Evening star., 1925-06-28
Head Zoo Followed Trails of Wild Ifein Many and

The greatest loss among the ami
mails occurs on board ship. Not only
are they subject to sea-sickness, but
many times they brood so gloomily
over their new environment that they
refuse to eat.-declare hunger strikes
and starve themselves to death.
Besides this, many die from sheer ex-
haustion from the long trip and 1t is
seldom the collector has much time to
enjoy the voyage himself His time
Is constantly occupied playing nurse,
doctor and companion to the animals.
1t is very seldom, however, that
the animals worry about their plight
once they reach their Gagged homes.
Strangely enough they always remem-
ber their human shipmates and often
eagerly greet them when they call
from time to time to see how they are
faring in their new er/4ronment. DR..
Mann can walk through the Zoologi.
cal Park here and find dozens Of his
pets running to the fronts of their
cages to greet him.
That the average animal is far hap
pier in we'll managed zoo is proved
by the unusual records for long life
established by their feathered and
four-leGged inmates. The laws OF the
! forest and jungle are merciless-it Is
| the old law of the survival of the
| fittest. Once the jungle beast passes
! it's prime it instantly becomes the
prey Of the younger and stronger.
| Few live TO enjoy natural deaths, but
| fall early in life before the law of
the fang and claw
Z
IN the Geological Park here, however.
the animals are attended like
babies. Their food is of the best and
| there is even aneXtensiYe farm main
| tanned within it boundaries TO assure
| the herbivorous animals a ready sup
ply of fresh vegetables. Experienced
! bakers bake their bread according to
| special recipes; their meats are served
fresh and clean. And the same iron
| bars that protect the people from
| them. protect the animals from the
| law of the fittest.
| The big chimpanZee here is an ex-
ample of how captivity may increase
! the span of an animals life. Wash
ingtons big ape has already passed
| the limit of longevity for the jungles
| and if it survives a year or two longer
it will even have eclipsed all known
records for ZOOS. According to the
park officials the chimpanzee shows
no signs of dying. but on the other
| hand is enjoying the best of health.
! OF course, many of the animals of
I our present-day menageries were born
! in captivity. Others were taken from
the jungles as infants. But in many
instances they are living testimony to
a titanic battle of human wits versus
primordial strength and beastial fury.
| Those persons who like to stand in
front of the cage of a lion or tiger
and wonder whether or not 1t would
really bite" if it got loose had bet
ter stay well beyond the guard rail.
take it from Dr. Mann.
AS for pity. don't waste it on the
animals in Washington's zoo, at least.
Save it for someone who needs it. DIR.
Mann always finds it amusing to hear
visitors sympathiZing with the polar
bears on a hot day. He has studied
them for years and has reached the
conclusion that of all the animals in
the park, they seem TO suffer least
from the heat. And If the animals
had referendum on the proposition
of returning to the iungles, its a
cinch not one would move.