLA HUNTING
Most Interesting Animal
in Existence, Says
Game Hunter
VERY NEARLY HUMAN
Sustained First Bite From
Monkey From Mickey at
Fire Station

Through the jungles OF darkest
Africa on his last trip without a
scratch and then to Tulsa to be bit
ten on the hand by a monkey-such
has been the experience of Carl
Akc'ay. big game hunter, stulptor
and taxidermist.
a vicious scratch on Akeley's left
wrist bled profusely yesterday aft
ernoon following his attempt at es-
iahlishing friendly relations with
Mickey the monkey at the Tulsa
fire station. The famous hunter at
Kctchgm hotel Friday regarded IL
somewhat ruefully as he Observed
After months in the heart of So
called darkest Africa / come to So
called peaceful Tulsa and acquire my
ONLY wound in that length OF time
Q0m an animal. Darkest Africa,
Nv the way, is a misnomer. II is the
land OF eternal sunshine and beauty
snd ! believe that on my recent go
rilIo hunting expedition have found
the most beautiful spot in the world.
The 'impenetrablc forests OF Africa.
I have learned, exist only I'm story
booSs The place whore I found my
gorilla specimens, for instance, that
! expected TO be dense forest, with
70 vistas. was mountain side, open
forest, and commanding the most
wonderfully exquisite view II has
ever been by privilege 10 see.
Is Almost Extinct.
THE gorilla, almost extinct. II the
most interesting animal i'm existence.
Why? Because IL is so nearly hu-
man. ] would not care TO say how
nearly human II Is. but IS Il so nearly
50 that now that l have killed speci-
mems. | feel very much like a MUIR
dcrer. II is not the fierce. terrible
animal that people generally believe
it 20 hc. The big bull gorilla that we
brought down for the museum
lanted but one thing--to get away.
Fhd contrary to all traditions OF his
Find put up no kind Of fight. 1t
was murder TO xii! him.
But so far as that is concerned,
there is but one animal in the world
that Is really dangerous. That is
man. ] make no exception. wild
animals will fight, certainly, hut
they don't fight wantonly, for the
sake OF fighting. like man does.
Animals Kill because they recognize
in man an enemy. Their motive for
killing is always self-preservation.
Man-eating lions have been made
man-eating by the ACQUISITION of
knowledge that man is an enemy to
be feared"
Would Preserve Species.
During his last trip to Africa
Akeley not only secured gorilla specf-
mems for African hall. connected
with the New York museum of nat
ural history. but he brought back
as well the only motion pictures
ever made OF the gorilla in its ma
tive surroundings. In order TO
guard against the determination of
the gorilla Akeley is working to have
set aside In the most beautiful
spot in the Belgian Congo a reserv-
alton in which the species may be
preserved TO tho world. That this can
he financed and that IL will have the
backing of the king and queen of
Belgium as well as Belgian SCIENTISTS
the famous teXidermist is sure. In
deed, he made the statement Friday
that he was expecting at any time
communication from the Belgian
royal pair stating their attitude to-
wards his project. Akeley made tie
statement in this connection that
the Belgian government was doing
more than IL has ever done for the
natives OF the Congo.
-. The gorilla group Is to be one OF
the most beautiful OF the several
l.
The hall Is Akeley's latest and most
pretentlous plan and New York art
connoisseurs are discussing it with
utmost interest. Its primary pur-
pose Is to preserve for the ages the
iast-disappearing species OF animal
'llte IN Africa: this will he done
through the medium of bronze and
clay groups, mountinEs and special
paintings that will fill an immense
hall in the museum. The effect will
ne mat of looking through open win
dowS into an African out-of doors.
IN order to insure perfect accuracy
as well as faithful representation OF
the unparalleled beauty OF the coun-
Try, Akeley will take back to Africa
WIN him on his trip next spring an
artist who will transfer to canvas
me landscapes of the hunters most
beautiful jungles for background for
the African group. II there is one
outstanding feature in his more
than twenty years work as hunter
and taXidermist, IL is the fact that
ne mas made of taXidemy an art,
Akeley said yesterday.
Real Art New.
when / first began my work" he