Evening star., 1923-11-04
Wild Animals Washn@ton Loo Reared Like Human Chidre

tHee cages Iuii or SOO POUNDS day.
its maker stated.
Next to the bread cages were pots
OF newly boiled rice. Twenty pounds
OF this day makes our small animals
grow" ,Trevey commented. -.
*I* Arm
IN the other end Of the room IL the
vegetable supply-troughs full OF
beets, onions. carrots, sweet and white
potatoes, kale. lettuce and cabbage.
The zoos inhabitants eat a .bushel of
| each Of these vegetables a day. Deer,
kangaroo and monkeys are especially
fond Of them," Keeper Blackburne said.
Our own twenty-five acre farm pro.
duces all the beets. carrots, potatoes,
lettuce. kale and cabbage we need. It
is located near the Adams Mill road
entrance to the park.
Five years from now we win be
picking our own apples. Gardener w.
T.. King planted an eighteen-tree apple
orchard beside. the farm last spring.
That should bear fruit by 1s2s.'' -
Naming Of his pets. Blackburne con-
siders after having taught them to eat
and play without getting hurt. Many
names are proposed for zoo newcomers.
but few are chosen If they exceed one
syllable. - r'~,'
Little Wanda Lion was given a two
syllable name because the entire Lions,
Club Of the District of Columbia re-
quested this. Wanda's twin sister was
named Rose Other coRnoulens
Blackburne gives zoo babies are Pete"
Jim" and Doug"
Wealthy Jay Gould's father set us
an example in name-giying.
He said he named his son Jay in
stead Of Percival- or -AIgernon, 80
that when he wanted him. he cauld
call him quick. When keepers com
mand animals. we, too, have to do 1T
quick. Blackburne explained.
while Roosevelt was president, /
was urged to name animals Teddy
Friends of the idea declared this
would be a fitting tribute, to the
great hunter and explorer. who do
mated many of his catches to the
National Zoo. But not a single ami
NAL was named Teddy
Congressmen, who represented states
from which they came, has been
proposed also. Blackburne rejected
this suggestion. too, chiefly because
he did not think the nations. lead-
ers would feel complimented to have
their names so used 80.
What IL the highly respected sena-
tor from Massachusetts, learned that
a Massachusetts skunk bore the name
Henry or Cabot" or Lodge, 'aesup-
posed Blackbourne. Besides, 1t would
have given keepers maze Of names
to remember, many Of which they
could not call quickly. -
Only 9 few of the soo.s anirnals-
Blackburne's favorites-are named.
Mrs. Brown Bears triftets were not
named. Nor were the kansaroo's
youngsters. Nor. the tigers Nor the
deers.
CHRIsTENING of baby Wanda
~ Lion was quite ceremonions.
She was bathed and brushed, first, of
all. Then she was carried to an auto
mobile. in which. on Godfather Black
burne's lap, she rode to the hotel,
where the Lions club was to lunch.
She and Godfather Blackbourne were
given places at the head table. There
she was raised above heads OF the
clubmen and christened Wanda"
How different from the christening
of her sister, Rose Lion" One morn
ing she heard Blaokbourne call. her
Rose" That Is the usual way of
naming those animals so fortunate to
win names.
What happens to zoo babies when
they grow up?
May a Washington resident buy
or be presented one of the zoos wild
pets?" Is the question Blackburne is
asked sometimes.
NO" he answers.
Most animals born in the Ma
tional Zoo are sent to other ZOOS in
the United States. These ZOOS give
in return young animals which are
not yet in the national collection.
Only If our parent animal ID ,ap-
preaching death do we keep one Of
her offspring.
During the past year we sent a
young hippopotamus and bear cubs
to the st. Louis. Mo-, zoo; two tiger
cubs to the Bronx. N. Y. zoo, and two
tiger cubs to Baltimore's Zoo. Some
times we exchange young animals
with circuses. N.t<, : It,s =
Separating mother and young is
difficult. We took the little tigers
away by >coaxing, them, into a foot
bafted cage. which was snapped shut
and hauled from the parents prison
as soon as the young entered. Young
deer. timed and fearful of contact
with humans, have to be coaxed. when
hungry. with choice food. Even then.
it sometimes takes hours to bring
them within our grasp.
react in various ways.
The great hippopotamus takes ito
water and remains completely sub
merged for the best part of several
days. She-wolves wall many hours
after their little pups are taken
away. Mother lions roar for their
cubs. then, grief-stricken. droop
their heads and pace the cage floor.
.'Most> Of our animal babies stay in
their native zoo at. least yer. L
would not ship them away until
they are thoroughly independent OF
parental care. and besides- -
Washington people deserve twelve
months of tho fun they get by watch
ing the antics Of their zoos baby
animals"
RnauaksA. - a>>A.