Evening star., 1926-11-14
zoo IS PREPARED
FOR RAB|G SUNDAY
Most of Animals Brought
Back From Africa Are
Now on Exhibition.

The Zoo is prepared today for what
is likely to be one of the biggest sun
day crowds in the history of the park.
All of the larger animals collected
by the Smithsonian -Chrysler expedi-
ton in the Tanganyika province OF
East Africa now are on exhibition, as
well as most of the birds and monkeys
Last Sunday, with only a few or
these creatures in their cages, more
than $4,000 persons milled into the
various animal houses during the
afternoon.
One of the chief attractions today
will be in the lion house, where four
ieopards. one of them the largest in
captivity, now are on display. Ihere
are two in each cage, but they are
separated by a heavy wire screen.
After four or five weeks the screens
will be removed. At present 1t is
hoped that the animals will get
acquainted with each other through
the screens so that when the parti-
tion finally is removed they VIII be
friendly, if not affectionate. Just
now mighty little courtship is going
on. Instead the leopards snarl Vi
viously at each other and at the
crowds which stand in front OF the
cages.
Would Fight Now.
If they were put together now, says
DIR. William NJ. Mann, superintendent
of the Zoo, they would be likely TO
tear each other to pieces. The AMI
mails are every bit as vicious today
as in their native jungles and visitors
will have the rare opportunity OF see
ing real savage beasts only too anx-
ious to get out and eat few OF the
or,{x Jc ho
watching them, rather than animals
accustomed to captivity, partially
tanned, and not particularly interested
in human beings,
The other big attraction In the lion
house is afforded by the two cages OF
cobras The Egyptian cobras are eX
tremely active for snakes. are lrrl-
tated easily, and spread their necks IN
rather gruesome fashion.
OF course the two young glraFeS
and the shoebill stork in the birdhouse
are bio attractions. Yesterday WaS the
hi9 day for the giraffes to date. There
was .,..t,I.y a moment when so or
more children were not crowded
before the cage. They appear to be
acclimating themselves and are eating
Monkey House Congested.
Most of the new monkeys have been
nIaced In cages in the monkey house.
This is the scene of the greatest con
gestion. Each cage has been cut IN
tuo The yervetS, the blue monkeys
and the babuons are proving S >claplH'
The first important stage III their cop
tiyity is passed when they start ~
nIay' When they don't play they are
unhappy and unhappy animalS @ uoli
live very long. One of the most nope
fa
l,evs rarest and most valuable o. the
;nha bitants of the monkey house''ha
started 20 play tag and poH e;'Cl.
theirs ears. If they keep II up they
are due for long life here.
come of the most valuable anlmtis
,vi1l he housed today in The antelope
t'o,,sa These include the greater
koodu. the graceful. delicate lii,4aii.'' n,,
rhe wart hogs and the uulhel'
also are feeding Wen. = 80 ,,o,u
On most OF the cages Oh the new
i,aois only temporary cards have
haan nIaced and some OF these arc
,,,,,,.rked hut the chances are lllaI
nv cage not otherwise deSlS I'D. .e'
.,an,o;,S some of the African acquISl-
,ions Visitors to the Zoo TO-DAY Dl'
Hlann explained, must not thlnh tliey
are seeing the entire collectlon. llio
1an,norary quarters behind the blru
house still is piled roof high with
cages filled with birds, reptlieS anu
small mammals. These include Soiile
of the most interesting creatures coi-
iected-Such animals as the wiz !''o
i,v cat and the little lemurs, curious
1aosts which might be taken for
either bats or monkeys, but Whlch
usually are included in the monkey
family.
Staff Hard Worked.
A great deal of work is involved for
the limited staff of the Zoo in putting
an animal on exhibition and the
progress necessarily is slow. cages
must be partitioned, new cages CON
structed. and the animals moved with
the greatest care-all in addition TO
the regular chores of the staff. NOV
ing of the leopardS alone would have
been a fair weeks work.
Another difficulty is due to the I'M
tied quarters. With the population
Of the park more than doubled over
night. and with none of the creatures
able to withstand outdoor tempera-
lures, it is rather complicated prob
lem in mathematics to figure where to
keep them so that they can be seen
TO good advantage by the public.
The Zoo has no small mammal
house and small mammals constituted
a good percentage of the collection
Such a house, it was explained, SIS
very badly needed. Small mammals,
many of them extremely interesting,
are coming into the Zoo all the time
as gifts from benefactorS of the 1nSu-
ton or from Government officials sta
toned in foreign lands. 1t is almost
as easy to get animals as to get a
place to keep them.